Good class notes are the backbone of good study skills. In case you make bad notes and study them, you are likely to score low grades in your test. Good notes should capture the crucial facts and allow you to understand how each fact fits into the larger picture. Many students attempt to write down everything the teacher says. It is often confusing and unnecessary. The secret to having great notes is determining what to write.

1. Develop a theme for the notes
You will realize that lecturers have a framework during the lecture. If you are careful enough, you will notice that every day’s lecture is meant to address a specific topic or chapter. Why is this necessary? Your notes will not make sense or help you identify the common thread if they are not well written. Once you understand the overall message of the day, you will identify crucial factors and their importance. That way, it will be easy to see how every little piece of information fits in the bigger puzzle.

2. How to find the theme for the class notes
To start with, the tutor will have assigned a certain chapter or passage for the next class. Therefore, it is almost obvious that the lecture will focus on that topic. Even though the information will differ from the book you read, the message will remain the same. In case the teacher assigns a topic that is totally different from what you study, find the link between the lecture and the reading.

3. Class notes with pictures
You will realize that it is easier to understand notes that have pictures in them. That does not mean that you make drawings while the tutor is in class. Instead, turn through the pages of the relative textbook for diagrams or charts and use them. If the teacher agrees, ask him or her to draw a diagrammatic expression of the topic, and then copy it.