If you walk into any college lecture hall today, you’re likely to see a good chunk of students taking their notes on an iPad with an Apple Pencil. Despite having always been a pen-and-paper girl myself, I couldn’t help but be curious about the potential benefits of making my note-taking digital. So, I decided to conduct an experiment.
For the past two weeks, I’ve used an iPad and Apple Pencil to take notes for my two major lecture classes. So if you’re considering making the switch, here’s a list I’ve compiled of the pros and cons to becoming an iPad girl.
- Pro: A+ Organization
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It’s so much easier to be organized on an iPad compared to notebooks/binders. I use one app, Notability, for every class. It allows me to create different folders for each class subject.
My notes themselves are much more organized as well. I have endless access to highlighter colors and there are no eraser marks on an iPad!
- Con: They Aren’t Always Allowed
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The reason I’ve only used my iPad for two of my classes is that my other two professors do not allow electronics during class.
I understand where they’re coming from; it’s much easier to get distracted while using a laptop or iPad. But it’s frustrating to spend a lot of money on something and then not be allowed to use it for half of my classes.
Also: we’re college students! We are adults who are responsible for how we use our own class time.
- Pro: Lighter Backpack
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It might sound silly, but carrying around a lighter load makes a big difference, especially in Boston. If you’ve ever had to make that 15-30 minute trek to a class, you know that lugging around a ton of notebooks, folders, and books can be super annoying.
Carrying around one iPad is so much lighter and, personally, I love being able to bring a cute tote to class instead of my bulky backpack to fit everything.
- Con: Distractions
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Like I mentioned before, classroom iPad bans are not completely unjustified. It is much easier to get distracted while using an iPad. Sometimes I get a text on my iPad and I can’t help but look at it.
Staying on task is definitely more difficult, but there are ways to deal with this problem. For example, I often put mine in “Sleep Mode” while in class to limit distractions.
- Pro: Writing By Hand
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If you’re someone who currently types out their notes on a computer, I would say that I definitely prefer taking iPad notes to that. I have much more freedom to mark up my notes as I please on the iPad and I find that writing by hand helps me to remember things better.
- Con: You Still Need A Laptop
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Unfortunately, I don’t think you can replace your computer with an iPad. While the iPad is great for note taking and making study-guides, I can’t write a paper on my iPad.
The iPad is really more of an “add-on,” so if you’re like me and write a lot of papers for class, you’ll need your laptop too.
They do have keyboard cases for iPads, but I find that it’s not the same because sometimes there’s weird formatting on iPad apps and I’m not nearly as efficient when using it.
All-in-all, iPads can be a great addition to your academic toolbox, and I plan to continue using mine for note taking and studying. While both the iPad and Apple Pencil are expensive little tools, I do believe they’re worth the hype.
I guess I’m officially an iPad girl!
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