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Why You Should Write — Not Type Down Your Notes

May 5, 2022

With phones, computers, and tablets becoming commonplace in people's everyday lives, seeing someone with a notepad and pen would be considered an unusual sight. Around 6.6 billion people use smartphones globally, accounting for 83.5 percent of the global population. The rising reliance on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets has influenced both the workforce and education. If you stroll into a college lecture hall, you'll notice that more than 90% of the students are engrossed in their laptops, typing away at their notes. This is reasonable, as doing everything from a single device is quite efficient, especially given that most textbooks are available digitally online. Did you know, though, that typing your lecture notes on your laptop may not be the most ideal studying method? Though handwriting your notes may appear outdated, there are several advantages to doing so. Continue reading to find out how writing down your notes might help you prepare for a proctored exam. 

Why Write By Hand?

A study has proven that writing down your notes by hand improves your memory and recall abilities. Your brain is digesting each letter you write and conceptualizing the idea and materials as you make your notes. People who type their notes on laptops tend to type them verbatim without properly processing the words and sentences, according to the same study. To put it another way, when you type your notes, your brain does not analyze what you are doing — you simply just type. As a result, when you write down your notes on a tablet or piece of paper, you will be able to understand and remember them better. This is especially beneficial when you plan to take tests through proctoring services like ATS where time is of the essence. 

More Options!

Additionally, you may create sketches or mind maps on your notes if you wish to write them down instead of typing them. Though you may be able to do this on your laptop, it will almost certainly take far longer than drawing by hand. When you write your notes by hand, you can also do a lot more with them. You can manually manage the spacing on your handwritten notes, and you can add post-it notes on the side if you are writing on a sheet of paper. Overall, handwriting your notes is considerably more aesthetically pleasing than typing them. Furthermore, when you are jotting down your notes the old-fashioned way, you will not be distracted by notifications from your laptop. As a result, visual learners who learn by seeing and reading will benefit from this form of note-taking. You may also use this chance to improve your penmanship! 

Overall, while most people nowadays prefer to type things down on their laptops, handwriting your notes has been shown to be significantly better for your brain. It is not always the ideal way to accomplish something just because everyone else is doing it. The pen, after all, is mightier than the keyboard.