As an instructor at the University level, I think it’s a good idea to physically separate prep from work. I’d do all my prep work (note taking, etc.) on paper and all my work (paper writing, designing, etc.) on the computer. Keeping these two streams separate just makes my brain work better. Oh, and paper is less distracting. For advice on how to take great paper notes, I would check out the Cornell Note Taking system. Link: http://tinyurl.com/7bj8g

I actually tell my students to turn off their laptops during my lectures and take notes on paper. I’ve walked by one too many screens with an IM front and center. Never heard any complaints. Since I’ve started enforcing this, I’ve seen students grasping harder concepts quicker. It’s quite remarkable actually.

If your prof uses PowerPoint or some other presentation software, ask for a copy of the slides (have a thumbdrive on hand) afterwards. If they raise an eyebrow, just explain that you want to spend the lecture time taking notes and thinking about the concepts rather than wasting time duplicating their slides on your paper. I know I’d be impressed by that!