before the lecture or seminar begins, ensure you can hear and see the speaker if you are in time for the beginning of the lecture, you will probably hear a helpful outline of what will be covered - so it's worth your while to be punctual! it can be difficult to keep up with the speaker - try to cut down on the number of words the speaker uses to get the overall idea of what is being said it can be helpful to think of this in terms of writing the lecture down 'in your own words' rather than transcribing what the speaker is saying stop writing for a few moments if you need to catch the speaker's train of thought again - this is more useful than writing down something you don't understand speakers may mix up their topics, so leave space around each topic in your notes, in case you need to return and add extra information use paragraphs, headings, capital letters, bullet points or anything else that helps to break up your notes, or helps you identify important points in your notes abbreviate where possible if you find this helpful - you can make up your own abbreviations but remember to keep them consistent to avoid confusion later on! if you note the date, time and speaker's name, this will make it easier to find the tutor again later should you have queries on the lecture

re-write your notes as soon as possible after a lecture, or seminar this is a good study technique in its own right as it makes you aware of any gaps or misunderstandings in your notes so that you can rectify them while they are still fresh in your memory. this also helps to fix the information in your mind as it acts as a form of revision