<p>Hi. First, my approach:
Typically, prior to the lecture I'll read the section twice, once just skimming the material and then going over it again more thoroughly, taking written notes. This is time-consuming but greatly improves my comprehension of the lecture. In fact, the lecture usually just serves to cement what I already know rather than elucidate new concepts.</p>
<p>My problem is that the professor almost invariably adds stuff not in the book. However, because I've already taken written notes, the additional stuff ends up just being copied down in a sort of "miscellaneous" section at the end of each section, rather than in synchronization with the rest of my notes.</p>
<p>So my question is this: for those of you who take notes both from the text and from the lecture, how do you get the two sets of notes to meld neatly into one?</p>
<p>Maybe you could divide the paper and write your notes from your reading in advance on one side. Then during the lecture you can write the extra information from the prof on the other side of the page next to the relevant part of your noted. Kind of like an adaptation of Cornell notes.</p>
<p>I do the same thing that you do.
When I'm in class I take a new piece of paper and copy down notes as if I didn't have book notes. After class I try to combine the two on a new piece of paper, try to make it all fit on one page back and front that way only the important things get included. It takes alot of time to do this but it reduces alot of study time because I only study that one page later.</p>
<p>I think you are better off listening to what the professor has to say, take notes on what the prof says, then after lecture take extra notes. If you do read/take notes before-hand.. write them on a separate piece of paper and then add what you see fit. I think you are better off not doing notes until after lecture, but to read ahead is a great idea.</p>
<p>I have a third set of notes that sort of combines the stuff from reading and the stuff from lecture. It's not as long as either set, as it just has what I think is the most important material. I classify stuff not in the book accordingly (i.e. if my prof. mentions something extra re: thermo, I'll place it in the thermo notes section) as a misc sections seems kind of unwieldy.</p>
<p>You could always take notes on your laptop (assuming you have one) instead of hand writing them. This makes it so you can have your pre-taken book notes before you go to class, and then take your lecture notes below that or on a second word doc. After class you would then just be able to copy/paste them into corresponding sections.</p>
<p>Most of my science teachers had lecture notes (.pdf and .ppt) online, so I would just print them off and take notes on the slide they were on. I can only think of one teacher that didnt have lecture notes.</p>