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people writing in notebooks at a table
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MSU | Life > Academics

Laptop, Notebook, Or iPad: Which One Is The Best For Taking Notes?

Tess Petrucelli Student Contributor, Michigan State University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at MSU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Laptop, notebook, iPad. The three most popular ways to take notes in college. After being at MSU for a semester and a half, I have had experience taking notes in all three of these types of ways. Coming from someone who has taken math, economics, English, science, and humanities classes, I have used all three ways to take my notes. For some classes, paper and pencil works best, but for others, my laptop is preferable. 

Method #1:

The laptop. I used my laptop during some of my math class, my whole economics class, one of my humanities classes, and now my science class. Taking notes that do not involve images or diagrams works really well on the laptop. It’s easy to just copy down the bullet points and move on to the next. When it comes to writing down the diagrams (like the graphs in my economics class), that’s where things can get tricky. If you are using Google Docs, then there is the feature where you can add in a drawing but that is no easy feat on a trackpad. You can also look up the diagrams online and see if you can find the ones that your professor is using but this is not always reliable. I do not recommend using a laptop for a math class at all even if you have the PDF version of your workbook. It makes it so much harder to edit on a PDF editor because you are trying to draw different symbols or charts, again all while using the trackpad. I enjoy using my laptop to take notes for my classes that are simply bullet point notes and nothing more because I find I can type faster than I can write. Using a laptop also allows for more organization since I can have a folder for every class. Inside the class folder, I can include a notes folder or a study guide folder. In this sense, having a laptop is much nicer. 

Method #2:

The notebook. This one works well for every class as long as you can stay organized. You have the freedom to write out your graphs and diagrams however you want; you also have the ability to make your notes look however you want, avoiding a generic template. You can add quick notes in a box on the side which is something you can’t so easily do on a laptop. I enjoy using my notebook for my economics class this semester because I have the freedom to add in all my graphs and organize the pages in ways that make sense to me. I also have the skill of organization so I can keep all my papers together and have my notebook ready for class. There really isn’t anything super spectacular about the notebook because of the fact that the laptop can do almost the same thing. If you are someone who can write faster than you can type, the notebook would be a good choice since it is more efficient for you. 

Method #3:

The iPad or tablet. The iPad or tablet might just be my favorite way of taking notes, but only if you have a stylus of some sort to go with it. I use an off-brand version of an Apple Pen that works great for my iPad and it allows me to handwrite my notes the way I would in a notebook. This method is perfect for math classes because of the fact that you can write and draw so if you have the PDF version of your workbook, you can write right on it much easier than on a laptop. I also find it really helpful for my other humanities class because the notes are given to us through a PDF file so I can draw arrows on them and add in little notes that my professor mentions in class. Now of course, like any technology, the iPad/tablet or stylus (if electronic) can die in the middle of class or even before class starts. This leads to you having to scramble for a notebook to take notes on or pull out your laptop and start typing. This can become easily frustrating because then you will not have all your notes in the same place. All this to say: charge your devices. 

My personal favorite method after typing each one out is the iPad. I have the freedom to write and draw like a notebook, but I can also keep myself organized and have different folders for my notes like I can on a laptop. It truly all boils down to the person and what they prefer and prioritize when it comes to taking notes: organization, efficiency, creative freedom, and even reliability.

Tess Petrucelli

MSU '28

Tess Petrucelli is a student at MSU who is majoring in Supply Chain Management! Within Her Campus at MSU, she is a member who is excited to try her hand at writing articles. She is also a member of the Events Team for Her Campus at MSU!
She is a sophomore who wants to intern in operations and logistics within the supply chain sector. Prior to coming to MSU, Tess interned at Children's Hospital of UPMC Pittsburgh Foundation assisting in the organization of donations to the hospital over $10,000.
Outside of school and Her Campus, Tess enjoys doing puzzles, reading, watching movies, and hiking! She is also a member of Supply Chain Management Association. She also likes to take long walks along the river and watch the sunset. She played lacrosse for 7 years including club all year long and high school lacrosse where she even made captain her senior year. Tess is also an active member in her soroity at MSU - Alpha Omicron Pi (Beta Gamma).