Do you use paper notepads to take notes during classes? Do you find it hard to keep your place while reading through long documents? Do you feel that there are too many papers being littered around the house because of lack of organization? Do you ever feel overwhelmed when you have a lot of readings to do and need a quick way to get everything done?
If so, you’re in luck because there’s a simple solution: use electronic notes! Even though technology has evolved immensely since the days of Thomas Edison’s invention of the electric light, many people still rely on old methods of studying and they suffer from many of the same problems that you did. Let’s explore how you can make the transition to electronic notes and how this simple act can help you overcome your challenges.
The Problem
Let’s examine some of the issues you might encounter when using paper notes:
Noisy Quill
If you’ve ever been to Ireland, you may have heard the sound of sheep being herded towards the summer field, which is when the sound of a hundred paper wings being flapped becomes a thing of beauty. For centuries, hand-written notes were the only way a person could truly feel the connection to an idea, person, place, or event. Nowadays, the flapping of countless sheets of paper has been replaced with the whirr of a digital fan. The problem is, while noise pollution is a thing of the past for the majority of us, it’s never really gone away. As much as we might want it to, technology hasn’t dismantled the need for a quiet, private place where we can think and write. In fact, studies show that classrooms, boardrooms, and creative writing spaces are the three most common places where we find people flocking to be alone with their thoughts. If you’ve ever tried to study in a noisy coffee shop, you’ll know how distracting it can be to take notes when there’s a loud speaker or music playing in the background. When we write with a quill, we’re essentially trying to listen to music with a forked stick in hand.
Glitchy Screen
Even though LCD screens have gotten a lot more sophisticated and stable over the years, they’re still not perfect. A few years back, they couldn’t hold a candle to the smooth glides and bright displays of a laser printer. If you’re using a regular screen for note-taking or studying, you’ll notice that some of the text can become jagged and blurry. It’s the price we pay for progress, I suppose, although it’s not exactly the kind of progress we want to pay for.
Scared Of The Dark
Taking notes by candlelight wasn’t a problem when there weren’t electricity wires all over the house, but today, it’s a different story. If you use a laptop or desktop computer, there’s always the risk of these devices overheating and, as a result, burning down the house. In a world full of threats, including climate change and overpopulation, the last thing we need is to add another element that can cause potential damage. While we might not fear the dark literally, it’s dark out there, and being in complete control of your electronic devices might feel a little too convenient at times.
Organization Roids
If you’ve ever tried to keep track of tons of papers and notes, you’ll know how difficult it can be. The problem is that even though we’ve adopted technology, we haven’t entirely shed our old ways. In a world of Google Docs, PDFs, and Jottings, there are still plenty of us who prefer old-fashioned notebooks, folders, and sticky notes. Even though they can be incredibly useful and offer unique advantages, they can also clog up the place where you should be focusing on studying (if you’re using that section of the house for anything other than just relaxing, that is). When we write in a notebook or organizer, we’re basically just putting our thoughts in order from least important to most important, which can be incredibly useful when we come to study them. If you want to get through your reading list for German class in less than a week, you could write down the important ideas you have regarding the topic and follow up with a quick outline of what you’ve read. Having all the information in one place makes it much easier to keep track of things as you go along. You can also use the notes you’ve made to create your own little bibliography or even add some footnotes to your work to further establish your intellectual authority (or lack thereof).
No More Rings Around The Notebook
If you ever read the fine print on the back of a book when you’re buying it, you might notice that a lot of the texts have information about where and when they can be refilled. If you take this kind of book on the road with you, you’ll inevitably find that the pages start to become a bit dog-eared after a few weeks because they’re just not designed to be filled up. It would be great to have a notebook that you could just throw away when it’s full because otherwise, you’ll find yourself throwing away hundreds of pounds worth of used books every year.
Evolving With The Times
We’re always looking for ways to make the mundane more convenient, and it’s sometimes hard to avoid taking a peek at the evolution of technology when you need a solution so quickly. Thanks to the internet, we can now access information at the click of a button, which means we don’t necessarily need to keep flapping those paper wings just to get the same result. In the same way that we’ve adapted to using laptops and tablets for our Internet needs, we can adapt to using them for our note-taking needs as well. If you’ve tried both, you’ll know how much easier it is to use a device with an integrated LCD screen for taking notes because there’s no fumbling around with a torch or candle to find the right piece of cardboard.
Benefits
Using electronic notes means you no longer need to print out everything that you need for class. This eliminates the need for more papers being littered around the house and reduces the amount of clutter you have when you return home at the end of the day. Now, when you want to study or write, all you need is a laptop or desktop computer and a suitable electrical outlet (if you’re on the move). There’s also the environmental factor to consider; electronic devices allow us to be more energy-efficient in our day-to-day lives, and they generate less waste when disposed of properly. If you’re a student who needs a quick way to get all of their assignments done and don’t have the time to sit down with a notepad and a quill, electronic notes are the perfect fit because they’re so easy to use whenever and wherever you need them.
If you’ve ever found it difficult to keep your place while reading through long documents, using electronic notes can be a viable solution because all you need is the click of a button to mark your spot. You can keep your eyes focused on the screen instead of being distracted by tiny ink blobs on paper that can’t be seen easily from the image. In a world full of papers and notepads, it’s about time we made the switch and found a more convenient, modern method of taking notes!