The study’s objective is to identify issues that teachers should consider when giving note-taking guidance to Chinese university students in today’s information technology environment. The main data source is a questionnaire survey of university students’ note-taking behavior; data are also obtained from the university’s annual note-taking competition. Our analysis of the data shows that students perceive the primary purpose of their note-taking to be to cope with exams, and they do not seem to recognize that it can also cultivate their independent thinking and learning abilities. Furthermore, while the students in our sample demonstrated significant inclusiveness regarding whether and how to take notes, they were found to lack note-taking strategies. Accordingly, our study concludes with recommendations for teachers to emphasize the importance of note-taking, introduce alternative approaches to note-taking, and enhance students’ note-taking abilities.