Taking great notes starts with being an active listener, the opposite of couch potato. Active listening requires both of your ears, your eyes, your mouth, your body and your mind.
In other words, remove your music earbud and sunglasses, take the gum out of your mouth and stick it under the table or desk, stop slouching then lean forward slightly, and concentrate!
OK. So where does notetaking begin? It begins before the teacher or presenter starts. Before, really? Really. As the teacher enters the room or as you take your seat and unpack your class notebook, the first thing you need to do is…