i just use a LOT of colours for my notes.
never highlight stuff.
then i remember the colour i write stuff in and its position on the page, and presto i remember exactly what was written.
when i study just before the exam, i highlight the other important stuff and then i can learn that too.
its weird how the human brain works, in the exams i just close my eyes and start writing on a rough piece of paper, and everysingle important point gets noted down. i can visualise the entire piece of paper and all my notes, and lecture slides etc because of the colours that they are written in.