how do you guys take notes in class?

[tkepongo]

i usually use microsoft onenote but i always distract myself by surfing the web in class :rolleyes:

[Brendon Bauer]

I use pages for all of my note taking in Biology and Chemistry. Haven't found a better solution, though I haven't searched very hard :rolleyes:

[xUKHCx]

pen + paper

computer note taking isn't well suited to engineering as I have to take down a lot of equations and diagrams very quickly.

[Abstract]

Pen and paper. :)

Actually, I rarely took notes.

[Prof.]

If I didn't care for the class I didn't take notes :o

[flowagner]

pen&paper for more mathematical subjects
neooffice for everything else.

[.Andy]

I have a ruled reporter's Moleskines for each subject. They're durable and great quality and last forever. I can write and draw diagrams as necessary far more quickly than I could on my mac.

[MoparShaha]

I rarely take notes in class. The few times I have, I've used the notebook feature of Office 2004, and of course, a pen and paper.

[Osarkon]

I use Journaler. It's simple and does what I want it to, with quite a useful file system.

[Mord]

I don't, I find it better to just pay 100% attention.

[Nugget]

I haven't set foot in a classroom in well over a decade, but if I did I'd probably use VoodooPad (http://flyingmeat.com/voodoopad/). I use it to keep track of work-related things now and it's great.

It's like having a local, personal world-wide-web.

[SpookTheHamster]

Pen & paper. It's a lot less distracting that a computer, feels more natural to me, allows me to make faster changes (no hunting around with the cursor to go back) and drawing diagrams and equations is a nightmare on a computer.

[imac/cheese]

i usually use microsoft onenote but i always distract myself by surfing the web in class :rolleyes:

As a former professor, I would recommend not surfing the web in class. The instructor can always tell no matter how sneaky you are being. It was always amusing to me the students that thought I didn't see them surfing the web or even sleeping.

[yg17]

I don't :D


And it hasn't hurt me yet. I have a 3.5 GPA and a 4.0 GPA in my major. I'm pretty decent at memorization (and if there's a question pool handed out before a test, it's basically a guaranteed A for me)

[ErikCLDR]

Paper and Pen or Pencil.

[tobefirst]

I don't, I find it better to just pay 100% attention.

This was my plan as well. I just soaked up the information, rather than trying to get everything down on paper. It would piss my classmates off when I would do well on the tests. (: It was great. (:

[Tom B.]

I tried to use my PowerBook for taking notes a while back, but it just didn't work for any of my subjects. :(

Biology - too many diagrams and graphs

Business Studies - the teacher prints out all the notes for us

Geography - most notes have to be taken on specific printed out sheets

Psychology - notes go in course notes book

So I'm back using boring old pen and paper.

[ucfgrad93]

Pen and paper. I'm hoping to get a MB or MBP before my next semester.

[rendezvouscp]

Pencil and paper for math and Office 2004's notebook feature for everything else. I've found it particularly worthwhile to have a laptop in college because I type a whole lot faster than I write and I can edit my notes without any hassle (amongst other things).
-Chasen

[iRachel]

Depends on the class. I prefer pen and paper, but a few times, I've had really fast-talking lecturers, so I use my iBook there because I can type faster than I write, so its easier to keep up that way.

[eric55lv]

my fly pen then i can put it on my mac

[it5five]

pen and paper

I have never heard of a lecturer going too fast that taking paper notes isn't possible/a computer is necessary.

Plus it seems that actually physically writing the notes helps me retain that information, rather than typing.

I'm also safe in case anything would happen to my MB. I'd still have all of my notes.

[Cloudane]

Back in the day, I used a Psion Series 5 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psion_5) for a while. Best PDA keyboard ever made, still better than any I know even now.

Ultimately I went back to pen and paper though... more space, easier, more reliable :)

The Psion was nice when you had to write a report though, with the ability to sync it up to the PC at home and use copy/paste on the notes.

I suspect a Tablet PC would be a good one these days.

[adroit]

As a former professor, I would recommend not surfing the web in class. The instructor can always tell no matter how sneaky you are being. It was always amusing to me the students that thought I didn't see them surfing the web or even sleeping.

Funny that you mentioned that. I do that all the time but I never tried to hide it though. I usually just go to class so that I know what we're learning about so I can study the right thing. The actual learning part are usually done at home.

Back to the question. I find that it is best to use pen and paper, unless the course notes is posted in online pdf. In that case, I usually add in the comments right on the slides using the good old Acrobat.

[imac/cheese]

Funny that you mentioned that. I do that all the time but I never tried to hide it though. I usually just go to class so that I know what we're learning about so I can study the right thing. The actual learning part are usually done at home...

Most of the classes I taught were high particiaption classes where one's involvement in discussion had a rather large impact on one's grade. It seems the students just didn't care.

[Jasonbot]

iPod touch...

No, actually I prefer using metscap (lined paper) and a pen. I then staple all notes on specific sections together and file based on subject.

[Dagless]

Pen and paper, and PowerBook if I needed to record some audio.

[juanm]

If it's interesting, I pay attention and so far I've never needed to take notes. Everytime I've tried, I've ended with a piece of paper full of drawings.

[byakuya]

I take notes the old fashioned way...
pen and paper...
I seem to remember stuff better this way...plus no distraction

[viccles]

Pencil and paper (well the lecture notes) usually write what the lecturer says as its in different words to whats on the paper. Works very well for me

[hartwork]

Pen and paper works fine for me.

