When I was in college, I became obsessed with efficiency. My logic was simple: the less time I wasted on schoolwork, the more time I could spend on things I actually enjoyed (which, at the time, meant a lot of video games).
It didn't take long to realize that one of the biggest time-wasters was taking lecture notes by hand.
Why Human Note-Taking Falls Short
At first, taking notes feels productive. You're typing (or scribbling) fast, filling up pages, and walking away with a notebook that looks impressive. But in reality, human note-taking has three fatal flaws:
- Most notes are never reviewed. On the rare occasion I did open my notes, they were fragments without context. Reading them felt like trying to piece together someone else's grocery list.
- They're passive. Even when "clear," notes just sit there. They don't test you, they don't help you recall. They trick you into thinking you've accomplished something.
- They split your focus. While writing, you miss half of what's being said. Instead of processing the lecture, you're stuck transcribing it.
That's when I started experimenting with different note-taking apps for students.
The Human Side: Note-Taking Apps That Help (a Little)
Over the years, I tried almost everything:
- Notability on iPad — amazing for handwriting and diagrams, but I rarely looked at those pages again.
- OneNote — super flexible, but my notebooks became cluttered messes.
- Obsidian and Logseq — perfect for linking concepts, but way too heavy for just keeping up with lectures.
All of them were useful in their own way, but none solved the real issues: most notes were still useless on their own, and I was still dividing my attention in class.
The First Breakthrough: Flashcards with RemNote
The first real improvement came when I discovered RemNote. Instead of just dumping text into a notebook, I started writing questions and answers during lectures. That meant my notes were instantly turning into digital flashcards I could quiz myself on.
And it worked. With spaced repetition built in, RemNote resurfaced concepts right before I forgot them. Instead of spending a week cramming before exams, I could spend ten minutes a day reviewing flashcards — and actually remember the material.
If I were starting today, I'd go even further. With modern AI study tools, you can automatically generate flashcards from raw lecture notes in seconds. Students are already using GPT-based helpers inside RemNote or Anki to do exactly that.
But even flashcards didn't solve the biggest problem: focus during lectures.
The Real Killer: The Focus Problem
Even with a system like RemNote, I was splitting my brain between listening and note-taking. That constant juggling meant I wasn't fully present. I'd often leave class thinking, "I'll figure it out later," which of course doubled my study time later.
So the question became: how do you capture notes without sacrificing focus?
The AI Side: Letting Technology Do the Heavy Lifting
That's where AI note-taking apps enter the picture. Tools like Otter.ai or Fireflies.ai started popping up, promising automatic lecture transcripts. And while they were a step forward, they came with baggage: bots joining your calls, messy transcripts, privacy concerns, and way too much clutter.
I needed something simpler.
Where I Landed: Notigo
That's when I found Notigo. Unlike other AI tools, it doesn't join your calls or generate a messy transcript you'll never read. Instead, it creates structured, editable lecture notes in real time.
Here's the difference in my workflow now:
- During class, I don't type anything. I focus entirely on what's being said.
- After class, I get clear, organized notes that I can edit, highlight, and turn into flashcards.
- I can export or adapt them into Anki, RemNote, or any other active recall system.
Instead of losing context or drowning in raw text, I get the best of both worlds: focus in the moment, and reusable notes afterward.
So, Which Is Better: AI or Human Notes?
Honestly, it depends on what you need.
- If you love handwriting and drawing diagrams, apps like Notability or GoodNotes are excellent.
- If you want a structured knowledge base, Logseq or Obsidian are great choices.
- If you're all about active recall, RemNote is hard to beat.
- But if you want to focus during lectures and stop worrying about typing, Notigo is the game-changer.
For me, the combination of Notigo + flashcards finally solved both problems: I don't waste time on notes I'll never revisit, and I no longer split my attention in class.
It's the first time my lecture note-taking system feels like it's actually working for me, not against me.
