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Solution for taking notes in class?

G5Unit

G5Unit

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Apr 3, 2005
2,107
10
I'm calling the cops
I've come to the conclusion that writing down notes in class just isn;t working out for me. I don;t retain much of what I write down at all and it''s very difficult to go back and find anything.

So I was wondering what everyone out there does to make taking notes easier?

I want to go with some sort of computer, but I can't decide between a tablet or netbook.

Thanks in advance!
 
What sort of class are you taking? There are some classes where a computer would be pretty much useless.

I knew somebody who had a digital pen, which was quite cool.

That said, I'd wait a little while and see what comes out tablet-wise.
 
Consider using a more structured approach. An example is the Cornell note-taking system.
 
I've historically been a pencil & paper note taker, but starting this upcoming semester (second semester of Junior year in University) I'll be taking notes primarily on my MBP, unless it's a math class or in a similar vain where it'd just be too difficult to find/use different symbols/drawings on the computer.

Not sure what app to use though. Not a fan of textedit at all and Word is so bloated. It's a pain just opening it up.
 
Well, I have a notebook for each class.

For example, Math. You write down your math notes in your math notebook.

So on and so on.

If you just keep all your notebooks together then you can stay way more organized. And you can't really loose any notes unless you rip them out of the notebook.

Hey; it's a whole lot cheaper then a laptop.

But if you want a device; get the laptop. It would be a pain in the buttox to take notes on a touchscreen tablet.
 
My solution was to bring a couple of post it notes to class and jot down little pieces of info and then go over them later. It worked for me.

But, if you're talking about Math class, I'd stick with my regular sized notebook.
 
For maths: paper and multi-colour pen.


For everything else: I didn't take notes and learned from the textbook. The only reason I went to class is not to learn and remember everything mentioned during a lecture, but to make the topics discussed look more familiar to me so that when I look at my textbook, I'm not in complete shock. :p

And I felt guilty for not taking notes at first, but I never looked at my notes again while studying or doing assignments, so why bother?
 
It also kind of depends on the teacher and what they put on their tests.

If they ask you questions about what THEY talk about as opposed to focusing the exam on the textbook, then you should take clear notes.

Until very recently I used to write down my notes in classes like Bio and chem, but I discovered that for bio, i'd get bored and my handwriting would just not end up great and I couldn't even read it, so I plan on taking notes on my computer this semester so I dont get screwed on the tests.
 
G5Unit said:
theology
Click to expand...

I recommend a tablet.
stone-tablets.jpg
 
Below, is possibly the best device for your needs.

pen-and-paper_tradeshow2.jpg


  • Simple and easy to use.
  • Responsive to your every touch.
  • No restrictions on how you set out your notes. Wherever you hand goes, the ink goes.
  • Say goodbye to compatibility problems. Your notes are easily sharable with anyone.
  • No battery means that this device is available at any time it is required. No need to charge, no boot time. It's on all the time.
  • Cheap and easily replaceable. Say goodbye to folking out insurance money for a flimsy tablet.
  • Buying the 'folder' extra enhances the note organisation features.

Seriously though, I've seen many people buy a special gizmo for note taking and have spent half their time in class just ass-****ing around with it rather than note taking. When it comes to note taking, something simple and non-distracting of often the best way to go. I blitzed away at college with the pen and paper device.

Go on. Treat yourself. Get the pen and paper now. Only around £1.50 in most stationary stores.
 
I used to take notes using pen/paper in lectures but after 1 and 1/2 years i realised that i never looked back at them or they were too messy. So last semester i stopped taking notes all together. Worked wonders. :D

If your uni is like me in that they put all the lecture slides on the internet after the lecture you could try not taking notes at all and just using the slides they put up.
 
It absolutely amazes me that we go on about all this technical innovation constantly and we still haven't really found a way to improve on the traditional pen & paper. I'm a Computer Science student and do one of the following:

- Dell 11" laptop with One Note. Simply the best software for note taking so far.

- MBP with lecture already downloaded and annotate them.

- Rely on a piece of paper.

- Get distracted on either laptop and end up not concentrating.
 
When I went through school, I found that handwriting with note paper and pen was a mixed bag: the act of writing things down helped me learn (muscle memory, as it were) but it also kept me always lagging behind by a few minutes. The prof would be talking about something new and I would be struggling to listen to what he was explaining while also simultaneously trying to catch up on a backlog of notes that I had to have written down before he changed the acetate or erased the blackboard.

At one point everyone started using PowerPoint but I found that also to be a mixed bag for different reasons! Since all the slides were there already it was tempting to not take (m)any notes or even not pay attention at all ("well, I can just look at the slides later"). Having the slides given to you (printed or downloaded) made it too easy to assume you've got it covered. On the other hand, it allowed me to focus on the professor and what was being talked about.

I think ultimately it depends on the subject. Any subject that relies heavily on math and/or diagrams (such as math, physics, music, or a UML modelling class) I would take notes with a pen and paper. A subject that is more suited to taking actual "notes" (literature, social sciences, etc.) I might be tempted to bring a small laptop.

I have taken short notes at a seminar with my iPad before. It can work, but it's not very fun.
 
When I started graduate school back in '99, I discovered that I couldn't write down everything my Economics professor said quickly enough. Knowing I could type faster than I could write, I bought a laptop to take to class, and I never looked back. It served me well for three years - and since many professors make their class notes (typically PowerPoint) available on their website before class begins, I could download the notes prior to class and have them right there on the screen.
 
Get a tablet with a pen-based interface. Yes, I'm talking about the Windows 7 based ones that are, as lord jobs says, big bulky and have no battery life. Install oneNote on it.

Take your notes as you would with a pen and paper, but use OCR functionality to turn it into typed text.

My vote is for a pen and paper though.
 
As someone who has lousy hand writing and has trouble taking notes in class, OneNote is a god send. The first time I saw the application was in High School I showed it to a teacher-I then told her how much it was at the time(something like 150 or something like that), and she replied that she would pay 500-and so would I.

If there is any way that you can get Windows on your Mac, I cannot praise OneNote enough-it runs circles around each and every note taking app I have ever tried or used. It's simpleness and vast features and abilities are better than anything on the market.


If you are having trouble paying attention, I also strongly recommend a digital voice recorder. Most modern ones work like a flash drive-that is you plug it into a USB port and can see and play the audio files from your PC. Get one that has a long battery and a lot of storage
 
Pen and paper also gets my vote.

Trying to draw diagrams, or even things like arrows to connect thoughts, on any digital device is a hassle. It also is an excuse to not truly pay attention, and just mess around with the electronic wizardry.
 
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