Write down key words that are being said or that you read. Leave out the common words such as "and," "the," "a" and "is," for example.
Write a brief line for each idea. Follow up every new idea with a new line. Write the notes on a lined piece of paper for ease of transition from idea to idea.
Write only the main consonants of the word. For example, for the word "caretaker," write the letters "crtkr." When reading your notes later, you should be able to easily figure out what the word is. By abbreviating, you are able to take notes more quickly.
Jot down the first few letters of the word. For example, write "gov" for "government." This won't always work, however, because your shortened version might spell another word, such as "fac," where you might think the word is referring "fact" or "face," when in fact you were writing a short form of "faculty." In this case, write "facu" as the shortened version.
Write the acronym for titles that you will later recognize. For example, write down BLS, for the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Take precise notes of a direct quotation. When you must quote accurately -- and not paraphrase -- write the entire sentence or passage completely. Put within quotation marks so you know this is precisely what was said.