Have you ever watched an online class video lecture, only to realize that you haven't been paying any attention at all? It's easy to zone out, especially when your lecture is coming from a computer screen and not a person.

One way to stay focused is to take lecture notes. A recent Lifehacker article demonstrates how taking meticulous notes using the Cornell system can keep you on track. Here's a blurb:

"Copying class notes after the fact is a time-consuming way to study for an exam, but it was the only thing that truly worked for me back in college. But next week I'll be in a classroom again for the first time in 8 years, pen poised over notebook, and this time I'm going to perfect a strategy that gets my notes right the first time: the Cornell Note-taking method."

When I was a classroom teacher, I noticed that a lot of students found success with the Cornell method. The article has links to everything you need to get started. Why not give it a try?