New York ? Taking notes is an important part of the learning process since there probably isn’t a student out there who can remember every word that every teacher says.

However, only half of middle-school and high-school students have been taught how to take classroom notes, according to Pilot Pen Corp. of America, which surveyed 500 teen-agers.

“Who can remember the economic arguments for the Civil War or the structural parameters of a sonnet without writing it down?” asks Ron Shaw, president and chief executive officer of Pilot Pen. “Students will rely on their note-taking skills for the rest of their lives. If they don’t have those skills, they’re sunk.”

The pen manufacturer came up with the following tips for taking better classroom notes:

l Be ready. Before class, review your assigned reading and previous notes you’ve taken. This will help you understand new material more easily. Come armed with pen or pencil, and plenty of paper. Also, write the class name, date and that day’s topic at the top of a blank piece of binder paper. If the lecture is related to a chapter in the textbook or a handout, write that at the top as well.

Write legibly. If your cursive writing is poor, print instead. Don’t take notes in paragraph form. It’s hard to find information when you’re studying for a test. Take notes in one-liners instead, and skip a line between ideas.

Listen for cues. Don’t try to write down everything. Listen for cues from your teacher about what is important. When you hear “The reasons why …” or “Here is how …” or a change in tone of voice, that indicates something noteworthy is about to be said. Write down dates, names, definitions and formulas, and why they are important, and write down the gist of any examples or stories your teacher gives when explaining a point or concept. These will help you remember the material.

Check the board. When your teacher writes something on the board or projects it, that’s a signal that the information is important. Copy everything, and note that it was on the board.

Use abbreviations. Just like in text messaging, abbreviations let you write more quickly. To abbreviate, condense a word or phrase into initials, or use a symbol. For instance, use “b/c” for because, “w/” for with and “govt” for government. Always use the same abbreviations for the same words and phrases.