<p>I'm a college freshman, and I feel very inefficient at note-taking. I would read the textbook and take overly-extensive notes. Thing is, when it came to exam week, I would never review these notes and just go back to the textbook, maybe write some things down. My notes were a mess.</p>
<p>I never really developed good note-taking habits because in high school, we were provided a review book for most subjects that we could rely on. :/</p>
<p>Should I read the textbook and take notes before lecture? I hear some people do this and others say it's inefficient; they just skim the textbook beforehand and then go to lecture where they get most of their notes.</p>
<p>Note taking is a very individual experience, and most people will experiment with different methods before finding something that works. Taking full blown over extensive notes from the textbook for each class has never worked from me. </p>
<p>I have found it helpful to make study guides before an exam by taking notes from the textbook. It is even easier when an instructor provides a list of topics to study, because I can take more concise notes. In addition, I find it helpful to take notes in a class if there are no PowerPoint slides or other class notes provided and will review these before an exam. For classes that do have PowerPoint slides or class notes, I don’t take notes. I review notes I take in lecture, PowerPoint slides, and class notes before exams and use them to put together study guides, where I will additionally use the textbook.</p>
<p>I personally find it a waste of time to sit down and read the textbook. I only consult the textbook when I want an alternate explanation of the material or when I make exam study guides.</p>
<p>I would try different things and find a method that you feel comfortable with, because everyone is different.</p>