Students Favorite Strategy - Reviewing Lecture Notes After Class

I am reading my students’ final papers in a learning strategies course and the one strategy that is mentioned over and over is to review lecture notes as soon as possible after class, at least before the next class meeting.  Students are reporting that doing so makes a major improvement in their learning and retention of the information.  Here are some things to do when you review your notes:

•  Make sure they are clear and understandable.   Add information if needed.

•  Make any corrections needed.

•  Add important or clarifying information from the textbook.

•  After reading them, use chunking and recitation – review one topic, cover the information and see how much you can remember, then check yourself.   Then move on to the next topic.

•  If there is some information that is particularly difficult, turn it into a study guide.

•  THEN – at least once a week review all of the notes that will be on the next test.

It is also helpful to do a quick review of the previous lecture notes before the next class begins.

Try it!  You will find a major difference in your learning and then your grades!!