September 17, 2026 · 4 min read
How to take class notes automatically with AI
Taking notes while listening is hard: write everything down and you stop following along; follow along closely and things slip past you. AI transcription solves that trade-off by letting the machine write while you pay attention.
The problem with taking notes by hand
Writing by hand or typing while someone talks forces you to summarize on the fly, in real time, with no way to go back. It's easy to miss an important definition or a nuance the professor only says once.
The result is usually a messy notebook that's hard to review before an exam.
How it works with an app like SwiftBOL
You record the class from your phone or laptop (or upload the recording afterward if you already have it), and choose Student mode. The AI transcribes the whole audio and automatically organizes it into chapters by topic, with timestamps so you can jump back to the exact minute something was explained.
It also generates study questions straight from the class content — a quick way to review without re-reading the whole transcript before an exam.
Asking the audio directly
Once the class is processed, you can use the built-in chat to ask things like "what did they say about the formula in chapter two?" and get an answer based on what was actually said in that specific class, with the exact quote, instead of having to search the audio or your notes yourself.
Who it's most useful for
It's especially useful in classes with a lot of spoken content (seminars, lectures, language classes) where taking handwritten notes directly competes with following the explanation. SwiftBOL's free plan includes two hours of audio a month to try it on a real class.
Try it with your own audio
SwiftBOL transcribes, summarizes, and structures your meetings and classes in minutes. The Free plan includes 2 hours of audio a month, no credit card required.