Maybe I'm missing something but why do I need to write notes like textbook when textbooks already exist. I have only taken applied math courses, but when I go to lectures I'm trying to create a mental model of how the various assumptions, statements and theorems relate to one another. I need to listen to the lecture on the arguments of how the proof works, create examples, counter examples and outliers to test the proof. Its very hard to even write basic handwritten notes when the lecture goes on without breaking the flow. But then maybe I'm probably just a datapoint around the median.
For me, typesetting my handwritten notes was part of the learning process. Usually one textbook is not enough for me, I always reference multiple sources (textbook, lecture notes, blog posts, homework problems) when learning so it's helpful to put a condensed version of everything in one place. Textbooks usually have a lot of fluff. My personal notes are also really helpful as reference material later -- three months from now I probably won't remember anything that I read today.
Our professors would often mention tips and tricks that weren't in the textbook. It's only through lecture notes that we could remember them given how much information there was.
After all, if the lecture is just the textbook, why bother going at that point? :)
People learn in different ways. Personally, I've always been a "learn by using my hands" person, and in college I was a meticulous note taker. I could never use the method you described, but have met others like that too.
I’m the same way. You don’t need notes when you understand the underlying concepts. For me it is better to spend 100% of my concentration on the prof and ask questions when something doesn’t make sense.
That worked for me in courses which provided context, or where proof were short and simple. Then I took a real analysis seminar where very little motivation was provided, and couldn't grok the proof in the time provided. If I had better memory or faster understanding or read ahead I would have been fine... ended up taking detailed notes and trying to fit it all back together after the course, which was not very efficient.
