
Taking notes in college STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) classes is an important skill that can directly impact your academic success. With fast-paced lectures, dense content, and complex concepts, having a good note-taking strategy is essential. Here’s how you can up your note-taking game to excel in your STEM courses.
1. Prepare Before Class
Preparation is half the battle. Before heading to a STEM lecture, take time to skim through the assigned readings, review the syllabus, or glance at any lecture slides if they are available ahead of time. Identifying key terms, formulas, or concepts beforehand helps you focus on understanding the professor’s explanations instead of scrambling to write everything down. Preparation also allows you to identify areas where you might need clarification, so you can ask meaningful questions during class.
2. Use the Right Note-Taking Method
STEM subjects demand tailored note-taking approaches:
• For Mathematics and Physics: Write out problems in full, noting each step and the logic behind it. Highlight any shortcuts or alternative methods the professor explains.
• For Biology and Chemistry: Use flowcharts, diagrams, and tables to track processes like cell division or chemical reactions. Break down complex processes into smaller, digestible steps.
• For Engineering or Computer Science: Document technical diagrams, code snippets, and schematics clearly. Annotate designs with explanations or formulas.
Experiment with methods like the Cornell Method for organizing key points, mind mapping for visual learners, or color-coding for categorizing topics.
3. Develop a Personal Shorthand
In fast-paced lectures, creating a shorthand system can help you keep up. Use common abbreviations (e.g., “Δ” for change, “→” for reaction, “w/” for “with”), and invent your own symbols for frequently used terms. Be consistent so you can easily decode your notes later.
4. Incorporate Visuals and Space
STEM topics are highly visual, involving graphs, charts, and diagrams. Use your notes to replicate these visuals, even if they’re rough sketches. Leave space around these visuals to add explanations later during review. A well-placed diagram can often explain a concept better than words alone.
Use Note Taking Technology
If your student has underdeveloped note taking or study skills, not to worry! There are a variety of note taking software and apps that can help. But college is not the place to start practicing with these tools - practice and training should happen BEFORE the college semester.
Professors will not recommend HOW students should take notes in their courses. Professors assume that your student enters their classroom with a robust skill set of both note taking and study strategies.
The good news is - there are many note taking apps that can benefit STEM majors! A popular college note taking software is GoodNotes. Used by students particularly in the STEM majors, GoodNotes can be used on an iPad with a stylus. Students like that GoodNotes has excellent handwriting recognition and includes drawing tools for illustrations and diagrams. It also allows students to upload and annotate PDFs. This is really important for those professors who upload PDFs and ask students to actively read or annotate then submit their annotations for a grade. Lastly, GoodNotes has a flashcard feature that incorporates spaced repetition. This is helpful in studying because GoodNotes will randomly show flashcards and when a student demonstrates that they know a term, the software will move that flashcard to the “back of the pile” and show flashcard terms that the student doesn’t know more often. GoodNotes is great for visual learners who like the options of graph paper, lined paper or dotted paper and want to customize their writing color, font, and paper background.
Note-taking apps and programs are a must-have for today’s college students seeking to excel academically. These digital tools offer a variety of benefits that empower students to take control of their learning. By leveraging the power of technology, students can develop note-taking skills that are tailored to their individual learning needs allowing them to listen, comprehend and demonstrate their learning in college.
Did you know that Fast Forward College Coaching provides training to assist high school and college students in learning note taking technology programs such as Glean, Otter, and more? Learn more about our technology training services here. Please contact us to schedule your student for a note taking training session or to schedule an on-the-go troubleshooting session.
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