We just bought an iPad Pro for our son to take to college this summer along with the Pencil Pro. He is reluctant to use it and feels like paper notes are the way. Talking to other parents with college students they all seem to use and love their iPads. Obviously, we bought this in hopes it grows on him. He also has a MacBook Pro and iPhone so the integration will be nice. What is the best app out there that students are using for their notes? Any other apps you recommend that are awesome for college?
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iPad Pro College Question
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What's wrong with him using pen and paper if he prefers it?
Pen and paper is so 2018.
Anyway, if he have never used pad and pen before, then it might take some time to get used to it. When the flow kicks in, then pen and paper becomes a hassle.
Anyway, if he have never used pad and pen before, then it might take some time to get used to it. When the flow kicks in, then pen and paper becomes a hassle.
Hand written notes are related with better results during study. For sure with pen and paper, I don’t know if exist something similar about writing with iPad and Pencil. For sure I think is not a good idea to force him to use something that is not comfortable for him.
At the same time, an iPad could be used to store pdf books and papers, ppts, video lessons etc and could be useful in another way that the one that you have planned. Let him find his way to enjoy it for studying 😉
At the same time, an iPad could be used to store pdf books and papers, ppts, video lessons etc and could be useful in another way that the one that you have planned. Let him find his way to enjoy it for studying 😉
GoodNotes is an awesome app for taking notes.
I really like Notability.
But that being said, I don't understand why you would pressure him into taking notes on an iPad if he prefers pen and paper.
But that being said, I don't understand why you would pressure him into taking notes on an iPad if he prefers pen and paper.
I live in a college town and see tons of kids using iPads for notes at the local coffee shop. I’m always amazed at how organized their notes look; with different colored text, highlighting, pictures taken durning lectures and incorporated into the notes, etc. My notes never looked so good or organized!
That said, I’m sure there’s a learning curve and your son will get there, if he wants to get there. Maybe he can just get used to the iPad as an iPad first, using it as an internet and media device; then eventually start using it for notes and schoolwork. If not, then at least he’ll have something to watch movies on in his bunk.
That said, I’m sure there’s a learning curve and your son will get there, if he wants to get there. Maybe he can just get used to the iPad as an iPad first, using it as an internet and media device; then eventually start using it for notes and schoolwork. If not, then at least he’ll have something to watch movies on in his bunk.
Consider Apple Notes, and watch Forever Notes.
That being said, I've gone analog myself. Nothing beats pen and paper IMHO (with enough studies to backup).
That being said, I've gone analog myself. Nothing beats pen and paper IMHO (with enough studies to backup).
Thanks everyone! We definitely don’t want to force him if that isn’t what he wants to do. We just want to give him all the tools he needs to be successful and he uses what he uses. Hopefully he ends up using it for more then just watching movies and playing games.
You seem like a good parent.
When I was in college, I quickly found physical pen and paper to be untenable. Difficult to organize information or find anything after the fact. I had bought all kinds of nice stationary too, it was difficult to come to terms with digital being better.
When I was in college, I quickly found physical pen and paper to be untenable. Difficult to organize information or find anything after the fact. I had bought all kinds of nice stationary too, it was difficult to come to terms with digital being better.
We all have our own ways we use to help us process what we do.
I finished attending Uni in the middle 90's, and (if you haven't guessed already) one of the main strategies that always works for me (to transfer knowledge from short- to long-term understanding) is to transcribe my thoughts using a writing instrument on actual paper.
Though Education is comp-centric these days, I always encourage my kiddos to take hand-written notes; sp. I share the example of the strategy that has always worked best for me: pen-to-paper.
As I model the process of learning (and success), it's very important for me to stress the point that each individual is unique.
I actively encourage each individual to become conscious of the way(s) that they find to actually work for them.
Guidance and encouragement are critical to the learning process, and it's extremely important to understand the needs of those whom we tutor (as a Parent, you're also a Teacher).
On the plus side, pencils/pens and paper are relatively cheap!
DITTO! I love Notability too. You can import pdfs if the textbooks are digital, then record the lesson as you take notes. It is hands down the best note taking app for iPad. And you don’t need a pro model. Get the lightest model you can find.
But I too echo @joeblow7777. If he prefers pen and paper, then encourage that. Whatever way he will be most successful.
I get it. I tried using my iPad for notes but it just doesn't work for me. I have very VERY messy writing and it's made worse by using an iPad + pencil for some reason.
Other ways he could use it is as a second monitor for his MacBook Pro, this is super useful and I use it all the time.
Other ways he could use it is as a second monitor for his MacBook Pro, this is super useful and I use it all the time.
Notes App in iPad Os18 is great. You can’t go wrong with notability either. I transitioned over to iPad Pro notes over pen and paper. I am not in college though, but I read a lot.
I understand the draw toward pen and paper, I love writing that way. When taking notes it makes it easier for me to retain than when I'm typing. When I'm typing, I tend to just transcribe what's being said rather than putting it down in a way that's more memorable. You also can't really scribble down a drawing or a graph when you're typing. Personal preference. Now I don't have a Pencil (totally-not-a-stylus) for iPad, but I kind of wish I did to give that a try, primarily because of this feature:
It seems like that's the best of all worlds. You write, your writing is retained, you can directly note anything you can view, and everything you write is searchable.
