Memory fades quickly. It would be easy to sit in class and just listen to the instructor’s lectures, especially if the subject and delivery were interesting and exciting. Unfortunately, that which we hear today is vivid NOW, but will be only vaguely familiar a few weeks from now. Students are required to remember and use information throughout the semester, and because of this fact, it is necessary for you to take good notes as the lectures take place. Without good note-taking, it is almost impossible to achieve a good grade in most courses.
Dr. Walter Pauk, Professor Emeritus from the Center for Learning and Teaching at Cornell University, writes: “Your objective in taking notes in class is to capture the instructor’s ideas in the order in which they are given, so you can take them back to your room [or home] to study and master.” (Pauk, Walter. How To Study In College. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1984.)