Smart Pens for Vet School?

[BlackDog17]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

This came up briefly in the "Supplies for Vet School" thread, but I was hoping to get the opinions of some current vet students who use or have used smart pens in class.

I'm definitely someone who benefits from hand writing notes and re-listening to lectures. I'm also not particularly organized person, so my loose leaf notes tend to wind up lost, in the wrong folders, or crumpled into a ball at the bottom of my bag. So I really like the idea of being able to write notes in class, record the lectures, lectures and then download them to organized folders on my computer or tablet to review later.

Those of you who have smart pens, how do they work for you? Which brands do you recommend? Is it worth the cost? I will most likely need to buy a new laptop before starting vet school - mine is six years old and none too reliable any more - so unless the smart pen is definitely worth the investment, it's probably not wise for me to spend the extra money.

I'd appreciate any advice or recommendations you all have!

 

[bbeventer]

I don't know how it is at other schools, but there is no time to write out notes, the lectures move to fast. At my school the majority of students download lectures into OneNote and take notes into that, the students that dont do that print out the powerpoint slides ahead of time and take notes on those.

But there is no way you will be able to take notes like in UG, where you copy down the whole slide.

 

[BlackDog17]

If the power points are given ahead of time, I usually try to write them out by hand before lecture. That way I can just sit and listen and add to them as needed during class. For some reason I can't just read PowerPoint slides, I need the physical activity of copying them by hand in order for my brain to store the information. But I see what you mean.

 

[Frozenshades]

If the power points are given ahead of time, I usually try to write them out by hand before lecture. That way I can just sit and listen and add to them as needed during class. For some reason I can't just read PowerPoint slides, I need the physical activity of copying them by hand in order for my brain to store the information. But I see what you mean.

Time wise, do you think that will be feasible in vet school? There must be a ton more notes than in undergrad.

 

[Trilt]

I don't have a smart pen, or any experience with them. However, if you're getting a new laptop anyway, perhaps consider getting a tablet computer with pen capability? I have a lenovo x220 and love it - lets me keep everything organized digitally, but I still get the benefits of actually writing/drawing all over my powerpoints.

 

[bbeventer]

If the power points are given ahead of time, I usually try to write them out by hand before lecture. That way I can just sit and listen and add to them as needed during class. For some reason I can't just read PowerPoint slides, I need the physical activity of copying them by hand in order for my brain to store the information. But I see what you mean.

Trilt made a great suggestion about the tablet, several people I know also use Ipads and write on their notes that way too (though they download the powerpoints and just include add ons).

You will probably need to adjust your study method, because there is just to much information to had write out all the notes. In a 1 hour lecture a professor can have 100 slides.

 

[LetItSnow]

If the power points are given ahead of time, I usually try to write them out by hand before lecture. That way I can just sit and listen and add to them as needed during class. For some reason I can't just read PowerPoint slides, I need the physical activity of copying them by hand in order for my brain to store the information. But I see what you mean.

I have no idea how AVC does things, so perhaps it will work there. But I know that up here that would be virtually impossible.

For starters, an hour's lecture may contain anywhere from 45-90 slides. This year I've had an average of maybe 6 hours/day lecture. Most days have been 8 actual hours of lecture, but the average is lower because of the occasional lab and whatnot.

So if you want to hand-write out 480 or so slides a day ... good luck with that.

And then to make it more complicated, it's not all that rare for slides to show up online a few minutes before class - some teachers love to post them in their office on their way down to lecture. Heck, some do it in the classroom right before starting.

Bottom line: I wouldn't plan on that method working.

I get what you're saying about hand-writing though. Just that I'd plan to be writing your study notes after the lecture, not before. Do it before and you'll copy everything off the 480 slides/day. Do it after, and you'll know what 90% you can skip. 🙂

 

[twelvetigers]

I don't have a smart pen, or any experience with them. However, if you're getting a new laptop anyway, perhaps consider getting a tablet computer with pen capability? I have a lenovo x220 and love it - lets me keep everything organized digitally, but I still get the benefits of actually writing/drawing all over my powerpoints.

Woo!

