Kate: I refuse to take notes on paper in class. The moment I walk into any lecture, my bag hits the ground and I quickly open my computer. My Google Drive tab is already pulled up, and within seconds, I create a new document in its assigned folder and begin pre-formatting the page. On the next tab, I open up Canvas, navigate to the course’s posted lecture slides, and split the screen so I can see my notes at the same time. This process, though it may seem a bit excessive, has been fine-tuned over five semesters of college to ensure that as soon as a professor starts speaking, I am prepared to capture every word.
Ilana: In a classroom full of laptops, my notebook stands out. Even when the professor asks for minimal screen time, many devices manage to stay open the entire lecture. While some students argue that typing is the most efficient way to take notes, taking hand-written notes is superior, and that is a hill I will die on.
Kate: I firmly believe typing my notes is the most effective use of my time in class. By having the slides open next to my notes, I can catch up on anything that I missed, avoiding clogging my camera roll with endless pictures of Powerpoints I will forget to delete. Instead of struggling to move my eyes from screen to page if I were copying the notes by hand, all of my attention can be focused in one place so I am less likely to miss anything the professor has to add. Furthermore, I am not stuck trying to understand my sloppy handwriting and inevitably misspelled words that resemble chicken scratch when it comes time to study. My system of notes ends up saving me from my inability to spell (thank you Grammarly!) and keeps all the information correct.
Ilana: Having neatly typed notes is a plus, but the distractions that come with the screen aren’t worth it. Look, I’m not some sort of superhuman who’s immune to distractions. In fact, I’m a daydreaming pro. In times of boredom, you may argue that having a laptop open is the most convenient solution. But being bored with a pen and paper allows you to have way more of a creative outlet than you’ve been led to believe. After checking your email five times and playing through all of The New York Times games, you’re stuck.
When hand-writing notes, the opportunities are endless. Doodles should not be framed as a negative thing. What ever happened to writing your name in bubble letters? Or practicing your signature, but with your crush’s last name? Doodles are far more productive than constantly checking iMessage to see if they texted you back.
I got my first laptop the summer before freshman year of college, knowing it would be essential for homework. It never crossed my mind that I would have to carry it around and use it during class. So, you can imagine my surprise when everyone pulled out their laptops on the first day. Opening up your laptop at the start of class is also a nightmare when you forget to close your tabs from the night before. Oh, what’s this—Love Island instead of my p-set?!
At the beginning of every class, I take out my 3-subject, college-ruled, Five Star notebook, (this semester it’s royal blue) and a mechanical pencil. My phone stays securely in my pocket. I write the date in the top left corner of the page, and I am ready to take notes.
Kate: While many others could easily get distracted by their computers in class, I take several precautions to avoid problematic multitasking. All my devices are set to “Do Not Disturb” when I sit down, and I do my best to flip my phone over so the only notifications I can receive are texts from my parents. If I only had a pencil and paper in front of me, I have no doubt that my notes would be filled with small drawings of flowers and geometric shapes layered on top of each other while listening to my professor drag on about the Gauss-Jacobi method. As a child, my parents kept me occupied at dinner with their friends by handing me coloring books; the urge to draw tends to take over when I am stuck listening to people speak, longing to be anywhere else but Science Center Hall B. These doodles will later come back to haunt me as I attempt to cram the night before a midterm.
Ilana: When you take handwritten notes, your professor and TFs notice. They have tried to share with the class that there is scientific evidence to prove that hand-writing notes helps with information retention, but most students just roll their eyes. I have received emails from TFs acknowledging and showing great respect for my notes. Handwritten notes also give you the opportunity to refine your handwriting. This may not seem important in today’s world, and I think that is quite sad. When girlfriends get hand-written letters from their boyfriends instead of a “You up?” text, it’s the most romantic thing they’ve ever seen. It is something that should be cherished and conserved. Handwriting is a unique skill that should never be lost in modernization. I understand that having messy handwriting is sometimes uncontrollable, but just get over it and work your finger muscles. When I am falling asleep in class, my notes start to fall off the lines. Not to worry! I just click a few times on my mechanical pencil and then stab myself in the thigh to wake myself up. Bet you can’t do that when you’re typing away!
Kate: If I start falling asleep while studying, I turn my brightness all the way up and let the blue light stimulate my brain. I definitely can’t do that while staring at a piece of paper. Additionally, my biggest problem when attempting to take handwritten notes is the inability to reorganize once I’ve started writing. It’s especially frustrating when a professor introduces three key points, dives deep into the second, and circles back around to a point from the first. How am I magically supposed to create space on a page crammed full of notes? On a computer, I can easily go back to the previous section and insert new material. In fact, one of the ways I study is to reorganize my notes by combining all my pages from the semester into one massive document. And if I want to make Quizlet flashcards, I can just copy and paste instead of retyping everything from scratch.
Ilana: I must admit that I am an avid user of Quizlet and I appreciate its effectiveness. However, there is something that just feels more authentically academic about making your own flashcards. But, you’re right. Who has time for that at this school?!
Growing up, shopping for school supplies was one of my favorite things to do. I know—true nerdy shit, but that’s why I’m here. It would be late August, the air would smell like the last few nights of summer, and my Dad would drive us to Walmart. As we wandered the aisles he’d always say, “Why didn’t we do this earlier?” He’d climb up the shelves to find the notebooks in the colors I wanted. On the way out, we would pass by the Paper Mate Inkjoy Gel Pens that only the really cool girls had. I’d ask to get them even though I already knew the answer: “$20 for crappy pens? No.” Now that I’m in college, I can buy those sick ass pens myself. I make my 13-year-old self proud every day by using them in class.
Kate: Typing your notes is the superior method because you are able to optimize your time spent in class, retaining the information presented visually and audibly. You leave class with a document primed to help you during all your late-night cram sessions, all without the possibility of misplacing your notes.
Ilana: Hand-writing notes is the superior method because you gain respect from your professors and pay homage to generations before us who only knew pen and paper. You will feel more engaged in class and walk out feeling like you actually learned something that’s going to stick with you.
Kate Oliver ’26 (koliver@college.harvard.edu) has every single file in her Google Drive organized. Ilana Feder ’26 (ilanafeder@college.harvard.edu ) has every single Paper Mate Inkjoy Gel Pen color.