Is it Better for your Memory to Write or Type Class Notes?

Everything you need for the semester you want!

This bundle includes:

• The Syllabus Study Planner

• The Pomodoro Planner

• A Confidence Tracker

• A Q&A planner

• The “Get Organized Checklist”

• and more!

This workbook is full of super useful resources that can be applied to every aspect of your day.

* Disclaimer * Some of the posted links are affiliate programs. By clicking these links, I may receive monetary compensation. This will not alter the price or change the buyer's experience.

These days everyone is looking for an edge.  How can I save just a little more time?  How can I get just a little more of an advantage?  This has led to a boom in technology.  It lets us do more, learn more, and find more faster and easier than ever before.  My question is, does getting more, faster translate into academic gain?

Typing your notes in class is easy and convenient.  You can get more information down with minimal effort.  This is something I’m guilty of.  I want to get every last drop of knowledge from the professor during lectures.  

No detail is too small for me to save for later.  Even the puns get typed out.  I’m an incredibly slow writer, so I’ve always viewed the keyboard as a godsend.  So, imagine my surprise when I started to research this article…

Is typing notes as effective as writing them by hand?

Bringing your laptop to class unlocks a treasure trove of valuable tools.  You can type much faster than you can write.  This means that you can get down every last bit of information. 

You also have access to the internet.  This means you can search for definitions, diagrams, and even clarifications on the spot.  These can all be added to your notes to make them amazing and complete right from the start.  So, how can this possibly be a bad thing?

With all the things that laptops can add to your notes, is there anything taken away?  Unfortunately, yes, your attention.  With so many possibilities, laptops are the source of infinite distractions.

So now the question turns to which method is better overall?

Does typing your notes during the lecture translate to better grades?

In studies based on factual retention, understanding concepts, and the ability to incorporate and apply information, students who hand-wrote their notes surpassed those who typed them in all categories. 

This simply means that students typing their notes could not remember and grasp the concepts, as well as those who wrote their notes by hand.  This lack of foundation would then translate into a limited ability for those same students to use the information in other situations.

This is not an ideal position if you want to excel.  The class lectures are the foundation of your education.  This is when the concepts should be clarified so you can walk away with a solid understanding of the material.  If you are leaving the lecture hall with only partial comprehension, it can be tough to catch up. 

The worst part, you might not even notice what you’ve missed…

What is the downside of typing your class notes?

Students who type their notes tend to record what the professor says verbatim.  This does not allow for the same critical thinking that hand writers engage in.  It could be because typing involves such simple repetitive motions.  Little conscious thought is required to type, and fingers tend to go on autopilot.  

Since typers are transcribing the lecture word-for-word, there is little chance of processing meaning.  This lack of conscious thought significantly decreases the retention of the material.  This is because you are not really taking the information in when you hear it. 

When writing your notes by hand, you have to:

1. Hear the professor speak

2. Interpret the meaning

3. Paraphrase the sentence

4. Apply shorthand

5. Calculate the space on the paper

6. Write it out

7. Read while writing.

That is 7 processes you have to work through to get the desired outcome.  When typing you:

1. Hear the professor speak

2. Make words with your fingers.

As you can see, significantly fewer mental processes contribute to typing.  This failure to engage with the words is where the problem lies.  You may hear the professor’s words, but you will likely forget to listen to what those words mean.

Even when warned of all the downfalls of transcribing a lecture word for word, students who typed their notes still showed the same level of verbatim recording as those who did not.  Their fingers simply took over, and their minds wandered. 

It is tough to stay focused while doing a task as simple as typing.  Even with the best intentions, the students in this study still failed to apply critical thinking to their notetaking. 

Is handwriting notes better than typing?

In the study, students who wrote their notes by hand displayed a better grasp of the subject matter.  Granted, it is not the act of writing that promotes these things but the mental work required to do it.  These students were able to better generalize the information and integrate it into a broader range of concepts.  This is due to the cognitive processing that handwriting requires.

Because it is so slow and burdensome, students must be selective about what they write down.  It’s nearly impossible to transcribe an entire lecture word for word.  This means that students must be vigilant in collecting only important information.  The focus required to pay attention keeps students more alert than their typing counterparts.

This leads to more attentive listening and summarizing of ideas and concepts.  The critical thinking required to take adequate notes promotes better retention.  It also offers fewer occasions for distraction because your brain is engaged and focused on the task at hand.  In addition, reading your own handwriting can trigger personal cues that prompt context and emotion.

Is writing or typing better for memory?

All evidence points to writing your notes by hand as the superior option.  When handwriting your notes, you are using several more mental processes.  These will help you remember the lecture better, giving you an immediate advantage over students who type their notes.

The advantage of technology, for my die-hard typists out there, is that you can take more notes.  Unfortunately, the benefits end there.  Besides the speed of recording the information, there are no other enhancements for students typing their notes over hand-writers.

In addition to the poor retention and application of the lecture material, laptops are a proven wasteland for concentration.  It was found that 90% of students who typed their notes were distracted for at least 5 minutes.  Even more alarmingly, 60% of students were distracted for half the class.

These distractions ranged from social media, surfing the internet, or shopping.  Distractions are not always constant.  They often happen in short intervals that increase in time and frequency over the class and semester.

When you are distracted in this way, your brain stops taking in the information.  You don’t simply “forget” the concept.  Your brain never records it in the first place.  During your study sessions, you might come across this information in your textbook or slides and realize that it is entirely new to you.

What if you have to type your class notes?

Planning on typing in class and studying to catch up?  I have bad news there as well.  The research also showed that even when allowed the opportunity to study, students who typed their class notes never quite caught up and were still outperformed in testing by the hand writers.

So, what happens when you have to type?  We have all had that one professor who talks too fast and tries to fit in too many concepts.  Or, you are like me and write super slow?  Are there options out there that can level the playing field?

If you must type, try to write out your notes after the lecture.  This can count as studying and will allow you to think about and clear out all the redundant information.  You can use several different strategies to do this, like turning your notes into flashcards, practice quizzes, diagrams, or a stylized final copy of your notes.

Next, be conscious of what you are writing down.  Think critically about what the professor says, and make sure to paraphrase.  At every opportunity, expand on the details with past information and questions.  Think about how theories are linked or how you would like the concept to be developed.

I personally plan on trying out a Livescribe to record the audio of the lecture.  I have the Livescribe 3, and it is really fun to use.  It will relieve the pressure if I fall behind, and I can go back and listen to the recordings when my writing gets too messy!

Writing out your notes by hand can be daunting.  This is a big undertaking, especially when you are just starting out in college or university. 

There is often persistent anxiety about if you will forget to write something down.  You may also worry if you are just no good at taking notes, but as we discussed, the benefits of handwriting outweigh the risks. 

Writing your notes by hand is the clear winner over typing.  It will help you focus much better and process the information as you learn it.  These benefits increase your retention and ability to recall and apply these concepts when needed.

Create a study plan that is suited to your specific strengths by downloading my free study guide template.  You can track more than 20 study activities across the semester.  It also comes with all the templates you need to plan each study session so you can get the grades you want.  Download it for free.

I would like to be transparent so that there are no misunderstandings. As an affiliate, I may earn a small commission from any products linked in this post. This is not a sponsored post, and I was not asked to recommend these products. These are products that I genuinely love and want to share with my audience.