You might have noticed that in the examples of note taking you have seen, there have been many abbreviated, or shortened, words and well as symbols and punctuation used to make the note taking process faster. This is crucial when taking notes in a real academic environment when professors will rarely stop and wait for students to catch up. Look at some examples below.

Abbreviations Symbols
  • ex. = for example
  • lbs = pounds
  • ft = feet
  • kg = kilograms
  • Dr. = doctor
  • mill = million
  • cm = centimeters
  • L = litres
  • yr or yrs = years
  • S. America = South America
  • Cent. = Central
  • choc. = chocolate
  • perm. = permanent
  • cyl. = cylinder
  • % = percent or percentage
  • / = and
  • / = per
  • - = linking of ideas
  • = = equals or similar
  • # = number
  • CO2 = carbon dioxide
  • w/ = with
  • > = more than
  • & = and

Exercise

Look over this list containing more abbreviations and symbols with your group. Which abbreviations or symbols are you familiar with? Are there any that you think you would be able to use? In Exercise 1 add more to the list that you think would be useful for you.

Abbreviation Meaning
approx. approximately
b/4 before
b/c because
c. century -21st c.
diff. difficult
e.g. or ex. for example
esp. especially
etc. and so on
excl. excluding
incl. including
info. information
max. maximum
min. minimum
prob problem
s/th something
s/o someone
w/ with
w/o without
Symbol Meaning
correct
x wrong
? question
/ and - or - per
& or + and/plus
# number
% percent
> < more - less than
- join ideas
@ at
" same as above
= equal to, is
1st first
2nd second
3rd third etc.
1920s 1920-1929

Exercise

Listening to short passages and take notes in Exercise 2. Try to use as many abbreviations and symbols as you can.

Listening

Number 1

grasshopers

Number 2

colosseum

Number 3

rubber

Number 4

camel

Number 5

peanuts
 
keyboard_arrow_up