Read the sections to be covered in class before class. Even if it doesn’t make sense when you read it, you will get more from the lecture if you have read it.
Relying on another student’s interpretation of the reading material in Literature or History classes is no substitute for reading the material yourself.
By reading before class, you can have some of the class notes already written and you will be able to follow the lecture better and take better notes.
You will find there are questions on tests from the reading material even when it was not discussed in the lecture.