Add drawings and handwriting in Notes on iPad
In Notes on your iPad, draw a sketch or write with Apple Pencil or your finger. Choose Markup tools and colors and draw straight lines with the ruler.
support.apple.com
It seems like that's the best of all worlds. You write, your writing is retained, you can directly note anything you can view, and everything you write is searchable.
cool to get him an iPad for college.
now, fly away from the helipad!
let him decide how and how not to use it, please. this freedom to choose and newfound autonomy is a critical part of the collegiate experience.
mom and dad should not be dictating or 'helping decide' how their children, in college, take notes.
you want him to succeed? let him figure out what works best for him so he can LEARN to ensure success for himself. if he stumbles, he will adjust. if he needs advice, he'll ask.
just be supportive and understanding of -his- choices and questions.
he doesnt need his hand held anymore. hell, he made it this far without the ipad.
i know i know, you 'just want to help!'
but, consider storing that ability and capacity to 'help' for later, when he really/actually needs it.
then, in that moment where he looks to you for help with a difficult problem, you can more effectively provide a tangible representation of the kind of 'help' he will actually need and appreciate from his caring parents. focus on doing those types of things that no one else would or could do and that only you can.
that does -not- include strong advice on note taking and awesome apps for college. be. cool.
note: this reply has little to do with taking notes.
secondary note: IANAP, but i have them. feel free to not listen to me and do the opposite, just dont be confused or upset when your efforts 'dont work', despite 'how hard you try'. even if it does 'work' and you convince him to begrudgingly start taking notes on his ipad... swwc?
from an outside perspective, its a strange thing to insist upon. mostly because its not clear what (if any) value there is in it for him, or you.
tertiary note: alone to his own devices, away at college... as a parent you have WAY more to 'worry about' then how he takes notes.
zoom out.
now, fly away from the helipad!
let him decide how and how not to use it, please. this freedom to choose and newfound autonomy is a critical part of the collegiate experience.
mom and dad should not be dictating or 'helping decide' how their children, in college, take notes.
you want him to succeed? let him figure out what works best for him so he can LEARN to ensure success for himself. if he stumbles, he will adjust. if he needs advice, he'll ask.
just be supportive and understanding of -his- choices and questions.
he doesnt need his hand held anymore. hell, he made it this far without the ipad.
i know i know, you 'just want to help!'
but, consider storing that ability and capacity to 'help' for later, when he really/actually needs it.
then, in that moment where he looks to you for help with a difficult problem, you can more effectively provide a tangible representation of the kind of 'help' he will actually need and appreciate from his caring parents. focus on doing those types of things that no one else would or could do and that only you can.
that does -not- include strong advice on note taking and awesome apps for college. be. cool.
note: this reply has little to do with taking notes.
secondary note: IANAP, but i have them. feel free to not listen to me and do the opposite, just dont be confused or upset when your efforts 'dont work', despite 'how hard you try'. even if it does 'work' and you convince him to begrudgingly start taking notes on his ipad... swwc?
from an outside perspective, its a strange thing to insist upon. mostly because its not clear what (if any) value there is in it for him, or you.
tertiary note: alone to his own devices, away at college... as a parent you have WAY more to 'worry about' then how he takes notes.
zoom out.
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Good Notes
My son has used it successfully for four years engineering at Oxford.
Great for equations, use of colour, highlighting, file organisation and exporting work to send to his tutors.
Do what you will with the plentiful advice on how to parent your own. I think we all know kids at that age will do what exactly feels right for them.
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An iPad Pro is a powerful (and expensive) tool: I can understand that you want that he use it at the best and I haven’t got doubts that he will 😉
Before recommending Notability, consider checking out the Notability subreddit. There are numerous complaints about failures and lost notes. It’s possible that the app has some issues.
Goodnotes has been a standout app, but with Apple’s latest update, the native Notes app is now a strong contender. It’s also included in the price of the iPad.
Goodnotes has been a standout app, but with Apple’s latest update, the native Notes app is now a strong contender. It’s also included in the price of the iPad.
Notes is getting better every year. It’s still tricky to share as a PDF which can be limiting
Few people realise how much the simple act of writing efficiently - and taking notes especially, when you have to keep your attention focussed on something else - is affected by a myriad of small frictions and textures. Just try to write with a dull pencil or a ballpoint pen that's been in a drawer for 5 years.
If you're used to writing on paper, the apple pencil's hard tip on the iPad slippery (but due to fingerprints also suddenly less slippery in patches) surface might really be a new and mostly uncomfortable experience.
My advice would be to invest in a screen protector, but there are some caveats:
- if you get one of the "crystal clear" ones, the benefit would be to get rid of the unevenness of the original glass because it deals with fingerprints better, but it might still be too slippery and it will take some getting used to. The upside is that you basically keep a clear image;
- if you go with one of the many "paper-like" or "matte" ones, keep in mind you will see some rainbow effect on the white areas and the screen will look slightly blurred. If you use it from a distance the problem will be less prominent. There are some very nice detachable ones too, so you can pop it off when you want to read a book or watch a video. The paper-like screen protectors, besides being non-reflective (which might be a plus in rooms with overhead lighting), make everything less slippery and more similar to writing on paper, so there's less getting used to.