 

[Packen]

I got a smart pen while I was doing the last of my UG requirements and brought it to vet school with my. I have an Echo, I think Livescribe is the company. There are definitely pros and cons. I have found a way to use it so it suits my purposes. I don't write down anything on the slides, I just take notes on the "extras" that the lecturers add.

PROS:
- For me, the biggest pro is the audio synchronization with the notes I take. You don't have to search through a lecture to listen to something specific. If I miss something a prof says, I place a star in my notes, so I know to go back to that star and relisten to that specific point in the lecture.
- Another pro is that I can upload all my notes into my computer and don't have to carry around notebooks when I am going to the library or where ever.

CONS:
- The notebooks are not cheap, and for the pen to work you have to use the specific paper, this means you can't print power points and take notes directly on to them.
- Our school provides printed notes for all lectures, so along with the power points, the printed notes and my notes, I am combining all three when I try to review one lecture. It takes a long time.

If I had it to do all over again, I would probably get a tablet. Many of my classmates have them and they use programs that allow them to record the audio of the lecture while directly taking notes on the slides or onto a document on their tablet.

 

[Lissarae06]

Several people in my class used smart pens first year. They have all switched to using tablets/iPads/laptops.

 

[DVMDream]

I hand write notes... with a pen and paper. Actually, I am a very auditory learner so I tend to sit back and listen when I go to lecture instead of write a bunch, unless I am about to fall asleep, then I write, to stay awake.

But there are some people in our class that use a tablet or iPad.

 

[that redhead]

100% what LIS said, except I am at AVC 😉

I don't want to discourage your method before you've even tried it, but it's so much information that I don't see it as a good method for efficiency's sake. Slides aren't always posted before class but almost all classes give out packets at the start of lecture. I follow along and take a few notes during class. Then, before the exam, I make my own study guide, putting together pertinent info from the slides + my notes on the side.

A good number of people record lectures, so that's definitely do-able. Some people type notes but the majority do what I do - jot notes on the margins - and it works for them. If you need to re-write, you can hand-write your study guide. But copying all of the slides before lecture for all of the classes...I just don't see it happening.

I would buy yourself a recorder, or have that option on your laptop, but I don't think I would spend the money on a smart pen. Just my $0.02 🙂

 

[ky261682]

100% what LIS said, except I am at AVC 😉

I don't want to discourage your method before you've even tried it, but it's so much information that I don't see it as a good method for efficiency's sake. Slides aren't always posted before class but almost all classes give out packets at the start of lecture. I follow along and take a few notes during class. Then, before the exam, I make my own study guide, putting together pertinent info from the slides + my notes on the side.

A good number of people record lectures, so that's definitely do-able. Some people type notes but the majority do what I do - jot notes on the margins - and it works for them. If you need to re-write, you can hand-write your study guide. But copying all of the slides before lecture for all of the classes...I just don't see it happening.

I would buy yourself a recorder, or have that option on your laptop, but I don't think I would spend the money on a smart pen. Just my $0.02 🙂

👍 This is what the majority of my class does. The number of slides per lecture ranges from 40-120 (oh immunology) for first year classes. We get note packets for some classes in addition to the slides so to rewrite all that for 7-8 classes is too much. Most make study guides and/or flash cards and we've all survived so far 🙂

 

[BlackDog17]

I got a smart pen while I was doing the last of my UG requirements and brought it to vet school with my. I have an Echo, I think Livescribe is the company. There are definitely pros and cons. I have found a way to use it so it suits my purposes. I don't write down anything on the slides, I just take notes on the "extras" that the lecturers add.

PROS:
- For me, the biggest pro is the audio synchronization with the notes I take. You don't have to search through a lecture to listen to something specific. If I miss something a prof says, I place a star in my notes, so I know to go back to that star and relisten to that specific point in the lecture.
- Another pro is that I can upload all my notes into my computer and don't have to carry around notebooks when I am going to the library or where ever.

CONS:
- The notebooks are not cheap, and for the pen to work you have to use the specific paper, this means you can't print power points and take notes directly on to them.
- Our school provides printed notes for all lectures, so along with the power points, the printed notes and my notes, I am combining all three when I try to review one lecture. It takes a long time.

If I had it to do all over again, I would probably get a tablet. Many of my classmates have them and they use programs that allow them to record the audio of the lecture while directly taking notes on the slides or onto a document on their tablet.

