Discern important information. It's impossible to write down everything your professor says or copy a book in its entirety. Instead, try to understand the critical pieces of information. If you have trouble discerning important information, listen to what a lecturer repeats and emphasizes.
Write down a concise clear note for each piece of information. Distill the information down to the bare essentials. People often find it easier to write short phrases rather than full sentences.
Summarize the notes in your own wording. This will ensure that you understand your notes and will help you remember them later.
Seperate each of your notes. If you keep your notes in a big block of uninterrupted text, you may find it difficult to find the information you need. Leave a space between each note.
Date your notes so that you can find them easily.
Separate all the information that you want to include in your paper, and brainstorm any points you want to make if you're writing an argumentative paper. Gather as much information as possible before organizing it into an outline.
Outline your thesis or hypothesis in one sentence under the "Introduction" sentence of your outline. This does not have to be the final version; a rough form is fine at this point.
Include any important information that supports your argument under the "Body" header. Try to support each of your arguments with at least three pieces of information, usually in order from weakest to strongest. Some people find it easier to write a few words for each piece of information, while others prefer to write a more detailed outline. Find a style that works for you.
Summarize and reword your arguments under the "Conclusion" header.
Revise your outline as you write your paper. You may discover you want to emphasize different information or arguments in your paper, and updating your outline will help to keep your paper consistent.