[zelly]

I think it's really useless to take notes on what is already written in 1000 other places with much more legibility and coherency. Sometimes I see people with tomes of notes that is basically a duplicate of the textbook, and I can't help wondering that this is just a holdover from the days before the printing press.

[janderland]

I write notes to solidify the idea in memory. Placing the idea in a real space helps me relate the ideas spatially. If I can remember one thing on a page, I can usually remember the rest of the page.

[zelly]

I guess it's the recitation and active recall that helps--not necessarily the writing/typing stuff down on paper itself. I suppose it's also possible to do this by drawing on a whiteboard or...eek...preparing and drilling flashcards.