Student Guide to

Organization, Note-
taking, & Study Skills
Note-taking strategies, binder
organization, shorthand and more...

©2014 Elizabeth E Nelson Lifelong Learning

Created by Lifelonglearning123 ©2014
Created by Lifelonglearning123 ©2014
 Table of Contents

1.  Pay Attention

2.  Procrastination
3.  General Organization
4.  Your Binder
5.  Note-taking
6. Note-taking Strategies + Shorthand
7-9. Large Format Note-taking Strategies
10. Time to Study
11. Student Organization Goals Worksheet
12. 3 Goals Writing Strips
13. Organization Self-Assessment
14. Note-taking Self-Assessment
15. Procrastination Self-Assessment
 Pay Attention

It’s a beautiful day outside and your teacher is giving a lesson at the front of the
room, soon your eyes drift to the windows and you’re in a fantastic daydream. But
then you hear someone call your name… uh oh.

Does this sound like you? Do you sometimes have trouble paying attention in
class or find your mind wandering? Here are some tips to re-engage with your
classes.

-  Take notes. If you are actively writing it can help you engage with the
material and means that you are actively listening. These notes will also be a
valuable study tool.

-  Make a list of questions about the material your teacher is presenting. You
can answer them yourself as the lesson continues and you learn more,
research the answer after class, or ask your teacher.

-  Eliminate distractions. If you aren’t enjoying a lesson it can be easy to go to a

distraction such as technology, writing notes to friends, or reading an
unrelated book.

-  Do you like to doodle? Instead of drawing hearts or stick figures, try doodling
images about key points or events your teacher is covering, this way you will
at least be actively listening to the content even if you are not writing notes.

-  Get enough sleep and eat well. If you are tired or hungry it can make paying
attention to even the most interesting topic difficult.

-  Don’t sit near a friend, you will be tempted to pass notes or whisper.
Alternately, if your seat mate is distracting you talk to your teacher about
making a change.

Created by Elizabeth E Nelson ©2014 Lifelong Learning

 Procrastination
When we procrastinate we delay starting an activity or project despite knowing
that it needs to be done at some point and that academic performance might be
negatively affected.

Why do we procrastinate?

There are many reasons we procrastinate, these reasons will be different for
everyone but some are common problems.

- Poor Time Management: this happens when you don’t manage your time
well and do not leave enough time for yourself to do an assignment
properly. For example: Allison didn’t write the due date in her agenda and only
realized the night before that she had not started the essay.

- Fear: sometimes we are afraid to start an assignment because it seems

difficult or we are afraid of doing badly. For example: “I got a D on my last
paper, I’ll probably do badly on this one too. Why should I bother starting”.

- Distraction: sometimes we get distracted by family, friends, or activities we

enjoy more. For example: Taylor would rather play video games with her
friends than work on her essay.

Avoiding Procrastination

Once you are aware that you procrastinate there are several strategies you can use
to avoid it.

- Prioritize: write down everything you need to do, both school tasks and
things you need to do in your everyday life. Number them from least
important to most important to decide which need to be done first.
- Schedule: once you have prioritized the tasks that you need to get done
you can schedule your time around them. By setting dates or times that you
plan on completing a certain task you hold yourself accountable to
completing them.
- Be Accountable: set goals for yourself and stick to them. Once you have
reached a goal reward yourself. This could be a cup of hot chocolate after
finishing your study notes, or time with friends after a big test.

Created by Elizabeth E Nelson ©2014 Lifelong Learning

 Why bother?
Wondering why you should bother getting organized?

-Be Prepared: By having all your learning materials in order you can go to class
prepared and ready to learn to the best of your ability.

-Make Studying Easier: If all your notes are organized and clear you will have a
much more enjoyable time studying when you know what the main concepts and
terms are, your teacher’s expectations, and any other materials or rubrics you
need to be successful on a test or assignment.

-Less Stress: If you know where everything is and have tidy notes you won’t have
to spend study time digging through a pile of paper, or searching for an
assignment sheet the night before its due.

