It depends on how your brain is wired, I’ve found. I’m pretty left-brained, detail-oriented, methodical, organized… you get the idea. I have to see it in print to get a hold on the material and retain it. I might be able to loosely follow a story line if I’m listening to a book, but only if it’s really engaging and then not very well even. I’ll listen to a few words, and then my eyes will wander and I’ll see something that’ll make me think about one thing, and then another, and then pretty soon I’ll be baking something when I realize that I’ve been “listening” to a book in the background, and I have no idea what’s happened!
I’m a very visual person. This goes for all aspects of life – when you want me to really hear what you’re saying to me, you email me. It drives my family up a wall because anything I’m taking in with my eyes takes precedence over sound.
I’m sure there’s a name for this type of personality. I’m just glad I’ve figured out how my brain works, because now I can study effectively.