Should i take notes on my laptop in college

Have you ever been in the middle of writing a paper when your laptop decides to randomly shut down? And did you just so happen to forget to save what you were working on? While it can be convenient to store all of your notes on one device, it can also be a potential disaster. Have you ever been typing and realized you just completely spaced out for the past several minutes?

If typing has become natural and easy to you, chances are, you can do it while you daydream. Since paper and digital note-taking each come with a variety of pros and cons, at the end of the day, choosing one is really just a matter of personal preference.

But before you do, perhaps the most beneficial thing would be to simply try both. That way, you can get a feel for the kind of note-taking pace, organization and style that will bring you the most success. Paper Note-Taking. Of course, taking notes on your laptop is only effective if you are proficient with typing. Improve your typing speed by taking a typing class or even try some online typing exercises. Most people type faster than they can write, therefore improving your typing speed can be a useful study technique.

Try to go over your class notes immediately after class or later in the day. If you go over your notes and expand on any shorthand you may have used, you will have an advantage since the material is still fresh in your mind.

You can even organize or outline your notes to make it easier to study for future exams. And since asking for research funds, recruiting participants, analyzing results and publishing papers takes time, research is always a step or two behind reality. Case in point: none of these studies looked at tablets, which seem like a great way of combining the advantages of both pen and keyboard.

What we can say with good certainty is that notes are beneficial even if the act of taking them may or may not be, and that reviewing them before a test really helps. Enter your keywords. Sign-Up Here. While both pen and keyboard have been put through contrived trials by scientists, it remains to be seen which is best for note-taking in class. General Science. Visit our Facebook page!

Are You Left-Handed? Professor Jeremy Littau, who teaches journalism for LeHigh University, spoke extensively about his choice to ban laptops in the classroom back in And feedback from students suggested the ban took away their autonomy. I love technology. Certain courses just are note-taking courses. I think without fail the students who do that are the ones who tend to succeed the most in my classes.