How Do You Prefer to Take Notes: Hand-Written or Computerized?

Something that has worked for me over the years is writing my daily diary. Penning down most of the significant events of the day spanning across working out, taking the dogs for a drive, eating meals, and prepping to watch my favorite show on a streaming platform, pun intended. I personally prefer writing as opposed to using some notes application on the cellphone. Writing is more satisfying, and it gives me a chance to practice holding a pen, which I am sure many in this era do not do that often. Another compelling reason to write is to strive to get my cursive handwriting to a more readable zone, what it was in school or college.

Pitfalls of Hand-Written Notes While in a Rush

However, when I'm in a rush, I find myself scrawling something so hastily that I can't decipher what I wrote later. This can be a real challenge, especially if I need to refer back to those notes at a later time. This is where the elegance of digital notes shines.

Digital Tools for Effective Note-Taking

My preferred digital tools for note-taking are those that allow me to record my screen and see my notes and activity. Tools like GoRewind or Screencast offer excellent features. GoRewind, for instance, saves every moment of activity on my screen, allowing me to rewind to any moment in time. You’ll never have to fear losing anything again, which is incredibly comforting.

The Art of Notetaking

Notetaking is a skill that students will take with them into their careers. Whether they are in meetings, participating in brainstorming sessions, or making annotations during reading, notes are an effective way of learning, retaining, and recalling ideas and concepts. However, our digital lives are fast and cluttered. While some brave souls try to keep track of this clutter by using sticky notes, keeping their bookmarks in order, or their browser tabs in check, most of us don't.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Both Methods

Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. I'm a musician and my education dates from before laptop computers, so both those things colour my perception. Writing something by hand makes it imprint on your brain better than if you type it. Typing is too easy, and the act evaporates as soon as you're done. Handwritten notes are definitely the way to go if you actually want to remember something with your own memory.

Using a laptop or even a full-sized computer keyboard on a desktop computer is quick and legible and easily editable. These are both advantages and disadvantages. It can be shared with other people, and it can be based on an existing template. When I take minutes in a meeting, I am really simply annotating the agenda that was sent to me, and this saves a lot of time. Also, the people I send them to don’t have to decipher my handwriting. However, if I am taking notes from a client and there is a dispute later, a judge will look at my handwritten notes taken at the time and likely accept them as a record of the proceedings. In contrast, he may not accord as much weight to computerized notes since I may have simply edited them to read the way it is most advantageous to me.

When a Computer is Necessary

If I just have to get something down in text form without regard as to whether I remember it or understand it, a computer is the way to go. This is especially true when it comes to digital communications, reports, and summaries. However, for more specific tasks, such as taking musical notes, handwritten notes are unrivaled. Pencil on staff paper is the clear winner. For non-musicians, anything involving a sketch is also much better on paper.

Ultimately, the choice between hand-written and computerized notes depends on the task at hand and the individual's preferences and goals. Whether it's the satisfaction of handwriting or the efficiency of typing, both methods have their place in our modern digital lives.