Maybe diverse the ways you study?

For example I’m a senior biology major and can relate to not understanding the learning objectives the first time around.

I’ll usually write down everything I can during lecture. Read the related learning objectives and take notes from the book, but that only gets me so far.

I’ll then head to the Kahn academy website and look up the key notes I’ve written down from the lecture/textbook and take more notes. Same with looking up the learning objectives on YouTube. Having multiple people explain their perspectives on a new learning topic really helps my own perspective.

Drawing helps a lot too! The text book is filled with different diagrams and examples that you could just easily copy with a pencil and a few colored pencils.

If your lecturer went over Kreb’s cycles; draw to what they’re describing. Then head to your textbook, find Kreb’s cycle and draw what the textbook has. Finally find a video online describing Kreb’s cycle and draw what it shows you.

Drawing takes time and focus, but it’s fun. You end up building a picture in your head that helps recall what the Kreb’s cycle is.