Write notes by hand or type them up?

[nerd]

Alright, so I'm about to start writing notes up in some of my subjects (chem and biol) and can't decide whether to write them by hand in an exercise book or type them up. They all have advantages and disadvantages. Would love to hear what everyone else is doing and how come they work that way in particular.

BY HAND advantages
-Apparently you retain info more if you write it by hand
-No pestering friends/classmates asking me to send them my notes
-At the end I have a nice book with all my notes in it
-Can work on it anywhere, not only where there is a computer
-Don't waste time playing around with formatting and fonts and colours and shit...

COMPUTER advantages
-Automatically neat, tidy and orderly
-Can always add stuff to the notes easily
-If you loose a printed copy, you can just print it again
-Easy to structure notes with dot points and headings and the like

I usually do my notes on the computer (I have uploaded by chem ones onto VN) but this year I've been considering trying something different.

Any advice?

[Edmund]

I like typing them up

- I can paste images/diagrams from the Textbook CD
- I can keep editting anyway I like
- I can type faster than write

[amyminchin]

DO BOTH!!! 

Because then you get double the chance to elaborate on them, adding more meaning to the information and thus committing it to your long term memory. Try writing them out, and then typing what you can remember, only looking at your hw ones for help

[shinny]

Type them up so you can chuck them up on VN next year :]

Nah but seriously, I'd recommend computer. You'll be doing ALOT of arranging and inserting things around with your notes as you gain access to new sources, and this would be quite hard if you hand wrote them.

[UprightMan]

Neater + faster on a computer = win.

Plus the added convenience of chucking it on the net via e-mailing yourself or something and voila, if you're stuck at a boring aunt's or something, jump on the comp and do something constructive.

[hard]

but writing by hand helps you practice writing answers quicker for the exams. You own't have a laptop with you inside the examination room.

[UprightMan]

True...but a lot of writing is done at school, yes?  My writing practice usually is note-taking and classwork.  I don't usually type up notes, but I think it'll become a habit this year...the more revision happens, the more solid the information.  You can never revise too much.

[TrueLight]

i say hand written just because you retain info better when you write relevant info by listening and understanding what the lecturer is saying, not everything.. and yeah have to use hand when in exams... i only use computer to type pracs or assignments or essays...

[mullums1]

If you got a good handwriting, write fast and organise your notes well then theres no need to use a computer. If not, then use a computer.

[ReVeL]

I chose to handwrite my notes last year, because:

- I didn't have my own computer and using the family comp wasn't practical.
- I have fairly neat handwriting.
- Writing allows quick and easy sketching of diagrams, which are a handful for those us that aren't as computer literate as others.
- More information retained.
- Quicker, for me anyway.

[NE2000]

I would say computer, if you handwrite them then there's a natural inclination to not edit them or to just accept that they are good enough. If you type them up then you can continue adding to them throughout the year. So you can combine textbooks and study guides together to make one definitive set of 'your notes' in your words and with your ideas.

Also good if you type fast

[chris1991]

I handwrite notes for 4 out of my 5 subjects now (and also for my 3/4 last year), but will most likely type them up at the end of the year before exams, which will help go over them, and also make everything alot neater & easier to use for revision.

[hard]

I handwrite notes for 4 out of my 5 subjects now (and also for my 3/4 last year), but will most likely type them up at the end of the year before exams, which will help go over them, and also make everything alot neater & easier to use for revision.

ditto

[Holza]

I prefer to write them as previously said you definatley do retain more information.
I find it to be a speedier process as typing is often very distracting. If you are a person that
writes notes quite often then you would probably prefer typing. Those that have less time to study or
are not as frantic about studying prefer hand writing.