General Organization
At Home

-  Make sure your study space is tidy and free of distractions.

-  Common distractions include social media, watching TV, pets, and
family members or friends.

-  Before you start your homework make sure you have all the materials you will
need within reach.

-  Make a study plan and set goals so that you finish homework and assignments
on time.

At School

-  Make sure to have the materials you need for school each day.
-  Tip: Pack your bag the night before to avoid forgetting important
papers or materials.

-  Maintain tidy notes and keep your binder organized.

-  Use an agenda to keep track of due dates and homework.

Created by Elizabeth E Nelson ©2014 Lifelong Learning

 Your Binder

Your binder is the main place where you store notes, assignments, and important
information. Unfortunately many students have trouble keeping their binders
from becoming disorderly piles of loose and ripped papers. Here are some tips to
keep your binder tidy.

-  Use dividers. If each subject or unit has its own section you won’t misplace
papers by mixing your English notes in with your History notes.

-  Put any handouts, rubrics, assignments, or notes into the rings right away. The
longer you wait, the more likely it is that you will loose them.

-  Keep pages in order and in good repair.

-  Put your name and date on each page, this way if it slips out of order or is lost
in the classroom, the owner and the place it should go in your binder can be
found easily.

-  Keep a binder organization checklist and at the end of each week take a few
minutes to go over it so that you can start the next week organized.

Binder Organization Checklist

No loose papers

All papers are in the right divider section

Any torn pages have been reinforced

All papers are in chronological order

My name and the date are on each page

Created by Elizabeth E Nelson ©2014 Lifelong Learning

 Note-taking

Your notes are a very important part of your learning experience. They help you
process and summarize information in class, and are a valuable study tool. There
is no one way to take notes, every student learns differently and will take notes in
a style that will help them learn best. However taking notes can be challenging
for many students: what should you write down, how do you know what's
important, should you use point form or write down the whole sentence? While
these questions can only be answered through trial and error and finding out
what works best for you, there are some basic tips and tricks that can help any
student become a great note-taker.

Do I write it down?

-  Key terms: If you notice that new terminology, a name, or a concept are
coming up multiple times in a lesson – write it down.

-  If your teacher says “this will be on the test” or “this is really important”-
write it down.

-  If a word is in bold or is underlined- write it down.

-  If your teacher draws a diagram or picture related to a concept or idea that

you are covering- write it down.

-  If you teacher or the text you are reading uses headings and subheadings
these often indicate key topics- write it down.

Don’t:

-  Write down every word the teacher says.

-  Write down definitions word for word. Instead, try putting it into your own
words in a way you will understand.

Created by Elizabeth E Nelson ©2014 Lifelong Learning

 Note-taking Strategies

If your still unsure of the method you want to use to take notes, give one of these a try.

Shorthand
If you choose to use shorthand when you take notes, make sure you use symbols
that you will be able to remember when you go back over your notes. It can help
to make a key of the symbols and abbreviations you use at the top of your page.

For example:
@ at
& and
∴ therefore
= equal to / is
w with
w/o without
eg. for example
approx. approximately
diff. different

Created by Elizabeth E Nelson ©2014 Lifelong Learning

 Title Name
Date

Heading
Key Subheading
Terms - Information
- Information
- Information

Subheading
- Information
- Information

Heading
 

Questions
 Title Name
Date

Main Topic Subheading

/Heading -Information
-Information
 
 
Main Topic Subheading
/Heading -Information
-Information
 
 

Summary
 Title Name
Date

Main Topic/Idea

Subtopic Subtopic Subtopic

-Information -Information -Information
 
-Information   -Information  
-Information

     

Summary
 Time to Study
When:

Today:
- It is never to soon to start studying. It helps to review your notes each
night so that information can be stored in your long term memory.

Two Weeks Before:

- Make sure you have all the notes and material you will need to know.
Begin to take a few extra minutes each night to go over key terms, fill in any
gaps in your notes, and ask questions. Make yourself a study schedule of
what concepts you want to review each day.

