A workshop to help students take more effective notes was held by the student retention department on Feb. 28.

About a dozen a students attended the note taking workshop which was led by counselor Samayeh Yazdanpanah through a presentation that discussed a few different topics.

Along with different ways to take notes, Yazdanpanah also put a major focus on how to process information in lectures.

Some of the tips included doing the reading related to the lecture and ensuring that you pay attention to the professor.

“I get to class and find it hard to take notes because I feel overwhelmed,” health and human services major Tamicha Bell said.

A few different styles of note taking were also discussed.

Among these were common styles such as Cornell, mapping, outlining and charting.

The Cornell and outline styles of note taking are both very similar with slightly different ways of organizing the main points and details.

Charting and mapping are also quite similar with the major differences being that charting is far more structured.

“I will definitely try using mapping and charting to keep organized,” Bell said.

Automotive major Alex Noyola said he attended for the credits, but did find some of the information useful.

“I got some good key words out of it and will probably attend again,” he said.

Yazdanpanah also discussed the important abbreviation SLANT, which stands for “Sit in front, Lean forward, Ask questions, Nod and smile, and Track the teacher.”

“We want students to be active learners and critical thinkers,” she said in the presentation.

Yazdanpanah also recommended that students should prepare their class materials and find a study buddy to compare notes with.

Effective note taking is not the only workshop that retention services runs.

Others include effective studying and time management, Yazdanpanah said.

“I wish these workshops were around when I was a student. They are great for student networking and finding others to study with,” she said.

The retention department also handed out pens with built in USB drives to those who attended as a way to help keep organized.