Dont bother with whiteout, if you use it, u missed something. But, its not really all that bad, abbreviate a lot. shorten words wherever you can. Most colleges now also have a form of their lecture online. They will usually post the slideshow or whatnot online before the lecture so u can print them out and make notes right on. Just, get a booklet/notepad type of thing, not a binder. copy the notes in the notepad first, that way all of the notes should stay in there and not fall out like they do in binders a lot. also, make a buddy asap. Cause, theres a good chance if you missed something, you can call her or im her later to get what you missed. Also, have 2 spare pens handy, cause on a bad day, 2 never fail to stop working at the same time. some people use voice recorders, but thats entirely up to you. But if you are really slow at taking notes that might just help out so you can replay them over later to get those words that you missed. If you do that, make a noise just after what you missed so you can fly through to where you need to go to get the missed part!

There are so many steps you can take. I am going to start with if you have been classified with a learning disability and work toward not being classified.

I myself have a learning disability. I have graduated from college and also earned a masters degree. I know the frustration you are having. I was in the same boat and I worked out different things that made it easier.

If you had an IEP or a 504 in HS that stated that you needed notes from the lecture then if you contact the Office of Student Services they should be able to assist you in getting the supports that you need for note taking or other supports. Each college has an office that assists students with disabilities. It is your responsibility to make contact and ask for assistance. It is also important to bring it to your instructor’s attention. They typically get a notice saying you need assistance but you need to remind the instructor.

If you have a learning disability and it is documented in school contact your local Div. of Vocational. They may be able to assist you in getting an Assistive technology evaluation. Assistive Technology is tools that may help you with spelling, reading, writing faster and taking notes. Assistive technology is defined as “any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially or off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.”

If you do not have a learning disability or never been identified but feel you do, you can go to the same department and ask for evaluations. Typically there is a fee but it should be a minimal amount.

Strategies:

1. Tape recording the lecture. Ask your instructor before you do this. Some instructors do not allow this.

2. Develop a short hand that makes sense to you. I often train my high school students on using the abbreviations that we use while using instant messaging and us graphics that might jog their memory.

3. Develop a peer group or a couple of students that you feel can help you. Ask them to share their notes with you. Some colleges even have special notes serves that students upload their notes for everyone to see.

4. Read your chapters in the books even if the professor doesn’t assign them. This way you have an idea of what the topic is about. Makes note taking easier.

5. Develop a highlight strategy for example:

a. Blue – places

b. Pink – people

c. Green – dates

d. Yellow – ideas that I need more help with

http://www.tegrity.com/ This is a digital pen – the pen and voice recorder. They have a video to show you how it works.

Have you considered tape recording classes? Most professors allow that but I would clear it with them first. Also, you shouldn’t worry so much about spelling unless it’s the name of something specific that will be on a test. As long as you can read and understand your notes you should be ok, learn to abreviate things like government=gov United States= US and so on… Also, if all else fails ask the teacher to slow down and repeat something. That’s what they’re there for to help you learn.

During my time in college, I had to take a lot of notes for general education subjects. However as I took more classes in my concentration, a lot of the notes were handed to us, and we simply supplimented the notes as we needed while the lecture was going on. However, my major was IT related, so that may be why we were handed so many notes. You might want to consider cutting out some common words to cut down on note taking time, such as “the”, “is”, “this”, etc. You can even sub words like “and” with “+”. Find shortcuts like that. I’m sure there are plenty out there…

I don’t know on the college/university you are going. Some professors (from my experience) used powerpoint and gave you the slides (huge help). In my classes I often never took notes and would rely on the book to help me. Othertimes I shared notes with a friend of mine so we would cover each other (This may be your best bet). Try to make friends first day and see if you can swap notes, some people are quite open to this, and often take good notes. You could also try to develop your own short hand (It worked for me).

Can you type? Try a laptop if that is an option for you.

I had a college professor who flipped out when someone tried to tape-record her…be sure to ask in advance and explain your reasons.

Buy a little tape recorder. Then later transcribe what they say. That way you can stop it and take as much time as you need. Also, you hear the lecture twice that way.