Taking Notes

It's the second day of classes--you sit down next to a friend from WEPO and your professor takes a sip of her coffee. She hands out the syllabus and reviews it, then you realize it's time to do what you are here to do: it's time to start learning and taking notes!

After you and your classmates shuffle to look for some paper and grab a pen (and inevitably someone drops a clicker), your professor begins to review the lecture material.  It can feel overwhelming to take notes as you sit in a huge lecture hall or to take notes on a subject you might not have a lot of background in, but this blog will help to guide you through how to take great notes for your classes.

Option 1: Your professor provides you with PowerPoint slides or “skeleton” notes to fill out.

You might be familiar with this kind of note taking from high school: the professor provides a set of slides that you can take notes on or fill in as you go.  This type of lecture is most often used with courses held in the big lectures halls (Forum, Thomas 100).  My tip for this type of note taking is even though you have a lot of the notes written out for you, take notes of your own in the margins and make sure you are marking which topics/slides the professor spends the most time on (these are usually the ones that will be on your exams!).  The other tip I have is to pay attention to the way the notes are organized.  Your professor has worked hard to organize notes in a way that makes sense to go through them.  If they cover topic A, then topic B, then topic C, try to connect the dots--what did I learn in topic A that helps me answer a question in topic B?  Is that equation in topic C the same as the one in topic A plus a constant?  Looking at the overarching outline of your notes can be very helpful so that you are not just taking in the information but truly learning and understanding it.

Laptop or notebook:  I have tried taking these notes by hand (printing out slides and writing on them), by laptop (typing out my notes on the slides), and online (writing on my laptop with an electronic pen). It can be helpful to print out the notes and write on them, but you may quickly run out of printing pages in the library or lose a paper in your bag.  My tip is to print out two or more slides per page if you are going for this method. Another method is to use your laptop and annotate the notes online, however it may be more difficult to retain the information you type.  Benefit: it is super easy to search your notes and reorganize your notes after class.  Disadvantage: you have to make sure to charge your laptop for each class!  As for the final option, using OneNote (which is free for Penn State students) is the perfect way to take handwritten notes electronically.  Disadvantages include having to purchase the correct laptop and pen to do this.

Heads-up: These are often the classes you will have to do clicker questions in, so it pays off to be present and be paying attention!  A clicker question is when a professor asks a multiple choice question and you have to use your clicker to respond to the question--see the example below.

Option 2: Your professor talks a lot and does not write out equations or examples.

I have personally found that my electives (psychology, art history) have lectures where the professor presents information without equations, examples, or sometimes even without slides.  In these kinds of classes, it is the most important to take organized notes for yourself and make sure to listen to what the professor says right at the start of class: “in this lecture we will…” or “today we are going to cover…,” because then you know what lecture will cover for the day.  During class, try to create headers for each section discussed and sub-headers to separate the details.  

Laptop or notebook: For option 2, using a laptop to type up notes is a great way to make sure you are getting a lot of information written down, which is helpful if your exam is essay based and you’ll need to remember lots of details.  Another advantage to using your laptop is that you will be able to search your notes easily.  One disadvantage is that people are often more likely to remember notes they have written out rather than typed out.  You could always rewrite your notes after class to overcome this obstacle!

Option 3: Your professor writes a lot on the board, with lots of examples and equations.

This is often the case with your engineering classes where you are drawing diagrams or writing out equations.  During these classes, all of the previous rules still apply: make sure to stay organized in your notes with headers and sub-headers and handwriting may help you remember these notes better.  Pro tip: make sure your examples and equations stand out in your notes so you can review them easily!  I always leave space before and after examples so I see where they start and end.  I put boxes around my equations with colorful pens so that I can refer back to them quickly!

Laptop or notebook: It would be quite the challenge to take these notes on a laptop if you will be drawing or typing up equations.  I recommend the ole’ pen and paper or an electronic notebook and pen.

Option 4: Your professor does a lot of hands on work or discussion based classes.

It can be difficult to tell when to take notes in these kinds of classes or if you’ll need to take notes at all.  My tip would be to make sure to write down the due dates for these classes and the “deliverables.” The deliverables are anything that will be due to your professor.  For example, an engineering design course might ask the students to create a prototype that mimics something in nature in order to help humans accomplish a task, and it will be due on Tuesday.  My notes would say “Due: Tuesday, tool prototype based on nature”.  Also be sure to write down any websites or resources that will help you accomplish your deliverables.

Laptop or notebook: Anything goes for this style of class! If you’re going to be writing essays based on your class lectures, taking notes on your laptop may be helpful in starting your writing assignments.  If you write down all your deadlines in a paper planner, it might be nice to be able to keep everything in one place.  Whatever floats your boat!

You have your notes, now what?

Make sure you are reviewing your notes after class so that you can clean up any points you didn’t get to fully write down and mark what doesn’t make sense.  If you can, look through your notes before your next lecture.  If you find you have questions, try to ask your professor for clarification in office hours or right before your next lecture starts.  You could even ask your classmates if it's something simple! When I’m able to ask questions before the next lecture, I feel more confident during class and I’m not stressed about being lost during the lecture!

You can see in the photo below I write down questions I have in the margins.  You can see this in the photo of my notes below. 

Phew.  This blog has a TON of information in it, but I hope that it will be helpful as you navigate your first weeks at Penn State! If you can, take a moment to breathe and be grateful to attend a university where you can get a beautiful engineering degree! (You got this!)

