Do you prefer to type or handwrite revision notes?

This poll is closed

Do you type or handwrite revision notes?

Always handwrite and use highlighters, different coloured pens etc. 78%

Prefer to type all revision notes 10%

Handwrite first, then type them up later12%

Total votes: 153

Bella_Cullen

2

Just started my A Level exam revision and I like to have everything as neat and organised as possible with my revision notes stapled together in topic categories, separate folders etc. But I was wondering whether to type or handwrite my notes. At the moment I am handwriting them but I thought I might condense them (I tend to end up overloading myself with revision notes and having to cut them down into manageable sections) and type them up, so then I will have a longer, more thorough handwritten copy and a typed copy to remind myself of the main points.

Basically, I was just wondering whether typing revision notes is better than handwriting because you can put words/sentences in bold and use different fonts to make things stand out. My handwriting isn't messy but maybe having
typed copies means that you can memorise and learn things more easily?

What do you think? Do you handwrite or type your revision notes?

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 1

py0alb

3

Poll fail.

I handwrite my notes, because typing them is a complete waste of time, but highlighters are for 8 year old girls FFS.

Reply 2

Nayberay

15

I type my notes/put them into a presentation slide form.

Print them off (6 slides per page) then highlight and annotate the presentations even more with thoughts which link it/research from other sources. :h:

EDIT: My typed notes are in bold and capitals for important things too.

On looking at things, I tend to do a combo when it comes to notes, I only type my Philosophy notes. xD

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 3

didgeridoo12uk

16

i don't really make notes.

occasionally when there's an important equation / concept that i need to use a lot i'll write it up on my window

Reply 4

Dhanoo

12

I always type up my notes for as long as I can remember. You can bold, underline, and italicize the texts for make them stand out. Thus, it's in soft copy format so my notes don't go missing.

Reply 5

Ultimate_Geek

15

Hand-write. It seems to sink-in better as it takes much longer to do. There's more time to think about what you're writing.

Reply 6

tish64

Everyone is different.. It depends on your learning style. I write my notes and underline/highlight..

Reply 7

Bella_Cullen

OP

2

Original post by py0alb

highlighters are for 8 year old girls FFS.

Actually, in the absence of being able to use bold and underline when typing, I find that using a highlighter to highlight certain key words and sentences is very useful. And lots of people use highlighters at university. But each to their own, everyone has their own method of revision. :smile:

Reply 8

Bella_Cullen

OP

2

Original post by Ultimate_Geek

Hand-write. It seems to sink-in better as it takes much longer to do. There's more time to think about what you're writing.

I agree, although if you handwrite and then type it up as well, you're going over it twice and end up with two copies as well (I'm quite fanatical about having back-up copies of revision notes, just in case one gets lost!)

Reply 9

py0alb

3

Original post by Bella_Cullen

Actually, in the absence of being able to use bold and underline when typing, I find that using a highlighter to highlight certain key words and sentences is very useful. And lots of people use highlighters at university. But each to their own, everyone has their own method of revision. :smile:

You don't think its possible to bold or underline things in handwritten notes? :confused:

You know, you can also write in capitals, or put a circle or a box around things, or put stars next to it or even a big arrow!!! You can use bullet points and numbered lists. you can go back and add notes in the margin. The possibilities are endless. There are no limits to the miraculous facilities of the humble pen and paper.

Reply 10

Destroyviruses

13

I write because typed writing bores me and I cant make drawings. I have to do lots of click and drag and im shakey. Whereas in writing whoosh theres an arrow whatever shape you like and whooosh a flower ect. Typing feels restricted.

Reply 11

py0alb

3

Original post by Destroyviruses

I write because typed writing bores me and I cant make drawings. I have to do lots of click and drag and im shakey. Whereas in writing whoosh theres an arrow whatever shape you like and whooosh a flower ect. Typing feels restricted.

This - good revision notes should have lots of equations, diagrams and flow charts. In the time it would take you to reproduce those on a computer you could have revised an entire topic.

Reply 12

JunePlum

10

Original post by py0alb

Poll fail.

I handwrite my notes, because typing them is a complete waste of time, but highlighters are for 8 year old girls FFS.

.... says who.
I use 'em all the time.

I prefer handwriting revision note on flash cards and then keep them in a small binder. It's less hassle for me and allows me to familiarise myself with any given topic.

When I'm typing it is tempting to copy and paste rather than understanding and summarizing my notes.

Reply 13

py0alb

3

Original post by JunePlum

.... says who.
I use 'em all the time.

I prefer handwriting revision note on flash cards and then keep them in a small binder. It's less hassle for me and allows me to familiarise myself with any given topic.

When I'm typing it is tempting to copy and paste rather than understanding and summarizing my notes.

Don't take this the wrong way, but I almost made a comment just now along the lines of "I bet you're one of those people who still uses those ridiculous flashcards that are so popular with the 13-14 year old age group", but I thought that couldn't possibly be true of a degree level student. No-one still thinks thats an efficient method of revision... do they?

So you spend your revision time highlighting flashcards with pretty colours? Do you also have a pretty revision timetable that you colour in every day? Let me know how you get on in your degree. :smile:

Reply 14

tashazzz

15

Handwrite, I never really learn a lot from typing and it takes me longer to write notes out by hand than to type them so it sinks in better too.

Reply 15

JunePlum

10

Original post by py0alb

Don't take this the wrong way, but I almost made a comment just now along the lines of "I bet you're one of those people who still uses those ridiculous flashcards that are so popular with the 13-14 year old age group", but I thought that couldn't possibly be true of a degree level student. No-one still thinks thats an efficient method of revision... do they?

So you spend your revision time highlighting flashcards with pretty colours? Do you also have a pretty revision timetable that you colour in every day? Let me know how you get on in your degree. :smile:

No...

I don't put all my notes on flash cards... And I only use highlighters conservatively.
I utilize other methods of revision too you know.

I am not pursuing a degree until later this year.
I am sure I will find additional ways to revise.... :smile:

Reply 16

Jennyisabutton

I type up all my notes, print them off, read it all, underline the most important bits, then hand-write the important bits. For pictures/diagrams I just print them off and stick them in the relevant section :smile:

Reply 17

py0alb

3

Original post by JunePlum

No...

I don't put all my notes on flash cards... And I only use highlighters conservatively.
I utilize other methods of revision too you know.

I am not pursuing a degree until later this year.
I am sure I will find additional ways to revise.... :smile:

Sure sure. I think its worth taking a moment to consider whether the time you spend getting out your highlighter is time well spent, or whether you would be better advised to simply put a quick box around the important phrase with the pen already in your hand and move on to more important matters.

I never understood the point of flash cards, they're so small you can hardly fit anything useful on them, and they can easily get muddled up. What's wrong with a normal A4 notebook?

Half the time people spend "revising" they are just wasting their time. Notes don't need to be pretty, they just need to be functional. A big part of getting a good grade is learning which bits of the revision process are valuable and which are just a waste of time. Time spent colouring in or trying to reproduce diagrams on the computer that could be sketched by hand in 10 seconds is the latter in my book.

Reply 18

AccessDenied

I type and spellcheck my writings, but for calculus and equations I always use pencil. Once finalized, I'll type them up. Prints, pictures and diagrams I'll print off and present via Powerpoint if required.

For those who like me, favour mechanical pencils, I recommend the wonderful Kuru Toga, 0.5, on offer at Cult Pens. com