Prepare for class with your syllabus. Your professor will lecture on materials that he has noted in the syllabus that will be covered during a particular week or day. Read the materials beforehand so that the topics you hear will have some familiarity to you. This will help you spend less time trying to understand basic ideas that may slow down your note taking efficiency. Also make sure that you have plenty of paper, pens and highlighters. Consider bringing the reading materials and texts that may be discussed so that you can refer to them.
Figure out what works for you and stick with it. Starting a new lecture on a new page with a title and date at the top is a good way to keep track of your note taking activity. Don't write on both sides of the paper so that later you can set the pages next to each other when you review. Try to write as briefly as possible, avoiding word for word dictation. Come up with your own system of abbreviations and code words. You will also benefit from using highlighters to mark off lecture notes to visually group sections into definitions, theory, terms and questions.
As your professor speaks, try to pick out concepts that you are familiar with from your preparation and from previous lectures. Focus on what is being said. Many times a lecturer will state that something is particularly important. Never miss these moments. Learn to choose points for relevance and importance. Take time when the lecture may drag to quickly scan your notes to make sure you are getting things down. Also pay close attention to questions asked by your peers. Write them down and put the answers given next to them.
If your professor has content on the board or on an overhead pay close attention to it. Although he is verbally speaking ideas, the meat and context of his lecture is presented here. Pay close attention and write down the bullets as they are presented. These are a guide for you later. Write down dates and names whenever you can and focus on definitions.
Once you are back in your dorm go over your notes. Don't wait more than a day to go over the notes because you will not remember some points that you may need to recall for clarification. Fill in any blanks in clarity in your notes. Highlight areas that are especially important. It will be helpful to go back to your text and connect specific ideas to your notes by writing page numbers and comments in the margins of your notes. If you feel that your writing is too messy it is a good idea to rewrite the notes or enter them into your computer files.