Take good notes in class. When in class, make sure you take the best notes you can. This doesn't mean going for neatness or writing everything in complete sentences. You want to catch all the important information. Sometimes, you may write down a term the teacher says, then go home and copy the definition out of your textbook. Try to write down as much as you can. •Taking good notes in class will force you to stay alert and pay attention to everything that is going on in the class. It'll also help keep you from falling asleep.
•Use abbreviations. This helps you so that you can quickly jot down words without spelling anything out. Try coming up with your own abbreviation system, or use common ones like b/t for between, bc for because, wo for without, and cd for could.
•Ask questions in class as they pop into your brain, or make a contribution to the class discussion. Another way to question or make a connection is to jot it in the margin of your notes. You can look the question up when you get home, or you can piece together the connection when you are studying that day