I don't go to school anymore but I'm taking notes on an iPad pro for work since when they came out basically, and I would say that also the software is a barrier in terms of how someone thinks and takes notes. For example the Apple Notes style of having an infinite scroll for a single note doesn't really work for me, as navigating it later becomes a pain. Software that mimics an actual notebook with single pages might suit someone who comes from paper better. Having the space limitation is actually a nice constraint (also because you have in infinite amount of pages).
The actual writing tools on the note taking software make a big difference too. Beside the pencil tool (still vastly superior to any other software I tried - and I tried them all), Apple Notes has nothing special to offer. A lot of the early, snazzy, note taking apps that came out when the Pencil arrived had fancy looking tools that proved to be terrible when doing actual work (I'm looking at you, Paper by 53). In this regard, less is probably more and when you have a good, fast (not lagging), dependable pen tool and a highlighter you're pretty much done.
All in all, as everything work related with iPads, the most important part is that you have to make an effort first, and commit to the change to do something you did elsewhere on the iPad. It might be difficult and it requires an open mind to learn and accept that things might get done in a different way from what you're used to. It will also take more time at first, but without these small sacrifices it will be hard to discover the upsides later on.
If you're used to writing on paper, the apple pencil's hard tip on the iPad slippery (but due to fingerprints also suddenly less slippery in patches) surface might really be a new and mostly uncomfortable experience.
My advice would be to invest in a screen protector, but there are some caveats:
- if you get one of the "crystal clear" ones, the benefit would be to get rid of the unevenness of the original glass because it deals with fingerprints better, but it might still be too slippery and it will take some getting used to. The upside is that you basically keep a clear image;
- if you go with one of the many "paper-like" or "matte" ones, keep in mind you will see some rainbow effect on the white areas and the screen will look slightly blurred. If you use it from a distance the problem will be less prominent. There are some very nice detachable ones too, so you can pop it off when you want to read a book or watch a video. The paper-like screen protectors, besides being non-reflective (which might be a plus in rooms with overhead lighting), make everything less slippery and more similar to writing on paper, so there's less getting used to.
I don't go to school anymore but I'm taking notes on an iPad pro for work since when they came out basically, and I would say that also the software is a barrier in terms of how someone thinks and takes notes. For example the Apple Notes style of having an infinite scroll for a single note doesn't really work for me, as navigating it later becomes a pain. Software that mimics an actual notebook with single pages might suit someone who comes from paper better. Having the space limitation is actually a nice constraint (also because you have in infinite amount of pages).
The actual writing tools on the note taking software make a big difference too. Beside the pencil tool (still vastly superior to any other software I tried - and I tried them all), Apple Notes has nothing special to offer. A lot of the early, snazzy, note taking apps that came out when the Pencil arrived had fancy looking tools that proved to be terrible when doing actual work (I'm looking at you, Paper by 53). In this regard, less is probably more and when you have a good, fast (not lagging), dependable pen tool and a highlighter you're pretty much done.
All in all, as everything work related with iPads, the most important part is that you have to make an effort first, and commit to the change to do something you did elsewhere on the iPad. It might be difficult and it requires an open mind to learn and accept that things might get done in a different way from what you're used to. It will also take more time at first, but without these small sacrifices it will be hard to discover the upsides later on.
I like Agenda. Especially for college things like notes and projects. Agenda ties notes to dates/events in your calendar, so I used it for preparing for assignments, as well as keeping track of notes, ideas, and all the other things in my college life. I still access the notes often and search them for information (2.5 years after graduation). It's harder to go back and peruse physical notes.
A coworker has a new “reMarkable” tablet that feels exactly like writing on paper with a pen. They say it’s the greatest thing ever for note-taking. I tried it briefly and it’s a completely different “feel” than any iPad. Not sure how compatible it is with the Apple ecosystem but it might be worth considering as well.
Im sure he will appreciate your kindness in getting him the iPad.
But, I would encourage him to continue using paper and pencil/pen if he feels that way helps him to process and learn the material. Every person is different about this.
For learning and thinking,I much prefer handwriting / scribbling. It has always helped me to see how the info is fitting together on a real paper surface - not backlit tablet even if you put some kind of film on the surface to try to emulate a real paper feeling.
When he does get to school this summer, it's also very possible that he will need to turn to iPad to keep up with the work. And this process happens naturally.
For internet research of course the iPad is ideal.
The only reason I'd prefer an iPad in this situation is I can keep all of my notes organized in one place instead of possibly multiple journals I'd have to carry around with me. Then it's most likely automatically synced with my other devices and backed up. You certainly can’t get that with traditional pen and paper.
But, then again, an iPad is just another device he has to carry around with him, keep charged and updated. Possibly another distraction device, etc.
Ultimately, if he wants to give it a shot, he might even be able to replace his laptop with it. But, I wouldn't push him if he doesn’t want it.