If your instructor has PowerPoint displays on the screen that are heavily text based, you may want to avert your eyes. Human beings only have so much working memory. They can only devote so much of that memory to both listening and seeing the world simultaneously. If you’re sitting in on a class and your lecturer is basically saying the same thing as what on the PowerPoint slide, then just do not look at the PowerPoint. Students who try to listen and read identical content at the same time actually end up remembering less because they strain themselves trying to process identical audio and visual information at the same time. Researchers Adesope and Nesbit referred to this as the redundancy effect when text and speech are identical. The number of mental processes going through a students mind is known as cognitive load and that load gets too heavy when identical information is presented in both visual and audio forms. This leads to poorer learning. The problem is made worse when students try to write down PowerPoint notes verbatim. Much like with taking digital notes, this reduces the amount of effort they can devote to engaging with the lecture that they’re listening to. To optimize note taking students should focus on the words being spoken be selective in what notes they are taking and record those notes in physical form. This approach is likely to lead to better memorization and learning over time. Over time, various methods of taking notes have been developed. These systems were designed to help students take effective notes without too much trouble. After learning the method students can more effectively follow along in class and take notes as they go. These approaches are designed to reduce the time and attention students need to devote to taking effective notes leaving them able to focus on the lecture.