Being concise is vital when it comes to shorthand. To be a pro at shorthand writing, it is important to refrain from writing down anything unless it is absolutely necessary. Writing down unnecessary words will only slow you down and waste time and also make your notes longer and more confusing later when you go back to review them. If you already know something or if it is common sense, stay away from putting it onto paper.
To be effective at shorthand, remember to keep the spaces between your characters small. Big spaces between characters can eat up precious time, because when it comes to note taking, space and time are very closely intertwined. Think of it in a logical manner -- moving your hand further over the paper takes more time.
Browse newspapers and magazines and copy out detailed articles in shorthand. Then read back everything you have written down. Analyze how easy it was for you to understand what you wrote. This can be beneficial for improving both your techniques in reading and writing in shorthand.
To maximize strain or your neck and wrists, cultivate a writing style that is floaty and swift. Doing this can be very effective at increasing your writing speed. One way in which to do this is by ensuring that your paper and your body are both looking towards your desk in a square and straight manner. To allow your pen to move smoothly over your paper, press down on it very lightly.
As with everything in life, practice makes perfect. Start writing out everything in shorthand, even things that have nothing to do with classes or your work. Begin with grocery lists and "to-do" lists. Even use shorthand to write reminder notes on your refrigerator.