Handwritten notes or Typed up notes?

[DrCJU]

I will be starting med school in the fall and I was wondering what people do for note taking during class...handwrite or type on the computer? I have hand written my notes throughout undergrad and now I'm saving up for a computer. I'm wondering if I should just go for a desktop or go for a light laptop to carry to class. Do those who type find that they can get down more info? Find it more efficient?

thanks

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[clinicallabguy]

I will be starting med school in the fall and I was wondering what people do for note taking during class...handwrite or type on the computer? I have hand written my notes throughout undergrad and now I'm saving up for a computer. I'm wondering if I should just go for a desktop or go for a light laptop to carry to class. Do those who type find that they can get down more info? Find it more efficient?

thanks

Everybody does something different. You'll find that some people in your class will have their computer out, some taking notes and others surfing the internet (I don't suggest you surf the internet, it seems kind of like a waste of time to me). Other people will be taking notes in the syllabus. Other people will print off the powerpoint slides and take notes on them. Other people will just listen and not write anything down.

You'll find your own style. I've been opening up the powerpoint files (they are on our course website before the classes), and taking notes in the "presenter tools" view. I've been doing that for a few weeks, and I think that I really like it. I don't know if it's more effective, but I'm an electronics junky so if I'm taking notes on a computer I enjoy it more and pay better attention for some reason. I also type faster than I write, and Times New Roman (or whatever) is much more legible than my chicken scratch.

 

[dude1344]

Many schools print out the lecture notes ahead of time and give you a humongous packet. Then you just jot down your own comments on the page if you wish. Works well for me.

 

[Antibodies]

Sort of depends on how fast you write or type.
In class some people write and some type.

But I would suggest a laptop. That way you can have all the powerpoints, notes, pdfs with you at all times. Freedom to study anywhere. Even a small netbook will do.

 

[deuce924]

I would definitely go with the laptop, not really for note taking purposes but really for ease of moving study locations (library, home, coffee shop, etc...). At my school, we have a note taking service that takes the notes and prints copies of the lectures transcribed for you. I know other schools that offer videos and/or recordings of the lectures. With the amount of material presented in an average lecture, there would be no way to get down all of the information regardless of using pen and paper or a laptop. Good luck...

 

[justdoit31]

My school requires a laptop since we take all our exams on the laptop. I don't type notes though.

For notes however I print the school notes (90% of them are powerpoint presentations) and then write on them while in lecture (or listening to online lectures). It works best for me cuz I see what the faculty wants you to know, graphs, etc. and then add my own insight.

 

[NTF]

What ever floats your boat. Some people type notes on the powerpoints during the lecture. Some people make handwritten notes in their syllabus during the lecture. I don't think I've ever seen anyone just straight take notes in a notebook though.

Or if you're like me, you're hardly ever in class.

PS Moving the thread to Pre-allo.

 

[engineeredout]

Personally I do both, but lean more towards typed notes. Depends on the lecturer. We have some who include a lot of blank spaces and room for drawings that they do during the lecture on the main screen so its a lot easier to just draw it in instead of trying to reproduce it on your screen with a touchpad mouse.

Definitely Definitely definitely have a laptop of your own. There will be lots of electronic resources and you'll want it when going between home, school, starbucks, wherever to study. You can always do a setup like me; I have a 22" external monitor, speakers, wireless keyboard/mouse for my desk at my apartment, and my laptop plugs into all of it.

 

[schrizto]

PS Moving the thread to Pre-allo.

Why would this belong in Pre-Allo?

 

[Morsetlis]

I am against laptops. They make you lazy.
I've never owned one. If I had to do a PowerPoint, I borrowed.

 

[BlueElmo]

I'm getting a new laptop, it's dead useful. But I'm also taking my old desktop from college, so I can use it at home when I'm not sitting in class or in the library.

 

[Sammich117]

I do not understand some of the thread moving policies.

 

[DrCJU]

Thanks for all the input!

Personally I do both, but lean more towards typed notes. Depends on the lecturer. We have some who include a lot of blank spaces and room for drawings that they do during the lecture on the main screen so its a lot easier to just draw it in instead of trying to reproduce it on your screen with a touchpad mouse.

Definitely Definitely definitely have a laptop of your own. There will be lots of electronic resources and you'll want it when going between home, school, starbucks, wherever to study. You can always do a setup like me; I have a 22" external monitor, speakers, wireless keyboard/mouse for my desk at my apartment, and my laptop plugs into all of it.

I think I might end up doing something like this because my biggest concern is that my eyesight is getting worse, probably as a result of spending 4yrs staring at a 13inch screen

 

[BassCaster]

I am against laptops. They make you lazy.
I've never owned one. If I had to do a PowerPoint, I borrowed.

I bet you will own one within the decade If not, impressive.

 

[Morsetlis]

I bet you will own one within the decade If not, impressive.

My friend finished his MS and is now working at Amgen without a laptop...

 

[DoctwoB]

Convertible Tablet PC + Microsoft OneNote (seamless integration of typed and handwritten notes) = WIN

The best of both worlds.

 

[Snowman334]

As most have already stated, you have to find what works for you.

However, I have always preferred taking notes with a pen in a notebook. A Laptop is just another thing to lug around and can be a distraction.

Although I do use a laptop to type notes from the reading... So really depends. lol

Good Luck!

 

[clinicallabguy]

I am against laptops. They make you lazy.
I've never owned one. If I had to do a PowerPoint, I borrowed.

Ummm..naaa. I'm pretty sure I was lazy before the laptop. It just makes laziness that much more fun.

 

[FloatOn]

Why would this belong in Pre-Allo?

I do not understand some of the thread moving policies.

The OP pre-med was probably originally posting this in the allopathic forum. Threads belong in the forum where the responses would most benefit that forum's visitors, so it wouldn't help much if med students were responding to a pre-med's question in a med student forum because then other pre-meds wouldn't benefit.

 

[Narmerguy]

Why would this belong in Pre-Allo?

It's consistent with their policy at least.

The OP pre-med was probably originally posting this in the allopathic forum. Threads belong in the forum where the responses would most benefit that forum's visitors, so it wouldn't help much if med students were responding to a pre-med's question in a med student forum because then other pre-meds wouldn't benefit.

You know what's hilarious? As I read this thread and saw tons of med students posting in the beginning, I knew this had to have been a moved post because that NEVER happens when a post is in pre-allo. You'll get 85% premeds with a sprinkling of med students. Though yeah, it's useful for premeds to see this, it's not very useful for premeds to answer other premeds questions about medical school...which is what invariably happens when posts of this nature are constantly bounced to pre-allo. If they don't want it in allo, fine. But I do think there should be a separate forum where premeds ask questions about medical school that only medical students are qualified (or desired) to answer. Most of this is the blind (or legally blind) leading the blind on pre-allo.

 

[morning]

For some reason I learn and retain information a LOT better when I write vs. when I type. In fact I can usually remember a factoid after I write it down 5-10 times, but it'll run into one ear and out the other if I type it.

Get the laptop. Type or write, whichever you prefer and is best for you, but do yourself a favor and RECORD your lectures so you can listen to them again later.

 

[el aye]

I prefer handwritten notes on my tablet in OneNote (generally written over power point lectures).