Enter any classroom and you will see that students nowadays are staring at the laptop screens while listening to the lecturer. All you’re going to hear will be the chorus of the pounding keys. Of course, we all live in a digital world and none of us can imagine the studying process without PC. Besides, those individuals, who prefer laptops, take more notes than the ones who use a piece of paper and a pen. Nonetheless, the recent researches have shown that college students, who make use of pens and paper to make notes master more material than their digital-addicted colleagues. Try it! Have you forgotten what it’s like to make notes with a pen in your hand? Follow these simple tips!
Shorthand
There are many various systems that help you to write long words and letters faster by simply turning them into special symbols. For instance, Teeline is a really popular method among the journalists in the United Kingdom. The user removes unnecessary letters and simply twists them into simpler symbols and, as the result, writes them faster. If the system is hard for you, make sure to invent your own for the words that are most commonly used (let’s say, ‘w/’for ‘with’).
Pick the Right Formatting
If it’s the first time that you make the handwriting notes, imagine that you’re working on your laptop. Think about how you would organize everything on the digital page. Make certain to make big titles, underline phrases and sentences that are important and use bullet points.
Use a Stress Ball
If you spend several hours of writing, you will feel that your hand and fingers are terribly exhausted. Make sure to have a special stress ball so that you could squeeze it whenever you feel like. This will help you to build up a strong hand and finger strength. Besides, it is recommended to stretch out your hand in order to prevent the pain in the muscles and elbow injuries.
The Cornell Notes Method
A very old, but highly effective method, the Cornell Notes requires the writer to divide the page into two columns. Make the right one larger (here you will write all the ideas you have, including charts, tables, etc.). Remember that this column can be pretty messy, but it’s OK. The left column is served for short statements, bulletin points that are related to the ideas placed in the right column.
Leave the end of every page blank in order to have an opportunity to write a short summary of it.
Felt-Tipped Pen for the Lefties
Smudged phrases, a bunch of ink stains and the handwriting that one can hardly read… Sounds familiar if you’re a lefty. Make sure to get a special felt-tipped pen. It will help you to avoid smudged letters when you will be dragging your hand behind the pen in the process of report, research paper or essay writing.
