We’ve all been there: a student comes in for a meeting, scheduled or otherwise. She starts off by talking about her summer internship opportunity in Spain, immediately followed by her planned study abroad semester to Japan. But wait–her F-1 visa is going to expire before she leaves the U.S. and she’s not sure how to get back. Before you can say “slow your roll” she goes on to ask if she can continue working remotely for the Spanish internship when she returns to the U.S., but she knows she needs some sort of permission, what is it, CPT or OPT? And speaking of OPT, she’s interested in declaring a STEM major so she can benefit from the STEM extension…
Woah! That’s a lot of information to take in all at once. We’ve all re-read case notes from months ago and kicked ourselves for not taking the time to write everything out.
Tip 1: Write keywords
While the student is talking to you, jot down keywords that will help you recall the conversation later. You want to be an active listener–especially when they have so much going on. It will impede your ability to pay attention if you write in complete sentences and full thoughts while the student is talking. Regarding the example above, I would probably jot down something like this on my note paper:
- Intern SPA
- St abr JAP
- Visa expiring
- Remote work Qs
- OPT Qs
- Wants STEM
By abbreviating words such as “study abroad” to “st abr” I will be able to pay more attention to the student’s stream of consciousness as it’s unfolding, rather than being bogged down writing about subject A while the student is already talking about subject C.
Ever since college I’ve been abbreviating countries by using three or four key letters. I was an international studies major, so we discussed countries A LOT. I saved myself a lot of hand cramps–and could focus more on the discussion–by abbreviating countries.
I also use “Qs” to indicate that the student has questions about the topic. I don’t take the time to write the whole question down while I’m listening. Again, this list is just to help jog your memory later when you are writing out case notes.
This works for me, but you can find your own abbreviations and symbols.
Tip 2: Write out their questions
When it comes time to write out case notes, I start with writing down their questions in order (by referencing the key words) all at once. I used to write their question, my answer, their second question, my second answer, and so on. I realized that I would get so wrapped up in my thoughts about how I answered that I would forget what the later questions were.
Make it a habit to write down the notes in order. This helps because you will be able to see how the conversation naturally flowed from one topic to another. I find this helps me remember the details better because I can see how X led to Y which led to Z.
Tip 3: Summarize your responses in your notes (unless something complex came up)
You most likely already know what advice you would give in the given situation. No need to spend your precious free minutes between meetings writing what you already know. Provide a concise summary of what you said, but skip the details about the steps and policy that any other advisor would already know. The exception to this tip is if a complicated situation was discussed, or specific circumstances need to be logged. For example:
Instead of…
Student plans to study abroad in Japan next semester. She asked what should she do about her I20. I recommended that she goes to the office portal and submit the I-20 travel signature request form. I told her it’s ideal to submit it prior to summer departure so that she’s covered for her internship and study abroad at the same time.
Try this…
Student plans to study abroad in Japan next semester. Asked about process with I20; I rec travel sig prior to summer departure.
Depending on your relationship with your coworkers, you may want to write out the full words rather than abbreviations in your case notes. For purposes of another advisor referencing your previous conversation when meeting with the same student, you want to be sure that your advice was clearly recorded.
Tip 4: If time allows, send a follow up email
This way you can summarize the key points and advice. This is a good way to clarify points that you may have forgotten or were confused about. If anything was misunderstood, your student can reply with a correction sooner rather than later.
Bonus tip: Use the word “stated”
When I first started advising, I used to write “Alva said that she didn’t know how to apply for CPT” or “Rahul said he wants to take a personal leave.” I realized using the word “stated” is more formal. Think about two people bickering and one of them saying, “You saaaid you didn’t know.” It sounds naggy, whereas using the formal version conveys a more professional, less subjective tone.
Hopefully these tips help you take good notes and save you a few free minutes that you can use to have a piece of chocolate before the next meeting!
Thanks for stopping by,
Sara