By Fallon Head | Web Editor
In my last two years of high school, I had a social studies teacher who made it clear that however we wanted to fill in the study guides, get the guided reading done or complete any other research section of our assignments, it would end with us handwriting it all down on paper.
We were explicitly told that we were allowed to split up the longer assignments, as long as each topic was filled in with our own writing.
Gen Z grew up with devices, with most of us spending at least nine hours a day on technology. We know how to use various search engines. We know how to use different software to get a job done efficiently. We are familiar with many of the ins and outs of various devices. We know which shortcuts we can get away with and what’s too far, and oftentimes we don’t appreciate the long way to do things, no matter the benefits.
In a 2017 study, 72% to 79% of college students used laptops in class. Depending on the class, there are different expectations, with some professors expecting a completely tech-free classroom, while others require laptops for various assignments completed in the lecture hall.
As I’ve gone further into the world of technology, I lean on handwritten notes more and more.
When designing a webpage, I always sketch out an idea of what boxes and multimedia pieces I want on the site. I draw out an idea, scratch it out and try again.
When I need to take notes during lectures or from assigned readings, I always grab a notebook to handwrite as much of the information as possible. I write bullet points of what professors say. I circle, bubble or underline different facts and to-do items as I write.
According to a 2024 meta-analysis, typing notes allows students to record more of what a professor says. Still, handwriting notes forces students to pay more attention to the lecture and gain more from it because they have to choose what to include in their notes and what not to. When typing notes, I can fall into a rhythm and stop processing the information I’m typing out. As an auditory learner, the best way for me to learn information is to hear it, so staying focused on a professor’s words and not working on autopilot during a lecture is vital.
Even as someone who functions with two digital calendars, when I get overwhelmed with everything I have to do or when I start to lose track of my tasks, I grab a notepad and start writing.
Having a pen and paper allows me to sketch stick figures and other doodles when I get overwhelmed or bored in class, helping me keep listening to what’s being discussed around me. If I typed my notes, I wouldn’t easily be able to draw annoyed facial expressions, stickmen hanging upside down from a title or run my pen across the corner of the page in tiny circles to soothe my social anxiety.
By the end of the year, I have notebooks, binders and flashcards as a physical reminder of the work I put in for a class. Physical notes are also easier to reference later than digging through old Google Docs.
Even as a writer, when I get stuck on an essay prompt or a class project, I find a whiteboard or a window and handwrite an outline with a dry-erase marker. It helps me visualize, think things through and work through any slumps I’ve fallen into.
There are so many ways to find the necessary information and even more ways to organize my life. But the only one that sticks is taking the time to write things down physically. It’s not the fastest, and oftentimes it’s not even neat, but handwriting my notes forces me to take the time and mental effort required for me to actually learn the provided material.
