One of the biggest challenges I faced moving from high school to university was adjusting to a completely new style of note-taking. Lectures were faster, denser, and harder to keep up with, turning note-taking into a frantic rush. I expected the workload to increase, but I wasn’t ready for how much my old habits would be tested. So, let’s set the record straight—taking notes in university is a whole different game.
What are the differences?
In high school, note-taking often felt more structured, with teachers providing worksheets like fill-in-the-blank exercises that doubled as both notes and assignments. In university, however, it’s up to you to decide what information is important and how to record it. Lecture formats can vary depending on the subject and the professor’s teaching style, and that affects how you take notes.
Some classes come with helpful slideshows that give you visuals to follow, while others might just be the prof talking the whole time. The content on the slides can also differ—sometimes it’s just images or key quotes, and other times it’s full paragraphs. This means you need to take a more active role in note-taking, figuring out what’s essential and organizing it in a way that makes sense to you.
PRO TIP: Just because notes are independent doesn't mean you’re on your own. If you’re struggling with notetaking and/or are unable to take notes, check out Dal’s Student Accessibility Centre for information about how to remove any barriers from your educational path.
In university, lectures are faster and may have much bigger class sizes. In my first year, one of my lectures had 250 people in it! While this doesn’t mean you’re cut off from your instructor, it means that student-teacher interactions can look a little different. While in high school, you might have had the choice to ask the teacher to pause on a slide while you copy points, due to class sizes and time restriction it's not always possible in uni. If 100+ people are always asking to pause the lecture, it’d be very hard to get things moving.
Note-taking tips
With fast-paced lecture styles, it can be hard to keep up with content. I think we’ve all experienced the annoyance of a slide being changed while you’re mid-sentence. But there are ways to speed up your writing or typing to help keep up to speed! One of the easiest is to use shortcuts (on laptops or iPad) and/or abbreviations. For instance, if you're on the computer, you can hit Ctrl + B to get bold font, Ctrl + I for italics, and Ctrl + U for underline. This can be super helpful if you want to structure your notes while you're taking them.
If you handwrite your notes, using w/ for with, w/o for without, + for and, and imp for important, your hand can move at a much faster pace. It might seem a bit strange to begin with, but the more you use this type of language, the quicker your notes will take.
PRO TIP: If you intend to use an abbreviation you’ve never used before, make a note of it before you go to class so when you review your notes there’s no risk of forgetting what you were trying to jot down.
Also, I don’t recommend trying to copy down exactly what the instructor says/has written on the slides. You won’t have enough time to do so, and it's harder to keep the content if you're copying everything down verbatim. Try putting the notes in your own voice. Use slang, sayings, personal connections, whatever may help you relate to the content in a more personal way.
And don’t forget about your classmates! Just because the prof doesn't say something doesn’t mean it's not a helpful contribution to your notes. Obviously, only write down what the prof has cleared (if they corrected someone, don’t write down the initially incorrect comment), but I’ve found that class comments are the best ways to get a well-rounded perspective on a topic.
Note-taking styles
Mind-maps
This is my favourite note-taking method. Just write the topic in the center of your page and then randomly jot down points, comments, thoughts, and questions around the topic, using arrows to connect your thoughts together. Not only is making connections a fantastic way to keep information, but writing this style of notes is also fun.
Cornell Method
The Cornell Method offers a more structured approach than a mind map. You divide your page into four sections: title, key words and questions, main notes, and a summary. It’s great for boosting critical thinking! If you like to plan, you can set up your pages before class. Or, my preferred way, jot down notes during class and organize them into the Cornell format afterward. It’s an excellent study tool because it forces you to review the material while organizing your thoughts.
Chart Method
This note style is exactly how it sounds. Make a chart with labels applicable to the subject you're studying and take notes following your classification system. If you're a visual learner, this might help your brain categorize information.
Dal has great study resources available to all students, including note-taking workshops!