Is it better to write my notes by hand or or type them?

Answer 1

Studies show that taking notes by hand engages more parts of your brain and can improve recall and memory. This is because you are more likely to handwrite notes in your own words instead of typing notes verbatim from an instructor. Although handwriting notes will feel slower, it is a better technique if you want to fully process the information as you are writing it down. This leads to more engaging note-taking sessions and a more active learning mentality when in class.

Answer 2

I concur that to take notes by hand are more beneficial than to take notes by the computer, because you are engaging with the note-taking process. I would also remind that it is important to not just take your notes once and then never engage with them again. Here is a strategy that many of my students find useful, type your notes initially because it is more efficient. Then require yourself to spend at least 30 minutes handwriting those notes in your own words. As previous answers mentioned, incorporate sketches or doodles that will help you better remember the content. In this way, you are continuously engaging with the notes and not just setting them aside never to be used again.

Answer 3

I agree with Ashley's response, and would add that adding visual notetaking skills, such as Sketchnoting or Doodlenotes (I highly recommend either and I am not affiliated in any way), makes notetaking more efficient and easier to encode into memory. This is called Dual Coding Theory. It increases retention and recall because it involves integrating both the left and right hemispheres of the brain. In other words, the more senses/processes you use to encode, the more likely one is to remember the information.