THIS is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. I'm not sure why so many people felt it necessary to read "Please tell me about smart pens" as "Please critique my study habits." 🙄

Do you find that the audio quality is decent? My concern is that I tend to write rather heavily, and since I tend to sit towards the middle/back of the lecture hall I may wind up picking up the sound of my own writing instead of the speaker. I've heard that you can cut down on notebook costs by printing your own paper straight from Livescribe's website, but I think you need a specific type of printer to be able to do that.

I don't have a smart pen, or any experience with them. However, if you're getting a new laptop anyway, perhaps consider getting a tablet computer with pen capability? I have a lenovo x220 and love it - lets me keep everything organized digitally, but I still get the benefits of actually writing/drawing all over my powerpoints.

That's a good idea, though your model is definitely out of my price range. I'm usually not one for carrying my laptop around with me all day, but with all the ultralight models that are out now that may be an option. I do have a 7" Kindle Fire HD tablet that I plan on getting a keyboard for and bringing to class with me, but I'm not a fast enough typer to keep up with a lecture. I can draw diagrams and such in Evernote though, so that might come in handy.

 

[GellaBella]

I have a smart pen. I don't use it for vet school though that was the original reason I purchased it.

The smart pens are just too bulky for me, with so much writing I need it all to be as comfortable as possible. In fact I don't even use normal pens anymore because they are too much for me. I switched to fountain pens and that saved my hands and arms from all the writing.

Mid-second year I switched to just typing and that has turned out to be the way to go for me. I've found now that I'm in the clinics I wish I had typed more of my notes for easy access/searching. I was also like you and thought I had to write to learn. I had to change my ways, maybe you won't, but I know for me personally I could not use the livescribe pen for very long and write for long periods of time.

 

[that redhead]

Is it worth the cost? ...so unless the smart pen is definitely worth the investment, it's probably not wise for me to spend the extra money.

I'd appreciate any advice or recommendations you all have!

I was responding to this part of your post.

 

[ky261682]

To add to my post, no one in my class uses a smart pen. A few used them for undergrad but found they weren't as useful for vet school. You could also wait until you've done a few weeks of vet school to see if it's worth the investment. I waited until October to buy my iPad; I had a better idea of the structure of classes and I knew the iPad was worth the investment.

 

[LetItSnow]

THIS is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. I'm not sure why so many people felt it necessary to read "Please tell me about smart pens" as "Please critique my study habits." 🙄

I'd appreciate any advice or recommendations you all have!

No need for the snark. You asked for any advice, and I thought giving you some idea of the powerpoint load you're going to encounter - given your method of studying - might be useful to you. I wasn't "critiquing" your study habits.

I know of nobody in my class using a smart pen. Virtually everybody takes notes on a computer (~65% of class), a tablet (~10% of class), or on paper (~25% of class).

 

[BlackDog17]

I have a smart pen. I don't use it for vet school though that was the original reason I purchased it.

The smart pens are just too bulky for me, with so much writing I need it all to be as comfortable as possible. In fact I don't even use normal pens anymore because they are too much for me. I switched to fountain pens and that saved my hands and arms from all the writing.

This is really good to know. I don't hold a pen the "proper" way (I use four fingers instead of three) so pens that are an unusual size/shape are often really uncomfortable for me.

From what I've been hearing, here and elsewhere, it sounds like the smart pens are a fantastic idea in theory but aren't so great functionally. That's disappointing. I'm getting the feeling that I'd probably be better off saving my money and just buying a cheap digital voice recorder instead. And if I finally get around to jailbreaking my tablet I should be able to download a program similar to Notability that should allow me to hand write on my tablet, possibly even on powerpoint slides.

 

[PetPony]

I love my recorder! I don't use it as much as I should but when I do relisten to lectures (I record all of them), then it's super helpful. In the car, at work, while cleaning etc. Totally worth the money. I paid a little more to be able to connect it to my laptop and download them and I'm really happy I did. Since I don't relisten right away, the amount of lectures build up fast and there's not enough memory if I wouldn't download them onto the laptop.

 

[dovelover]

Has anyone ever used the ipen and found it any better than just using a regular stylus for the ipad?

