Hand-written versus typing lecture notes

[QuaerensIntelle]

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I was just wondering if anyone had an opinion on which was more effective based on experience, hand writing your notes or typing. I find I get distracted easily on the computer but clearly computer notes are easier to use for reference/much faster. We have mandatory lecture so...I have to do something to make that time useful.

Has anyone tried both? Do you find one is better for retention than another?

 

[reedman]

i rarely take notes unless the prof emphasizes something. i just can't think of a time when i took more than one page of notes first year. if the computer is a distraction leave it in the bag.

if i had to attend lectures i would try to make my study notes the night before and clean them up during lecture. or just spend the lecture time reading and taking notes from your text while you passively listen to the lecture.

 

[silverhorse84]

I used to hand write (rewrite) my notes in undergrad - it's great if you're a kinesthetic and/or visual learner. In medical school, I tried it for the first course and found it takes way too long, so I started using flashcards on the computer. I basically retyped the notes into flashcard format, and then reviewed them before the exams. I liked this because I was still doing something active (for the kinesthetic part of me) and I could add pictures to the notecards (for the visual part of me).

Really, you need to find what works for you. Stick with your undergrad study techniques for the first exam - if they work, then great, don't change a thing. If they don't, don't throw them out completely, just tweak things until it does work.

 

[QuaerensIntelle]

Thanks for the response. For whatever reason, I find it hard to concentrate if I'm not doing anything (Lecture is not my style). I have done the reading the night before/cleaning up style during M1 and that did work pretty well-so that is definitely something I'll think about doing again. It is just annoying because the lectures so rarely line up with the reading etc (we have no syllabus). All of our test questions seem to come directly out of lecture and not from outside information.

Unfortunately, we have an extremely small class so it is pretty much impossible to read the textbook during class without it being obvious to the profs (which it seems like they would not appreciate). Also, we have lectures for 8 ish hrs a day.

I was wondering if anyone had tried the cornell method for note taking. It seems like that might work really well.

 

[kdburton]

Aren't you guys provided with some sort of lecture notes already? If so just hand-write some notes in there. Its a waste of time to write/type up notes unless you aren't given anything to begin with.

 

[QuaerensIntelle]

Actually, we aren't given anything at all. We have access to the powerpoints a day or so before lecture and the reading assignment but that is it.

 

[kdburton]

Actually, we aren't given anything at all. We have access to the powerpoints a day or so before lecture and the reading assignment but that is it.

So you DO get powerpoints prior to lecture. Just print those off, bring them to class and write notes on them by hand. No need to type or write anything up or you will just be wasting massive amounts of time.

 

[Antibodies]

Actually, we aren't given anything at all. We have access to the powerpoints a day or so before lecture and the reading assignment but that is it.

Just curious.. can you name the school? Not many have required attendance.

 

[da8s0859q]

I was just wondering if anyone had an opinion on which was more effective based on experience, hand writing your notes or typing. I find I get distracted easily on the computer but clearly computer notes are easier to use for reference/much faster. We have mandatory lecture so...I have to do something to make that time useful.

Has anyone tried both? Do you find one is better for retention than another?

Ouch. Sorry about the mandatory attendance thing.

This entirely depends on you. Typing lecture notes is faster, but it is not better if you learn better by annotating notes/PPTs provided by your lecturers. Much more efficient to hand-write what you need to on the sides of lecture PPTs if you're more "comfortable" doing that, even if the laptop would be easier otherwise. Just gotta be honest with yourself.

 

[nlax30]

I strafed off trying to take notes during the first two years but as time went on I took less and less. Just not much time to make he sort of notes or outlines we may have done in undergrad. I'm sure some are able to and have it work for them but I found that I mostly did some highlighting and then annotated PowerPoint lectures.

So I'd try that, print out the PowerPoint and jot stuff down on there, or follow along on he computer and add typed notes up on the notes/comments section below the slides.

Something else you could do later on is start following along in a review book like first aid and annotate/add your own notes to that. When it comes time for dedicated board review you have a decent review outline filled with extra notes to plug some of the gaps.

 

[virusgirl]

So I'd try that, print out the PowerPoint and jot stuff down on there, or follow along on he computer and add typed notes up on the notes/comments section below the slides.

This.

Do whatever allows you to get down the relevant information in a form that you can read later. Me, I write slowly and pretty crappily, and if I take notes by hand I usually end up with about 3 lines of illegible drivel. But I type like nobody's business so I just made powerpoints of all the lectures and took notes on those.