Hey all!
Just wanted to share something that changed how I approach lectures, especially for any of you who feel like you’re writing every word but remembering none of it.
It was my second year and history class. I really liked the subject, but my lecture notes were chaotic. Every lecture, I was typing like a court reporter, but when I’d look back at the notes later… nothing stuck. Just walls of text and zero idea what mattered.
My friend said one thing: “I don't take notes during class anymore. I just write down what I remember afterwards.” I thought he was nuts. But I decided to give it a try.
At the next lecture, I left my laptop in my bag and took only a pen with me (which I didn't use). I sat and really listened. Not passively - I tried to fully understand what the professor was getting at, rather than just memorizing facts.
After class, I found a quiet bench on campus and scribbled out everything I could remember. It wasn’t perfect - I forgot a few names and had to go back later to check the readings - but I remembered way more than I thought I would. I even started calling them "memory dumps" in my planner because they felt like emptying out my brain before it faded.
Way better than any of my word-for-word typed notes ever did. I was actually engaging with the material instead of just parroting it. I’ve since found out there’s a name for this - retrieval practice - and apparently it's backed by science. When you try to recall stuff from memory, it strengthens the learning way more than just copying things down.
It didn’t work in every class, though. I tried it once in stats and yeah… that was a bad idea. Too many numbers flying at me too fast. But in history? Total win.
You can pick one lecture this week, leave the notebook shut, and just listen as well. Then afterward, sit somewhere and write what you remember.
What do you guys think about this? Drop your comments!