 

[PetPony]

I didn't know there was another one. I have this one:

And I hate it. My stuff is so messy and it's hard to write smaller etc. Ugh. Maybe I should try the iPen. I like that tip better.

 

[BlackDog17]

I love my recorder! I don't use it as much as I should but when I do relisten to lectures (I record all of them), then it's super helpful. In the car, at work, while cleaning etc. Totally worth the money. I paid a little more to be able to connect it to my laptop and download them and I'm really happy I did. Since I don't relisten right away, the amount of lectures build up fast and there's not enough memory if I wouldn't download them onto the laptop.

What model do you have?

 

[PetPony]

What model do you have?

I'll check for you later. 🙂

 

[Filly Bay]

I have the sony ICD-PX312 and I love it! It's a little pricey but it works great. I love that Its easy to connect to my laptop and transfer the files to there. Then I can add them on my ipod/ipad playlist and listen to them on the go.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sony-ICD-...rder-with-Memory-Card-Expansion-Slot/16207339

 

[dovelover]

I love my recorder! I don't use it as much as I should but when I do relisten to lectures (I record all of them), then it's super helpful. In the car, at work, while cleaning etc. Totally worth the money. I paid a little more to be able to connect it to my laptop and download them and I'm really happy I did. Since I don't relisten right away, the amount of lectures build up fast and there's not enough memory if I wouldn't download them onto the laptop.

Does a recorder do a better job of recording lectures than just using a program on your computer or phone? (aka... is it worth getting one if you already have an iphone or whatever that can record voice?)

 

[Foxhunter]

I love my recorder! I don't use it as much as I should but when I do relisten to lectures (I record all of them), then it's super helpful. In the car, at work, while cleaning etc. Totally worth the money. I paid a little more to be able to connect it to my laptop and download them and I'm really happy I did. Since I don't relisten right away, the amount of lectures build up fast and there's not enough memory if I wouldn't download them onto the laptop.

I have the sony ICD-PX312 and I love it! It's a little pricey but it works great. I love that Its easy to connect to my laptop and transfer the files to there. Then I can add them on my ipod/ipad playlist and listen to them on the go.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sony-ICD-...rder-with-Memory-Card-Expansion-Slot/16207339

What's the sound quality like on these? Like if I were to just set it on my desk in the middle of a large lecture hall, would it pick up the sound pretty well? Will I get the noise of myself writing/typing, etc? Just wondering.

 

[BlackDog17]

Does a recorder do a better job of recording lectures than just using a program on your computer or phone? (aka... is it worth getting one if you already have an iphone or whatever that can record voice?)

Personally I think it's worth it just because you won't be using up memory on your phone or tablet. Although programs like Evernote and Notability will pair your recording to your notes, so that's a plus. But I don't think there's much functionality available to export files out of those apps to save them to your computer.

 

[Lissarae06]

If you decide to use a recorder, talk to your professor before using it and get their permission.

 

[twelvetigers]

I just did a little research on 'styli' before buying one. I'll let you know what I think of it, but it seems like the best all-around stylus for the iPad or similar is the Wacom Bamboo. It's $20 for the black one (colors cost more).

There are some weird styli out there. Looking though all of them made me want to give my Lenovo a hug - I can write with something that has a pointy, small tip and really isn't that different from using a normal pen.

 

[Foxhunter]

If you decide to use a recorder, talk to your professor before using it and get their permission.

is there a story here?

I always do that (a friend has had me record some lectures for him, but I had to set my iPad at the front of the room for decent quality).

 

[Foxhunter]

I just did a little research on 'styli' before buying one. I'll let you know what I think of it, but it seems like the best all-around stylus for the iPad or similar is the Wacom Bamboo. It's $20 for the black one (colors cost more).

There are some weird styli out there. Looking though all of them made me want to give my Lenovo a hug - I can write with something that has a pointy, small tip and really isn't that different from using a normal pen.

I haven't tried the Bamboo, but Wacoms are great products!

 

[Lissarae06]

is there a story here?

I always do that (a friend has had me record some lectures for him, but I had to set my iPad at the front of the room for decent quality).

No story. I don't use a recorder. We just have quite a few professors that are weird about their teaching materials. It is just courteous to get permission first.

