I think this idea applies to diet, fitness, career coaching, basically all forms of self improvement (getting career advice from someone who became a career coach is especially ironic).
I think there are benefits for some people in having a system, or having external motivation. My wife goes to a personal trainer for example, which I'd reflexively say is unnecessary but I've seen how it makes her stay focused on what she's doing, even if it's mostly just a list that you could get on the internet. It's the same thing for writing advice. It will work for some, be pointless for others, and draw in a wider group than it actually works for because some people are expecting a silver bullet.
That said, there are definitely worse things to try
Just to add, I like to take notes, but only scribbles for the sake of noting the key points. I rarely if ever look back at them, and when I do they are mostly illegible, but I find the act of noting helps me remember. It was the same in university.
Yes, everyone is unique and needs to find out what works for them. When my fiancee and I went to the beach this morning, she claimed she missed her swimming group class because she gets a better workout with them versus when she's by herself.
For me, I definitely get a better workout with a group that pushes me to the edge but I don't need a group to get a good workout
Group workouts can definitely push you (well me anyway) harder than individual. I like running alone, but I used to occasionally run on a track with a friend that was faster than me, and would end up going way harder than I could possibly make myself on my own.
I suppose the analogy to note taking is something like you're better finding someone to discuss the material with, because it can help you internalize better (with the caveat that at least for math, I have to have some decent understanding before I can discuss a topic or the discussion ends up not helping)
In graduate school (economics) I was part of a small* group that took and shared extensive notes. It really felt like a Voltron-esque superpower. We were way smarter and more capable together than we were on our own.
That experience is part of the flame that keeps me passionate about shared knowledge graphs.
* We were 3 to 7 people (depending on the night), meeting one to three hours a night, maybe three or four nights a week.
I think there are benefits for some people in having a system, or having external motivation. My wife goes to a personal trainer for example, which I'd reflexively say is unnecessary but I've seen how it makes her stay focused on what she's doing, even if it's mostly just a list that you could get on the internet. It's the same thing for writing advice. It will work for some, be pointless for others, and draw in a wider group than it actually works for because some people are expecting a silver bullet.
That said, there are definitely worse things to try
Just to add, I like to take notes, but only scribbles for the sake of noting the key points. I rarely if ever look back at them, and when I do they are mostly illegible, but I find the act of noting helps me remember. It was the same in university.