When I was student, I had a recurring dream that went something like this:  I’m sitting in the front row of a lecture class eager to learn, but the teacher is speaking in a strange language I don’t understand.

Figuring I could always translate my notes later, I try to madly write down every syllable.  But my pen has run dry, and I can’t even find my notebook.

As the lecture continues, my breath becomes short.  I sweat profusely.  With the final exam only days away, how will I ever pass?

And then I wake up.

Welcome to the nightmare of the ill-prepared student note-taker.

For much of my high school and college career, taking good notes during lectures was a constant challenge.  Because my note-taking skills were still somewhat raw, I tended to learn mostly by reading the textbook.  But that proved less than ideal when my teachers or professors discussed, then tested, concepts that went beyond the reading.

It wasn’t until I learned to stop making four big note-taking mistakes that my lecture notes began to support my learning process rather than impede it.

Mistake No. 1:  Trying to record every sentence

When facing a lecture that was particularly difficult or confusing, my first response was to write down everything.  By taking detailed minutes of the lecture, I figured I could later review this almost-verbatim transcript and try to comprehend it.

The problem?  It left no time to really listen to what was being said and actually think about what I was writing, let alone analyze how the concepts fit together.  And once I got around to reviewing my expansive notes, I found it difficult and time-consuming to wade through the extra verbiage to find the few gold nuggets I needed.

Eventually, I realized that I didn’t have to write down everything, just those things that were most important.  I began to actively prioritize all of the information I heard, jotting down those concepts that were of vital importance and required subsequent review.

Mistake No. 2:  Failing to deduce the teacher’s intentions

Not all lectures were created equal:  Some were meant to present new information, while others were intended to delve deeper into more difficult topics or provide practical demonstration of previous lessons.  As a result, a one-size-fits-all approach to note-taking didn’t make much sense.

So I started asking myself one simple question:  What is the teacher trying to accomplish in this class period?

If I observed that the teacher was trying to show big-picture relationships between concepts or provoke novel ways of thinking, I could dial down my note-taking and focus on active participation and analysis.  If the day’s lecture was intended to pass along key facts, figures and technical examples, I could dial up my note-taking to capture the essential parts.

Mistake No. 3:  Showing up without basic prep work

During high school, I would usually show up for class without a clue about what the teacher would be covering that day.  But in college, I learned that taking a mere 10 to 15 minutes before class to review the day’s syllabus and skim the related reading could make my note-taking job so much simpler.

By having a sense of where the teacher was headed, I could more easily identify the most important parts of the lecture, deduce the teacher’s goals for the day, and structure my notes in a more efficient and effective way.

Mistake No. 4:  Waiting too long to review lecture notes

I eventually learned that I could save a lot of future study time by reviewing and annotating my notes the day of the lecture.  By doing this within hours, I was able to refine and improve my notes while the information was fresh.

After some trial and error, I grabbed a red pen and yellow highlighter to distinguish my subsequent annotations from my original notes in black ink.  In the margin of each note page, I would write down subject headers and key words—plus draw arrows between related concepts—to help me later navigate the written labyrinth of ideas.  I would then highlight key passages in my notes and jot down follow-up questions for concepts I didn’t understand.

None of this took much extra effort, yet it made subsequent study much more rewarding, enjoyable, and worthwhile.  It was probably no coincidence that my grades improved, my academic confidence soared, and I slept a little easier at night—with no note-taking nightmares to fear.