Oh. . . I am really worried about the exam. I have no idea what will be on it.
Why? Just read your notes. You can see what the professor stressed in the lectures. Probably the exam will ask about things he stressed.
Yes, but my notes are all nonsense. I can't figure out what is important.
Let me see them. Are these all the notes you have?
Yes.
But Laurie, how can you do well in school if you don't take more notes?
What do you mean? You think I don't write enough.
I'm sure you don't write enough. Look at this. Here you wrote, Russian Revolution. 1917. Bolsheviks. Real revolution, or coup? And that's all? I remember he lectured for a half hour about that question. And you didn't write any of it!
I know, but I listened.
Yes, but did you remember? You need good notes to help you remember.
I suppose you're right. But what can I do? I don't know what to write down.
There are different things you can do. For one, the university offers a special free course on note-taking. You should go to the course. Also, I am pretty good at taking notes. I can help you on this exam. I will photocopy all my notes, and you can compare them to your notes. Then maybe you will see what kinds of things to write down.
That would really help me, Sue. I appreciate it. All this makes me feel like an idiot.
Don't feel that way. I know you are very smart. Note - taking is a special skill. All students need to learn it. Some people are very smart, but they just haven't learned how to take notes yet. I'm lucky because I had a good English teacher in high school. She taught me how to take good notes. It's not hard.