In high school, I routinely got called on to answer questions that I did not raise my hand for. This happens to everybody at some point or another. This type of "question" is infamous for being a mere recap of what the teacher had been talking about to prove the student had been distracted by their daydreaming, or in my case, doodling.
When these accusatory questions were directed towards me I was usually able to respond without looking up from the line I was finishing. This is because "doodling" the lecture was how I retained information.
A little over a year ago I had my first portfolio review with Sam Fox School of Art and Design at Portfolio Day held by the Art Institute of Chicago. After going through my prepared portfolio, the professor asked if he could see the sketchbook I had brought with me as well. As he was looking through, a sheet of paper fell out of the cover. It was the program from a global finance talk I had attended earlier that year. Though instead of notes about the lecture being printed on the back, there was a drawing of the room I was sitting in and the lecturer with a few takeaways jotted in a halo around his head. The professor studied this drawing for a moment before telling me that people call this "doodling" and they'll tell me to stop. He then looked me directly in the eye to make sure he had my attention and said to tell them I'm "experimenting" and always continue doing it. He told me to ignore the people who thought it was a distraction.
I took that with me to college. I drew in all of my classes. I found that the classes I doodled the most in, I participated the most in. Being able to freely express myself on paper in a classroom allowed me to feel comfortable expressing myself audibly as well. I always had the nagging suspicion that it might still give my professors the impression that I was uninterested or distracted. On separate occasions with each of them, I inquired if my concern was valid. To my surprise each assured me that they completely understood not only that it was necessary for me to do and that I was paying attention as I did it, but also that they saw that I found it a fruitful endeavor for me within the class in terms of my retention of the material, just like note taking is for others. Pretty soon after that, I found out I wasn't the only Sam Fox student who worked that way.
On Fridays, we have a class called "Practices in Art, Architecture, and Design". During this class, lecturers in different artistic fields come in and speak to us about their particular artistic path. One Friday, while one of the professors was speaking, I looked up from my sketchbook and realized I was surrounded by classmates who were furiously working their pens. They weren't taking notes though; each had a sketchbook in front of them filled with an hour's worth of pen marks. For some, those marks manifested into headdress designs, some had practiced lettering, some had explored textures or drawn cartoons, fashion designs, patterns, geometric patterns, and so much more.
I wonder still if the speakers and professors are bothered by us "doodling" or if they've resigned on the fact that its a given, that we're art students and we will "doodle". Whatever the reason we draw, it's important for us to know we're not "doodling"; we're experimenting for a future where we'll do so much more.