Ann Lipinski

Team A Mentor

Tackling STEM Homework

How many high school teachers told you that college is nothing like high school; the classes will be tougher, there will be more homework, and the exams will be more challenging. These statements aren’t wrong, but there are ways to make these academic hurdles manageable. There are resources all over campus from the professors to the students who have used the following tips to succeed in the classes that you will soon be conquering.

On your first day in these classes, sit next to new people and start a conversation. All of the other seats will be filled with other nervous freshmen who are also making the same transition from high school to college including other WEPOteers. The friends you make in these classes will help you navigate your classes. Sharing notes with friends is great when you or a friend is sick and unable to make it to a class. They can also share information the teacher discussed in class such as an upcoming assignment or information that WILL be on the exam. Another benefit of making friends early on in your classes are the study groups that are formed to more easily complete and understand the homework. There will be homework problems that you and your friends will each have a different approach to solve enabling the group to arrive at the correct solution. Some of the friends you make in your classes will go on to be in other classes where you can continue to use these tips to succeed.

There will come a time when you and your friends have exhausted all of your resources and still can’t come to the solution although you asked your new friends, read the book, and reviewed notes. This is when office hours are important to attend. Office hours are when either the professor or teaching assistant, TA, has scheduled time for students to ask questions about topics covered in lectures or homework problems that you and your friends are stuck on. It may seem intimidating at first, but keep in mind that these people have been in your shoes taking the same classes and only want you to succeed.  Oftentimes, other students will be asking the same question or have similar ones. This is another opportunity to make friends and add people to your study group.
It is important to remember that everyone learns and processes information differently. If information still isn’t clicking and you are simply going through the motions without understanding, look into long term help on campus. While office hours can be a short term fix to a question, talk to your professor if you are struggling and ask to set up time once a week to review extra problems you worked on or ask specific questions from the text. Through WEP there are Facilitated Study Groups, FSGs, that are small study groups led by upperclassmen who have successfully passed the class they are assisting you with. At the beginning of each semester a sign up sheet is sent out asking what classes you are taking and your availability to assure that you have access to this help. There are also other study groups through The Society of Women Engineers as well. It might seem intimidating to talk to upperclassmen about a class you are struggling in, but we have all faced a challenging class that we couldn’t tackle on our own. Every one of these individuals wants to help you succeed.


Although there are many people you can turn to help with homework, there are actions you can take to ensure that you ace each assignment. The first thing is keeping track of your assignments and important dates in a calendar or planner. Your assignments are your responsibility to turn in on time to assure you receive full credit. The dates for assignments will vary. Writing important dates down will be important in completing homework on time. These homework assignments can be time consuming making it important to start on the assignments early when the material is fresh saving you from relearning the topic. Starting early also prevents you from rushing to complete your work last minute. When homework is completed at the last minute there is a higher chance for errors to be made and leaving you no time to ask friends and professors questions. Time management and organizational will be the key to successfully navigating homework.

Alex Kuma

Team A Mentor

School Supplies

Let's start college off with a list of “must haves” for you to be the most successful you can be in class! Having the right school supplies can make a huge difference in studying and studying efficiently. School supplies CAN be pricey, but there are many tips and tricks to help keep the cost as low as possible. 
One way to do this is waiting to buy books until the professor says you need them. Waiting until after the first week of class is a good solution to keep book costs down as low as possible because some professors will admit the "required text" is actually optional. When you finally go book shopping there are still more ways to effectively shop and keep the price down. The best deals for books would be to look on Amazon, Ebay, or other resources like these and to buy used or rent books. One tip to look at all places around campus and online and compare prices. Some stores can be more expensive than others so no need to jump on the first book you see. Take time and do a little research to find the cheapest price. Knowing the loopholes to get the best deal for your books is one of the best ways to save money when buying school supplies.

There are so many more school supplies that can aid in your success at Penn State other than the obvious. A laptop is a must for college. It’s a good way to keep everything straight, check emails, and work when and where you want. The best advice for what laptop to get is one that you feel comfortable with and know how to use. Don’t get something fancy just because of all the gadgets it has and then have to teach yourself how to use it. It’s better to know how to use your laptop right away to avoid unnecessary stressors such as not knowing how to work your laptop. Another “must have” is a clicker for class. These can get expensive for what they are so it’s best to rent your clicker or borrow from someone else who doesn’t need it anymore if you have that opportunity.

Of course notebooks are a must if you are taking handwritten notes. Luckily, there is even a way to save money on notebooks! There are cheap notebook packets on Amazon that you can order with your books ;) and pick up at the Amazon locker downtown! This can be a much cheaper option. A planner is an absolute must in my opinion! It’s a great way to keep track of all the assignments, exams, meetings, and important dates. It helps get rid of so much unnecessary stress that comes with trying to remember everything. Then, there are of course the common school supplies such as pens, pencils, calculator (make sure you have one approved for test taking), folders, erasers, the list goes on. Some school supplies that I found to be most helpful with studying were sticky notes and highlighters. They help you emphasize notes and jot down some quick points to memorize and can review quickly later. Of course everyone is different and everyone needs to find a study habit with the right supplies that work for them.
There are many other things to worry about when adjusting to college but when it comes to worrying about what school supplies to get and how much money it is going to cost, this blog can be a point of reference to come back and review when it’s time to go shopping.

Gabrielle Wittman
Team A Envoy