During my first year of uni I really struggled to take notes during lectures, I just couldn’t keep up and attempting to do so really ruined my handwriting. The internet told me to go paperless and since I did, I’ve never looked back. I wanted to write this post in case any of you were thinking of doing the same.
Starting off you’ll need a form of laptop or tablet. I had a Surface 3 at the time which was literally made for portability (but whatever you have will do).
Next, you’ll need to decide on how you want to write / back up your notes. Backing up your notes online may not seem important but by doing so you can access them anywhere and on any device. I opted for One Note as that was integrated into my Surface, it works great but the mobile app leaves a lot to be desired. There are loads of other options like Evernote, pages backed up to icloud, Word backed up to Onedrive, Google Keep… (so many).
Few things to note:
-Carry a charger in case you run out of juice
-Make sure your lid is closed on your water bottle
-I don’t mean to sound like a parent but don’t flash your tech in public
-Make sure you turn the volume off!
-Always carry a pen for the register
-Trying not to insinuate anything, mind what’s on your laptop before opening it in a lecture…
-Get the note taking app on your phone too so you can access your notes.
Going paperless isn’t for everyone, I’ve always been more digital than analogue so the switch for me was natural. I get that some schools like Physical Sciences make going paperless hard because you need to submit physical copies plus draw equations, so it really depends on your situation.
If you’re thinking about it, just go for it – imagine how much money you’ll save on notepads.
Thanks for reading 🙂