We live in an age where technology dominates our lives – at work, at home, at college and everywhere in between. Students are particularly immersed in using laptops for note taking in schools and colleges and less people are writing notes by hand. In the United Kingdom alone, 1 in 3 people haven’t written anything in 6 months and haven’t put pen to paper in 41 days according to a study of 2000 people by Docmail. According to the study, the younger generation, in particular, are at risk of losing their calligraphy skills due to increased use of digital devices, not only in college, but in many other areas of their life.
Why Handwritten Notes are Better
Even though it is often quicker to type notes, students often learn more by writing their notes by hand. This is partly because they have more time to take in the information if they write by hand, and even though they will only write at about half the speed that they type, more will stick in their memory. In addition, handwriting notes vs. typing allows students to develop a better understanding of what they’re studying and many have experienced better performance on tests.
How to Take Notes Effectively
Learning how to take written notes effectively is not as hard as it may seem and students may start seeing results immediately just by following a few simple steps. It all comes down to being prepared with the right supplies before going to class, paying attention by listening attentively to their teacher and developing a note taking method that works.
Check out the infographic below courtesy of Study Medicine Europe for more information on all the benefits of writing your notes by hand and step by step instructions on how to take written notes effectively.