 

[Packen]

Do you find that the audio quality is decent? My concern is that I tend to write rather heavily, and since I tend to sit towards the middle/back of the lecture hall I may wind up picking up the sound of my own writing instead of the speaker. I've heard that you can cut down on notebook costs by printing your own paper straight from Livescribe's website, but I think you need a specific type of printer to be able to do that.

Actually, the audio is pretty amazing. There have been a few lectures where I forgot my pen and used my iphone and the difference is night and day. There are a few settings on the pen depending on what type of room you are in.

The smart pens are just too bulky for me, with so much writing I need it all to be as comfortable as possible. In fact I don't even use normal pens anymore because they are too much for me. I switched to fountain pens and that saved my hands and arms from all the writing.

I forgot this as a CON, but it took a while for me to get used to writing with such a heavy pen. I don't notice now, but I don't do a ton of writing during lecture. A page max per lecture usually.

If you decide to use a recorder, talk to your professor before using it and get their permission.

This is a big issue at our school too. Something about intellectual property. We have a rule in place that you MUST ask a lecturers permission before recording a lecture.

 

[Filly Bay]

Does a recorder do a better job of recording lectures than just using a program on your computer or phone? (aka... is it worth getting one if you already have an iphone or whatever that can record voice?)

Yes! The sound quality is much better than my laptop, iPad, and phone recorder. If you are okay with the quality on your phone you may be able to do without it but the background noise was annoying on mine, when I used my laptop I had to turn the volume all the way up, use headphones, and sit in a quiet space to hear the lecture. With the recorder I can be in a noisy area using headphones or just sit in my room and use it without headphones.

What's the sound quality like on these? Like if I were to just set it on my desk in the middle of a large lecture hall, would it pick up the sound pretty well? Will I get the noise of myself writing/typing, etc? Just wondering.

I just sit mine on my desk next to my notes and point it towards the prof. It generally doesn't pick up my writing. The only annoying thing it picks up it one girl who clears her throat all the time and happens to be in all my classes. 🙁. As long as the prof isn't mumbling, I have no trouble hearing and understanding the recordings. I used to take notes on my laptop and it picks up typing a little bit.

 

[orcagirl]

What's the sound quality like on these? Like if I were to just set it on my desk in the middle of a large lecture hall, would it pick up the sound pretty well? Will I get the noise of myself writing/typing, etc? Just wondering.

Just a note at NCSU we do have lecture capture. It gets the audio and video of the lecture. It's nice to see what a professor is pointing to on the slides. That being said, it doesn't always work. Also I'm not sure if you can download the lectures to listen to them without connecting to the internet.

Not sure about the pens, but I have a Sony voice recorder I used in undergrad, only for OChem. It worked great, though I did sit in the second row. It got the professor/lecture well, but you can hear pages turning and if you're a loud typist I'm sure you'll hear that too.

Personally I think it's worth it just because you won't be using up memory on your phone or tablet. Although programs like Evernote and Notability will pair your recording to your notes, so that's a plus. But I don't think there's much functionality available to export files out of those apps to save them to your computer.

OneNote also has a record function in the program so you can listen to lectures and see how they correspond to your notes.

 

[Foxhunter]

Just a note at NSCU we do have lecture capture. It gets the audio and video of the lecture. It's nice to see what a professor is pointing to on the slides. That being said, it doesn't always work. Also I'm not sure if you can download the lectures to listen to them without connecting to the internet.

I knew we had lecture capture just didn't know if it was for all the lectures or only some.

 

[Minnerbelle]

No story. I don't use a recorder. We just have quite a few professors that are weird about their teaching materials. It is just courteous to get permission first.

Yeah, some lecturers are very weird about their teaching materials and it's def prudent to ask first. The problem though, is that once you get to second or third year, you can have dozens of clinicians teaching one course...

 

[Lissarae06]

Just a note at NSCU we do have lecture capture. It gets the audio and video of the lecture. It's nice to see what a professor is pointing to on the slides. That being said, it doesn't always work. Also I'm not sure if you can download the lectures to listen to them without connecting to the internet.

