The most important thing to remember is to take "structured notes."
What does that mean? It means you take notes in an outline format or in a list. For example, in the lectures you know that there will probably be one or two main concepts. You will hear a definition and perhaps an example or two.
So, if you know that there will be a concept with a definition and two illustrations, you could write:
CON (abbreviation for concept): You would quickly write: "Realism in art"
DEF (abbreviation of concept): You would write: "true to life"
EG 1 (example one): "social realism- novel"
EG 2 (example two): "realistic movies"
Notes are not as important for the multiple choice questions in the Listening section-- but they are vital for integrated speaking and writing questions.
If you cannot take good, quick notes, you definitely need to practice.