[spelunker]

Taking the notes help me learn. I'm also the forgetful type so I have trouble remembering the details of a lecture after the fact.

Writing by hand is slow for me, though, so I found myself paying attention more to the note-taking than the lecture.

Taking notes via laptop was a game changer for me. I could take voluminous notes and keep up with the lecturer. It was wonderful! Not all upside, of course, as laptops come with their own problems, the biggest probably being ease of distraction, but I think it was a net benefit for me.

[sukilot]

Record the lecture, so you can replay a high quality copy instead of a badly rushed copy.