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Image courtesy of Randy Son Of Robert
When listening to a lecture or reading a chapter in a text, one helpful thing to remember is that there are three levels of detail that any given source should present. Knowing the difference between them can help you organize material better, which is how brains remember information.
Topic
The topic of a section is a very general statement, and should not be a complete sentence. This is usually the title of the lecture or section. For example, topics could be:
- Dogs
- Ancient Rome
- Beethoven
Depending on the material, these may be too general, but “general” is the key word when considering topics.
Main Idea
The main idea should be expressed in a complete sentence. It is the overall focus or goal of the passage or lecture. All of the points in the section should relate to the main idea. Some examples of main ideas would be:
- Some breeds of dogs are great with children.
- The citizens of ancient Rome had many gods.
- There were three main eras in Beethoven’s life.
Note that these statements do not mention what the gods were, or what the eras were. This is too specific.
The main idea is usually found in the first or last sentence in a reading passage, or in a lecture, after the professor says “In conclusion…” Another good way to get a main idea during a lecture is to see what is the overarching theme that all the points relate to.
Details
Details are the points or examples that support the main idea. These are the sentences in a paragraph, or the points on the professor’s PowerPoint slide. These are what you should be writing down in your notes. If your professor goes too fast, then just write down the important ones. Some examples:
- The West Highland Terrier loves the attention of children and has an agreeable temperament.
- Jupiter was the king of the Roman gods, and the god of the sky and thunder.
- During Beethoven’s Late period, he was completely deaf, and composed his Ninth Symphony.
A good study habit to cultivate is to go back later and summarize the details by compiling them into main ideas.
Next: The Syllabus
January 27, 2009 at 10:48 am
[...] Study reading is done at slightly less than your normal reading rate. While you are reading, be sure to think about the material, and how it relates to what you are learning in class. Take notes. Use a survey method. At the very least, write down the main idea and some supporting details. [...]