Not sure about the pens, but I have a Sony voice recorder I used in undergrad, only for OChem. It worked great, though I did sit in the second row. It got the professor/lecture well, but you can hear pages turning and if you're a loud typist I'm sure you'll hear that too.



OneNote also has a record function in the program so you can listen to lectures and see how they correspond to your notes.

We have lecture capture, too, which is great when it works. We do have the occasional professor who turns it off for their lectures.

 

[orcagirl]

I knew we had lecture capture just didn't know if it was for all the lectures or only some.

As far as I know it's all lectures. The only time we haven't had it for a lecture was when it wasn't working.

 

[DVMDream]

This is a big issue at our school too. Something about intellectual property. We have a rule in place that you MUST ask a lecturers permission before recording a lecture.

I was going to mention this, but you beat me to it...

 

[Jill418]

Hey there,
I have used a Smart Pen for classes and found it to be incredibly helpful! I use the LiveScribe Echo 8 GB pen. Personally, I think it changed my world. The $150 cost is really minimal in comparison to the overall cost of my veterinary school education and was 100% worth it if it meant my succeeding in my classes. The only con besides the cost that I found was that you do need to get permission from professors before recording them - make sure you do so at the beginning of the courses/semesters. The pros include ability to store tons of recordings on both the pen and your computer, to share the recordings with friends via the Livescribe online system, and to be able to re-listen at your own pace (both when you and how you want - Livescribe allows you to listen to lectures at double and half speed, so if you are someone who needs to hear it slowly, or like me, only catches the info when it's spoken at a faster pace, you can accommodate your personal needs). I came up with a system where instead of writing out tons of notes while the professor spoke, I just used the notebooks to write the title of each slide. I'd make a small circle on the left column of the page, then the title of the slide, then go back to typing whatever the professor was saying directly into the powerpoint. Then as soon as he/she switched slides, I'd go to the next line in my notebook and do the same. That way, I wasn't frantically trying to get everything down by hand; however, I typed as much as I could and if I was confused about something or missed something in the powerpoint, I'd click on the circle in the left column on my notebook indicating that particular slide and relisten to that section to fill in the blanks. I often re-listened to entire lectures as well (again, at double speed, as that worked for me). I went from really struggling to improving my grades/understanding dramatically. I was way less stressed (because I wasn't panicking about missing half of what the professor said) and I was able to concentrate so much better, knowing I had a back up to re-listen to it later. If you want more detailed info on the LiveScribe pen, feel free to message me. 🙂

 

[Foxhunter]

Hey there,
I have used a Smart Pen for classes and found it to be incredibly helpful! I use the LiveScribe Echo 8 GB pen. Personally, I think it changed my world. The $150 cost is really minimal in comparison to the overall cost of my veterinary school education and was 100% worth it if it meant my succeeding in my classes. The only con besides the cost that I found was that you do need to get permission from professors before recording them - make sure you do so at the beginning of the courses/semesters. The pros include ability to store tons of recordings on both the pen and your computer, to share the recordings with friends via the Livescribe online system, and to be able to re-listen at your own pace (both when you and how you want - Livescribe allows you to listen to lectures at double and half speed, so if you are someone who needs to hear it slowly, or like me, only catches the info when it's spoken at a faster pace, you can accommodate your personal needs). I came up with a system where instead of writing out tons of notes while the professor spoke, I just used the notebooks to write the title of each slide. I'd make a small circle on the left column of the page, then the title of the slide, then go back to typing whatever the professor was saying directly into the powerpoint. Then as soon as he/she switched slides, I'd go to the next line in my notebook and do the same. That way, I wasn't frantically trying to get everything down by hand; however, I typed as much as I could and if I was confused about something or missed something in the powerpoint, I'd click on the circle in the left column on my notebook indicating that particular slide and relisten to that section to fill in the blanks. I often re-listened to entire lectures as well (again, at double speed, as that worked for me). I went from really struggling to improving my grades/understanding dramatically. I was way less stressed (because I wasn't panicking about missing half of what the professor said) and I was able to concentrate so much better, knowing I had a back up to re-listen to it later. If you want more detailed info on the LiveScribe pen, feel free to message me. 🙂

This was helpful. I was looking at those pens, they look pretty cool. They also make stickers now I saw, so that you could maybe stick a sticker per slide if you have print outs/handouts and then it link the recording to the stickers. That's only $25 for 1000 stickers, so maybe cheaper than notebooks/at least easier.

