General sources for lectures and note-taking

Academic Success-the Curve of Forgetting (SLC Video)
Ever wondered why you can't remember material from previous classes and notes? Watch this short (2:20) Student Learning Commons video to find out why a regular review is SO important, and how you can improve your memory, and your grades. 

Listening & Notetaking in Lectures
Details strategies you can implement before, during and after lectures to learn most effectively.

Reviewing after Lecture

Cornell Note-Taking Video (Sacramento City College) - A 2.5 minute video on a method of note-taking that lends itself well for review and self-testing.

Exam Preparation through Lectures and Readings
As you complete the lecture and reading for each topic in a course, go through this checklist to enhance your learning and begin the process of effective exam preparation.

News on the laptops vs. handwriting debate

Research suggests that writing notes by hand in lectures may be superior for student learning than taking notes on laptops.

2013 study reported by CBC showed that grades of laptop users and those sitting near laptop users were lowered due to distraction.

A 2014 study summarized in Science Daily and reported in the Washington Post suggests that, regardless of any distraction, handwriters process lecture material more deeply to be selective in their note-taking and thus learn the material more effectively than laptop users

If you must take notes on a laptop, here are some suggestions on effective Note Taking with Electronic Devices from the University of New South Wales.

Listening tools

SLC's English Conversation Services - The SLC offers opportunities to practice speaking and listening one on one and in groups.  

Lecture Recordings:  It's useful to listen to a lecture more than once to catch information you missed the first time.  Most SFU classes are recorded.  instructors will make video recordings available on Canvas.  Audio recordings of classes are available here.

Note-taking tools

List of Note-Taking Apps with links to to tutorials (University of Prince Edward Island Accessibility Services, with permission)

A Guide to University Learning (University of Guelph)
Interactive online university preparatory workshop that, among other things, includes a guided exercise on taking notes from a lecture. 

Note-Taking Systems (California Polytechnic State University)
Describes 5 different note-taking systems.

Concept Mapping (University of Guelph)
A how-to guide to a visual form of note-taking.

How to Create a Mind Map (Forex Trading)
Shows how to create a great variety of mind map formats.