To take notes or not to

Question

Is it really better to take notes as a maths major or are some better without them? I've never gotten used to taking notes and I've never done it. But I'm wondering if I'd improve if I'd start doing it.

I'm not sure how to label this. This is not a question about your preferences. I want concrete answers.

Answer 1

From the first page of this article:

Research on notetaking indicates that taking notes in class and reviewing those notes (either in class or afterward) have a positive impact on student learning. Not surprisingly, the preponderance of studies confirms that students recall more lecture material if they record it in their notes (Bligh, 2000). Students who take notes score higher on both immediate and delayed tests of recall and synthesis than students who do not take notes (Kiewra et al., 1991). Moreover, the more students record, the more they remember and the better they perform on exams (Johnstone & Su, 1994). In summary, notetaking facilitates both recall of factual material and the synthesis and application of new knowledge, particularly when notes are reviewed prior to exams.

For what it's worth, my strong preference was always to take notes.