First and critical: if you are hearing the information for the first time during your professor's lecture, you don't need to learn how to take better notes, you

First and critical: if you are hearing the information for the first time during your professor's lecture, you don't need to learn how to take better notes, you need to learn how to take a college level class. 1) Before the lecture on a topic, read the text on the topic and highlight the key points; 2) Before the lecture on the topic, transcribe your text book highlights into hand written notes in a notebook you will take to class. Leave space for comments and more notes to be added during class. 3) During class, you already have been exposed to the topic twice, so participate in the lecture! Your notes serve to refresh your memory, where you are asking for clarifications and adding emphasis on the points your professor stresses. 4) The day before the exam, transcribe your hand written notes with in-lecture additions to index cards with a question on one side and the answer on the back. Share these with other classmates and quiz them. 5) Get a 4.0 GPA and live on the Dean's List like I did.