A student in home school should be looking ahead. In this instance, the ‘ahead' does not mean occupational goal, it means the transition to a university level of study and learning expectations. Self-motivation practically defines the home school experience. While for a home schooled student this will be a great advantage, certain “in-class” strategies are sometimes forgotten. Fortunately, it is never too late (or too early) for a home school student to learn good note taking.
Home school, in a certain sense, is a time to refine, define, and perfect one's note taking and study skills. It is a period for a home school student to learn and adapt the tools of study so as to maximize their use. Whether or not you are still in home school and have ample time to develop your note taking method, or you are now in college and need to learn the note-taking and in-class skills fast, the following guidelines are all good places to start.
Whether at home, in home school, or in a lecture hall with other students, good listening is active. While taking good notes is important, don't just write automatically; think before writing something down. Sometimes writing something down and thinking about it will raise a question. A student in or from home school should develop the good habit of asking questions. Not only are questions the most important part of learning, but professors remember and favor students who are appropriately active in the classroom.
Taking notes in a consistent manner that makes sense to the student upon review is a good habit to develop early in home school. Large notebooks facilitate this process as they leave more room for outlines and patterning of information. Of course the notes should be legible, otherwise they are worthless. You would have been better off not taking notes at all.
A student in home school should overcome the urge to write everything down that is said in a lecture. Only important information such as main points, key sub-points, questions, or examples should the home school student note. Sometimes lecturers outline main points in a slideshow or overhead, however not all lecturers use these tools all the time. Generally a lecturer will offer cues such as repetition of points, voice inflections, or hand gestures to draw attention to main points. With a bit of practice, all of this will soon become second nature.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling parent, author, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of almost 3 decades reside with their 8 children in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Rothschild co-founded Learning By Grace, Inc. because "our current system of education has broken its promise..." Learning By Grace, Inc. delivers Internet-based multimedia education to PreK-12 children in the United States and throughout the world.
Rothschild has authored a number of books about education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Daily Education News Blog contains feature stories on alternatives in education.