Only a small number of Australian uni students actually use laptops and it can be a pretentious thing to others. I find it annoying because it's heavy to carry, gotta set it up and everyone's looking at you because you're the only one with a laptop and the typing is distracting, or they're looking over your shoulder to see what you're doing.

[Shaduu]

PowerBook and Pages for everything. Works extremely well for English, Psychology, Spanish and IT but I'll definitely be checking out some of the stuff suggested in this here thread. Actually, does anyone know if I can get a Spanish dictionary for Pages? That would be a huge help. :D

EDIT: Never mind, Google and MR have helped me once more. I feel as though my life is owed to Google at times...

[psychofreak]

Pages on my Macbook, I'm an extra-time guy (dyspraxia) and really used to fall behind with pen and paper, although I still use it in French...

[samuraikiss]

On my MacBook, of course! I love the notebook view in Microsoft Word for Mac.

[Plymouthbreezer]

My MacBook Pro, and before my ol' PowerBook G4. Works for pretty much everything except math.

[Meecrob]

Use OmniOutliner. It's powerful, intuitive, and very useful for reviewing your notes because it lets you expand and collapse certain topics. Definitely a must-have.

[GSMiller]

I never have to take notes. I'll highlight some of the important points in the book but what I study is never on the tests anyway so I don't even bother...

[iMacZealot]

Pen and paper. I don't own a laptop, but I tried using my Palm Zire 31 for a stint. That didn't work out too well.

Back to the participation thing: My school has a policy that each class must have a 10% participation weight-- which is so stupid because you can't really participate in geometry. And my teacher also hates me for causing her to interrupt but I'm just merely trying to move at my own pace. Sick bastard.

[zap2]

Pen/Pencil and Paper


I'll start using my laptop when I can have my textbooks as PDFs on it..

[n00basaur]

pencil/paper

[CalBoy]

Pen and paper. :)

Actually, I rarely took notes.

I don't take many notes either. It always freaks people out when they don't see me writing.:p

I don't, I find it better to just pay 100% attention.

Yup. On a test, I actually remember the lectures that the question is based on. Really helps more than a computer could.


Plus it seems that actually physically writing the notes helps me retain that information, rather than typing.


There's a physiological reason for that. Writing is an intimate action, and you are more likely to remember what you've written than what you've typed. They've done studies on this, yet college students don't seem to care.:rolleyes:

Does anyone else think that this should have been a poll?

[TimJim]

Pen and paper.

But the rare times I use my computer i use Pages

[Brianstorm91]

I write my notes by hand, it helps me remember, it's often quicker, and I can hand work in quicker etc.

[Rodimus Prime]

The amount of notes I been taking has decreased each year of college. Mostly because the classes I was taking had less and less notes to really need to take. My teacher supply the notes they used and mostly I just add stuff to that. Now I used to take notes on my laptop for those classes that typed notes where good for. Biggest problem is engineering, math and science have to many formuals and diagrams needed to be useful for a computer.

So most of my hand written notes are on engineering paper.

[Eternity]

Pen and paper here too, with lots of drawings along side my notes that I don't seem to notice I'm doing most of the time.

I don't think anyone uses laptops during our lectures. Might be the odd person who brings theres in during practical/technical sets, but theres not much point when we're all provided with iMacs.

[mozadek]

For my past political science courses, drugs and society class and American studies I took notes on my MacBook Pro using word.

[cycocelica]

this semester most of my teachers have posted their notes online, so I rarely take notes.

when I do though, it's the old fashion pen and paper.

[psychofreak]

There's a physiological reason for that. Writing is an intimate action, and you are more likely to remember what you've written than what you've typed. They've done studies on this, yet college students don't seem to care.:rolleyes:
My written notes always ended up scrappy and/or doodled on...I learn better writing, but revise much better from computer notes....

[Brianstorm91]

I'm far too easily distracted to use a laptop in lesson.
I'd just be on the wireless 24/7.
:cool:

[psychofreak]

I'm far too easily distracted to use a laptop in lesson.
I'd just be on the wireless 24/7.
:cool:

Its a pity I get wireless only in French (where I don't use my laptop) and an economics lesson with a really interesting teacher...

[Kashchei]

this semester most of my teachers have posted their notes online, so I rarely take notes.

when I do though, it's the old fashion pen and paper.

When your grades begin to fall, as they inevitably will if you continue on to graduate school, you'll want to refer back to CalBoy's post and change your study habits.

[zioxide]

I used my iBook last year but its dead. Haven't tried taking my MBP because the desks are just too ****ing small.

I'm going to try to fix my iBook though so I can use it again.. it was the perfect size. Class is too boring without having my laptop. Now instead of going and just surfing the web, I end up just skipping.

[deannnnn]

It's difficult to lug my 20 inch iMac into class.

[psychofreak]

It's difficult to lug my 20 inch iMac into class.

There's someone (I'll try and find profile+pics) who cycles to school with a 20" white iMac strapped to his back!

[Luis]

There's someone (I'll try and find profile+pics) who cycles to school with a 20" white iMac strapped to his back!

You have got to be kidding me! I guess that redefines the whole meaning of portability. I know the iMac used laptop processors but...