Abbreviations for notes
Short versions of common words can be useful, particularly in lectures. They will only work for you if you can remember what they mean and always use the same ones. It might be best not to use too many, unless you find you like using them. The common words will of course depend on your subject. Here are some examples:
| v | very |
| imp | important |
| cd | could |
| wd | would |
| shd | should |
| dev | development |
| para | paragraph |
| bk | book |
| C19 | nineteenth century |
| w | with |
If you like this idea, you could write them on a ‘key card’ or in a little notebook and keep it until you know them by heart.
Here are some examples for an education student:
| T | teacher |
| M | mother |
| F | father |
| B | brother |
| S | sister |
| HT | head teacher |
| DH | deputy head |
| st | student |
| DfES | Department for Educatuion and Skills |
| gov | governor |
| govt | government |
| educ | education |
You could also use the style of abbreviation used for text messaging, if already familiar with it for example:
| 2nite | tonight |
| 4 | for |
| l8r | later |