The Week Before

- Start putting time aside every day to study the concepts that will be on
the upcoming test or quiz in depth.

The Night Before

- Review your notes but don’t cram. Get a good night’s sleep so that you are
at your best to write the test the next day.

How:

Start by going over the material to see what you don’t know or are struggling
with. Look at your notes for any hints your teacher gave that you took note of and
remember to look at those concepts. Just reading over your notes is not the only
effective way to study, use a variety of strategies that work best for you.

Strategies
-  Draw a diagram. -  Teach a friend or family
member.
-  Get a friend to quiz you.
-  Write a summary.
-  Make a mental map.
-  Write a mnemonic.
-  Make cue cards.

Created by Elizabeth E Nelson ©2014 Lifelong Learning

Things I already do to stay organized:

Strategies I can use to improve my organization:

My organization goals:
1. Right now I will:

2. Today I will:

3. This week I will:

Created by Elizabeth E Nelson ©2014 Lifelong Learning

 3 Goals For This Week
1.

2.

3.

3 Goals For This Week

1.

2.

3.

3 Goals For This Week

1.

2.

3.

Created by Elizabeth E Nelson ©2014 Lifelong Learning

 Organization: Self-Assessment

Respond by circling how often the following statements are true for you.

1.  I come to class without the materials I need.

Never -------------------- Sometimes -------------------- Often

2. I hand in assignments late.

Never -------------------- Sometimes -------------------- Often

3. I lose important papers or assignments.

Never -------------------- Sometimes -------------------- Often

4. I get distracted when I study.

Never -------------------- Sometimes -------------------- Often

5. I make a study plan and set goals for myself.

Never -------------------- Sometimes -------------------- Often

How do you feel about your responses?

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

What are three things you could do to improve your organization?

1. _____________________________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________________________________
Created by Elizabeth E Nelson ©2014 Lifelong Learning
 Note-taking: Self-Assessment

Respond by circling how often the following statements are true for you.

1.  When I study I find the notes that I took during class helpful.

Never -------------------- Sometimes -------------------- Often

2.  I write down everything the teacher says.

Never -------------------- Sometimes -------------------- Often

3. My notes are organized by date and secured in my binder.

Never -------------------- Sometimes -------------------- Often

4. I write down definitions word for word.

Never -------------------- Sometimes -------------------- Often

5.  I know what the most important points of each lesson are and have them
clearly indicated in my notes.

Never -------------------- Sometimes -------------------- Often

How do you feel about your responses?

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
What are three things you could do to improve your notes or your note-taking
skills?
1. _____________________________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________________________________
Created by Elizabeth E Nelson ©2014 Lifelong Learning
 Procrastination: Self-Assessment

Respond by circling how often the following statements are true for you.

1.  I wait until the night before to start a big assignment.

Never -------------------- Sometimes -------------------- Often

2.  I underestimate the amount of time I will need to do an assignment.

Never -------------------- Sometimes -------------------- Often

3.  I have trouble starting an assignments.

Never -------------------- Sometimes -------------------- Often

4.  I hand in assignments late.

Never -------------------- Sometimes -------------------- Often

5.  I split large projects up into smaller steps.

Never -------------------- Sometimes -------------------- Often

How do you feel about your responses?

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
What are three things you could do to avoid procrastination?

1. _____________________________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________________________________

Created by Elizabeth E Nelson ©2014 Lifelong Learning

Thank you for your purchase of this package. If you have any questions please do
not hesitate to contact me through the Q&A section at my TPT store.

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©2014 Lifelong Learning

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Thank you

Created by Elizabeth E Nelson ©2014 Lifelong Learning

 Credits

Thank you to the following people for the use of

their great graphics and fonts.

Font:
Teaches Third In Georgia
http://teachesthirdingeorgia.blogspot.com

Digital Paper
Graphics From The Pond
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Graphics-From-The-Pond

Images
Borders- Krista Walden
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Krista-Wallden

Created by Elizabeth E Nelson ©2014 Lifelong Learning