My chemistry teacher in high school spent most of an hour long class one day emphasizing note taking. He described it as a skill we all needed to develop. Honestly, I had never given the task much thought. I remember carryng a five subject writing pad from class to class but it contained more doddles than notes. It was also a good spot to write down phone numbers and upcoming dates of school events.That there might be a specific method to taking notes wasn’t penetrating Papa’s mind in those days.
That teacher stuck with his point for a long time. He displayed enough passion on the subject that I finally took notice and paid more attention. For most of the first sixteen years of my life, teachers too often sounded as if droning on from A to B to C. However, Mr. S. got his message across: What he was saying was important. Paying attention at times delivers rewards. It turned out he was so right. Good note taking skills helped in all future classes, especially throughout college. He didn’t tell us how to do note taking. His message was that each of us develop our own system that worked for us.
The first lesson I took from him was to focus when a teacher/professor highlights a path for you. You don’t need to write down every word spoken. Develop your own shorthand/summary style. I found that writing down important points helped me retain what had been spoken. Afterwards, a review of the notes, perhaps with a skim of a textbook section on point, put the instruction in mind for a third time. Later, at university, a few students brought in tape recorders to take in every word. (In those days it involved a clunky/clumsey endeavor. I assume that is what might happen with internet classes.) I grew up using the listen, write and then re-read method. Again, establish your own system that works for you. You will discover that you have the primary responsibility for your own education. It takes effort.
You will be taught by many talented teachers/professors. You will encounter a few duds along the way. That’s the way it goes at times. However, a less than stellar teacher does not absolve you of learning. You may need to work harder but your goal should always be improvement. Good teachers/professors make everything easier for you. That is true in note taking. Sometimes you can detect a flicker of enthusiasm in their voice. Pay attention; that’s probably because an important point is being made. If the ten causes of a war are discussed in a history class and a ton of time is spent on three; it’s a good bet to be prepared for one or more of those three being on an exam.
I found it helpful to write my notes as if writing a course summary. Each day’s notes became a chapter of sorts. Don’t neglect looking at the textbook’s table of contents. Lectures often follow a book’s chapters. That can become another point of reference for points to be emphasized in your note taking. (Papa had one professor that was emtionally moved whenever he discussed Plato. Yes, a tad more in-depth study of Plato paid off at exam time. BTW: Reading some Plato is highly recommended.)
Nobody knows what he future will bring. For me I was lucky that I could use a note taking system in my career. Concise is a good trait to develop. Though a verbatim transcript was available, my notes became a mix of words and observations that proved valuable to me. Notes helped me visualize the individual as the person who had spoken. Hearing/seeing, writing and then reading. It works.