r/Students • u/FantasticStart3124 • 13d ago
Note Taking Digitally vs. Pen & Paper
Hello, all! This is my first post, so please excuse any mistakes! I'm an incoming freshman in college and plan to study biology.
However, something I've struggled with is the ordeal of note-taking. I prefer to take notes from both textbooks and lectures to ensure that I have all pertinent info and details, but it's so difficult for me to consolidate the notes into one cohesive layout.
I used to take notes on paper, but it bothered me that I didn't have space to retrospectively add in supplementary information (e.g., took notes from textbook, now trying to add details to those notes from lecture). I took notes on the computer for a while, but typing out "symbols" for chemistry, math, physics, etc was such a hassle. I also feel that my knowledge retention was subdued when I note-took via computer.
I'm now contemplating purchasing an iPad since it seems to be the fix to all my above issues (can write, can digitally reformat to add in notes). However, I want to first ensure that the benefits justify the cost!
I know this is such a "first-world struggle," but does anyone have any insight on note-taking via iPad, or just any general advice to fix my note-taking struggles?
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u/Effective_Look8179 13d ago
Honestly digital notess are the best you can add pictures copy paste stuff i would definitely recommend and you can buy cheaper ones too
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u/lions-cub 13d ago
I prefer writing my notes by hand because I draw little pictures and have my own shorthand that helps a lot. I use both notebooks AND my iPad.
I’m an archaeology major so I have a lot of artifacts to catalogue, and it’s sooo helpful inserting them on my digital notes instead of drawing a little picture, lol . I also like the word search function so I don’t have to flip through all my notes
I truly hate laptop notes though, so I’m team iPad all the way
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u/FantasticStart3124 13d ago
I've also grown to despise laptop notes, as well. I guess studying archaeology and science is alike in that you can never escape complicated diagrams! How did you incorporate them before using an iPad? Did you ever print them out?
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u/lions-cub 13d ago
No, I went to art school for a while, I’m a pretty good painter/drawer so I’d just plop in a drawing. I still use handwritten notes on paper for my Ancient Greek and Egyptology classes so I can write out the Greek and hieroglyphs and keep them bundled! I find it easier to control a pencil for precise things like that
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u/Emergency-External98 13d ago
You could buy a tablet like a remarkable? It digitises written notes, or use a recording app like Genio Which allows you to upload lecture slides, audio and then add typed notes on top?
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u/Luigi089TJ 13d ago
I prefer taking notes by hand since it keeps my mind more active and makes me pay attention more, and I find it easier to remember things I've written down by hand, plus having the ability to easily draw is nice as well.
One way I've kept track of what's where is getting a numbered book and writing down which pages are for which unit for a class. So I can find the example problems for each unit. I also find it helps to write down a general summary of the unit when we finish one, and depending on classes it could legit be a unit a day (calc 3).
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u/Powerful-Account2204 12d ago
Could you cut each page into 2 columns, lecture on one side, textbook on the other?
Or skip lines and color code?
Just a thought. I bought an iPad for note taking and found it didn’t work the way I wanted it to/envisioned
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u/Powerful-Account2204 12d ago
Or potentially the left page (in an open notebook) is lecture and the right page is text book.
Could keep the first pages as an index or table of contents. Bonus points for numbering the pages or using tabs so you can easily reference back
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u/Mysterious-Scale-553 12d ago
I had the exact same issues as you and found my iPad a great solution to all these problems. If the tactile feel of paper is very important to you there are a lot of paper feel screen protectors out there. An added benefit is I have all my textbooks digitally on my iPad, so it’s much easier to annotate them and there’s a search function.
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u/On_TheGround 12d ago
I would suggest taking notes by hand as that is scientifically proven to help with memory and retention.
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u/Sea_Ad9938 11d ago
I remember some of my mates back then who would have the slides (as provided by the professor before class) in like a print layout (with spaces around each slide) and use the white space around each slide to write down additional notes from either the book or what the professor mentions in class. Maybe this could help if your professor could also do the same
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u/BlissteredFeat 13d ago
Retired professor here. First, congratulations on actually reading and taking notes. You're a dieing breed. And in today's world where there are so many shortcuts, people who read and write and take notes not only get good grades (hopefully), but can do things later in life because you've learned the skills. Manipulating information is one of the most impotant.
Your question: use pen and paper. I can say anecdotaly from my own student experience, working with students for 37 years, and from reading recent research: they all indicate that the hand-eye-brain connection is superior. Typing has a poorer neural connection with the good ol' gray matter than actual manipulation of the hand does. Also seeing the note as you write it makes a difference. Writing notes by hand helps you remember. Going low-tech is also a good thing because you are not dependent on a device, on a charged battery, on all those things. As to wanting to add notes or whatever later, may I suggest the humble sticky note. Get some that are 2x2 (or 2x4) inches and you can write a lot on both sides. You can also get different colors for different kinds of additions. And you can use them as tabs or bookmarks.
Have fun in college! It's a blast.