HOW to Review Lecture Notes after Class

One strategy that is always encouraged is to review your lecture notes as soon as possible after class.  But what should you actually do?  Just re-reading them is not enough to learn them.  Here are some suggestions:

Read over notes and do the following:

• Correct any misspellings
• Add information to make them clear
• Identify any questions or confusions and find answers
• Be sure that the organization is clear and easily understood.  Maybe highlight or underline the major topics.
• If your notes are too messy to be understood (either as a result or your note-taking or an unorganized lecturer) rewrite them.

 Then you can begin to actually learn the information in your notes:

• Use recitation – cover one section of your notes and repeat the information in your own words from memory.  Check yourself and clear up any incorrect or unclear information.
• Make a study guide from the lecture notes.   This can be in whatever form you choose such as a concept map, review chart, study cards, question and answer, etc.
• If you like verbalizing information or working with others, form a study group and either quiz each other from the notes or teach each other sections of the notes.

 And then tomorrow – do the same with the new notes you have taken and review the previous notes.