When it comes to taking notes we have two options, traditional paper notes and digital notes. Both have its pros and cons but which one should we chose while starting uni. The touch smell and feel of a paper notebook is unmatched and no modern gadget will ever be able to replace it but we can also not deny the fact that ipads are much more versatile and easy to carry. One con of ipads is that it might be distracting but it can easily be manage with some adjudjustment in settings and self discipline . You can also take advantage of e ink devices like kindle script and remarkable If you have the budget……..bla…bla….bla…Lets furture discuss in detail the pros and cons of both paper notes and digital note taking specifically in ipads.
NOTEBOOK
Pros
Cheaper
note books are much cheaper than ipads a mere notebook will cost 1 to 2.5dollar each. Lets say we have 5 different classes each semester and we use 1 notebook for each. That will be 10 notebook each year for 2 semester. Which will cost around 10 to 25 dollars. The new Ipad 11 is $400 so it is about 16years worth of notebooks
No charge needed
your regular notebook is made of paper so you don’t have worry about recharging it. Just take it with you and it is ready to use
Better feel
I think we all will agree that real paper just feels better. Nothing! I mean nothing on earth will be able to replace the satisfaction we get on writing on real paper.
No distraction
paper notetaking is free from distraction helping us stay focus for longer duration.
Cons
Bulky
An average notebook with 100 pages weights arount 500gm we have alteast 4 clases a day that’s 2kg of bagload. Notonly do we have to carry it to class. We have to walk around the campus from class to class. And if you are commuting god bless you! When I was in middle school I vividly remember having to carry around school bag half my size double my weight everyday to school 7 classes 7 books 7 notebook alongside 1l bottle plus lunchbox was not a piece of cake. No wonder we have backpain and hunchback at such a young age.
No recovery once lost
This one is no brainer. Once its gone its gone. Even if you are a paper notetaker I recommend everyone to keep a digital copy of your important documents and notes just to be safe.
Difficult to organize
By time passes you will have hundreds of notebooks lying around which you will eventually have to throw away. If I’m wrong we would still have our kingdergarden notes woundn’t we? It feels good to write on paper but it takes a lot to go through all that notes when needed.
Ipad
Pros
Icloud storage
Easier to manage and organize
Ipads are just easier to manage and organize all our notes in one place without having to deal with piles and piles of paper.
Convinience
One good advantage of digital notetaking is that it can be excess from any of our devices making it very easy and convenient. So you don’t have to take your ipad everwhere, you can access it from your phone or even your laptop.
Multitasking
you can have 2 screens and work on it simultaneously
Multimedia capabilities
ipad allows you to integrate diagrams, graphs and videos in our notes making it a much better visual learning experience. You can also audio record class lectures and convert into text.
Cons
costly
Ipads and other digital notetaking devices are not exectly affordable for the general population. The price of ipad ranges from $329 to $1000.
Recharge needed
An ipad might last 8 to 10hr after full charging. So you will have to charge it everyday.
Many distractions
Ipad have one of the best notetaking apps like notability and goodnotes but in addition to that it also have other social media which might be distraction.
Pro tip: If you want to increase your productivity you can start by turning off the notification and use your ipad strictly for notetaking and school work. Use a matt screenprotector to get that paperlike feel. If you prefer turn the screen into black n white to get that eink feel.
Conclusion
Ultimately it is your decision.Paper or ipad which do you prefer the most? Is having ipad in uni a necessity ? absolutely no, It is more of a luxury and a convenience but at the end it’s your decision. I did say go for it cuz you deserve the best!