 

[Bearby]

Since everyone is telling the OP that they're crazy for thinking that they can hand write out all of their notes, I'm going to let you know...you can do it. I have to write out all of my notes, too, and yes it takes a lot of time, but it is possible. I don't use a smart pen, I just use the old fashioned pen and paper.

The only concern I would have is that at least here at UF, not all professors post their powerpoints online ahead of time or at all. I don't write mine out ahead of time, I usually do it after the lecture has happened on weekends or whatever.

As far as losing your loose leaf paper, get bound paper. I buy tons of the 70 page college ruled notebooks every year when they're on sale for like 5 cents each before school starts and use those.

 

[LetItSnow]

Since everyone is telling the OP that they're crazy for thinking that they can hand write out all of their notes, I'm going to let you know...you can do it. I have to write out all of my notes, too, and yes it takes a lot of time, but it is possible. I don't use a smart pen, I just use the old fashioned pen and paper.

I didn't say it's crazy to write out all their notes; I write out as many of my notes as I can. The OP said (I thought?) that they try and copy out all the powerpoints ahead of time by hand. I think that's pretty unlikely to be viable in vet school for the vast majority of people because of how much extra information you'd be copying if you tried to do it ahead of time versus as/after the lecture where you know what to focus on.

 

[McGovernator]

I have the sony ICD-PX312 and I love it! It's a little pricey but it works great. I love that Its easy to connect to my laptop and transfer the files to there. Then I can add them on my ipod/ipad playlist and listen to them on the go.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sony-ICD-...rder-with-Memory-Card-Expansion-Slot/16207339

I used this exact same recorder in undergrad and I loved it! It's super easy to use, uploads quickly to the computer, and has a decent amount of memory. I sat in the middle of a 300 person lecture hall and could hear the professor super clearly! I also never had an issue with hearing my typing or writing. It works way better than the recorder on my MacBook.

 

[veterinarygirl]

For those who have used a smartpen for lectures, is the sound quality really good? If you are not in the front row, does it still pick up sound well? I was thinking about getting one. Right now I have onenote. However, the microphone on my laptop is absolutely terrible! When I play it back usually I can only hear about 3/4 of the lecture IF I put my ear up close to the speaker on my laptop. Also, the microphone picks up on my typing so that it drowns out the professor. In addition, part of the time my computer says it is "recording" and when I play it back there is no sound! It would be awesome if it actually worked.

I also have a normal recorder that picks up sound a lot better. However, if I want to go back to listen to one part of the lecture, it is a waste of time to try to find on the recorder. I was thinking the smartpen might be a better option.

Has anyone used the feature on the smartpen where you can listen and watch the notes appear at the same time? That sounded pretty cool, and I thought that might be useful since I am more of a visual learner. However, I feel like I would probably still type most of my notes even if I got a pen because there is so much information.

If anyone has any suggestions of anything else that might be useful, please let me know!

 

[jmo1012]

For those who have used a smartpen for lectures, is the sound quality really good? If you are not in the front row, does it still pick up sound well? I was thinking about getting one. Right now I have onenote. However, the microphone on my laptop is absolutely terrible! When I play it back usually I can only hear about 3/4 of the lecture IF I put my ear up close to the speaker on my laptop. Also, the microphone picks up on my typing so that it drowns out the professor. In addition, part of the time my computer says it is "recording" and when I play it back there is no sound! It would be awesome if it actually worked.

I also have a normal recorder that picks up sound a lot better. However, if I want to go back to listen to one part of the lecture, it is a waste of time to try to find on the recorder. I was thinking the smartpen might be a better option.

Has anyone used the feature on the smartpen where you can listen and watch the notes appear at the same time? That sounded pretty cool, and I thought that might be useful since I am more of a visual learner. However, I feel like I would probably still type most of my notes even if I got a pen because there is so much information.

If anyone has any suggestions of anything else that might be useful, please let me know!

no ideas about the smart pen, but my friend who records lectures periodically just jots down the time on her recorder throughout the lecture so that she can pretty easily find stuff