Don't get lost in the barrage of explanatory material. Stay alert to what is important. Avoid the opposite extreme of recording only the major points. As an instructor delivers a lecture, he usually uses cues, both verbal and non-verbal, to indicate what he thinks is important and the transition from one major topic to the next. As a rule, record everything that is written on the board.
Instructors usually write information they regard as important on the board .
Mark it in the margin for special attention as you study. After the lecture, integrate what was on the board with your lecture notes. Isolated pieces of fact do not contribute to the overall understanding of the lecture. Sometimes, instructors write only the important words of major points on the board. Listen carefully for and record the whole point.