2.  Examples. If our teacher is giving examples to explain a concept, write down these examples. The teacher might write these examples out or just verbally list them off. Examples always help us understand and remember information better, so write these down.

3.  Definitions. Write down definitions of important words used in class. If we don’t know the definition of a word our teacher is using over and over again, we can look it up and write it down.

4.  The opening lesson (mini lesson). Many teachers begin class with a short lesson, and then assign various activities to reinforce the lesson. If our teachers or professors set up their classes this way, we should always take notes on the information presented in the first 10-15 minutes of class.

5.  Information given during review sessions. If we have a test coming up and our teacher is dedicating class time to review material, we should write down the material covered during the review class. It will most likely be on your test. Even if you’ve already written the information somewhere else from previous classes, consolidate it all onto one page called “Review.”

6.  Information the teacher is enthusiastic about. If our teacher suddenly gets a burst of energy or changes his or her tone when talking about something, it’s a good clue that the information he or she is talking about is important and worth writing down.

7.  Information our teacher has said before. If our teachers are repeating information that they’ve already covered, or we find ourselves thinking we’ve already talked about this!, then that’s our clue that the material is important and we should write it down.