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One of the worst things you can do at the end of class is shove your notes in your backpack and not look at them again until it's time for a test. If your professor has a policy against electronic devices in the classroom, you can explain your desire to record the lecture and ask if you may leave your phone on the corner of your desk during class. This can free up some of the pressure of taking notes from a fast-paced lecture. Apps such as Audio Note, Quick Voice and iTalk can help you conveniently record your professor's points to review later. With the rise of digital technology like smart phones and tablets, recording a lecture no longer means carting a bulky cassette recorder to class.
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Even if there are no worksheets to complete like in high school, doing the reading carefully can prepare you to take good notes.
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Paying attention to assigned reading in your textbooks can also help you fill in blank spaces, since college lectures typically follow the chapters you read for homework the night before. After class, you can speak with the professor and ask for the information so you can add it in. Instead of trying to backtrack, leave a blank space and continue following the lecture. If you miss something your professor says, it isn't time to panic. Typing up your codes and taping them to the inside of your notebooks can make them easily accessible for lectures. For example, you might use "C" to avoid writing the word "Constitution" multiple times in a history class. In addition to common abbreviations like "&" for "and" and "b/c" for "because," you can also develop your own shorthand specific to each class. You can put this skill to use when taking notes to maximize your writing speed and capture more information. With the advent of texting, most college students are no stranger to abbreviations.
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