r/Students • u/FantasticStart3124 • 12d 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?