Some students sit in a class or the library and take not a single note. Others assiduously strive to capture every word. Still others record, in an abbreviated form, a selection of what they hear, see or read.
Some students listen in a class and attempt to make sense of what they hear as they hear it.
Depending on how quick they are in this process, they have more or less time to make some sort of record of their understanding. Often the struggle to understand and record their understanding of one concept distracts them from the next concept explored. Some students read for learning, struggling to come to grips with the complexities of what is written. They may be constructing in their minds images of what the writing has meant to them. During this process they may represent on paper their own rendition of the constructs presented to them through print and illustrations.