- Does your teacher allow laptops in the classroom for note taking?
- Is your laptop easy to carry and set up?
- Do you need to plug it in?
- Are there electrical outlets available in your classroom?
- Does your software load quickly?
- Are you fast on the keyboard?
- Do you have good habits for organizing your documents?
- Can you pay attention in class with your laptop open?
If you can say yes to all or most of those questions, then taking notes on a laptop will be good time management for you. I know that I can type much faster than I can write, so for me, the benefits of using a laptop are:
- I can pay better attention to the teacher because I can type without looking at my hands.
- Even when I make mistakes typing, my notes are still legible.
- It's so much easier to organize my notes into folders.
- My file cabinet is my laptop. Nice!
- Once edited, I can copy notes and paste them into documents.
But there are drawbacks to using a laptop for note taking:
- Make sure you're not trying to type a lecture word for word just because you're fast.
- There are some notes that can't be typed unless you're a wiz with software. Have paper and pen or pencil next to your laptop for anything you can't type, like a quick drawing of something.
- If you have to rush between classes, closing down and starting up a laptop takes time. Be careful not to be rude in the classroom by rummaging with your things when your teacher is speaking.
- Laptops can be expensive and fragile. If you're toting yours daily, make sure you have a sturdy one and that you're careful with it.
- Laptops can be stolen. If you lose it, you're in trouble.
- Laptops are also vulnerable to viruses and other maladies. You want to be sure you've got adequate protection and back up your data regularly so you don't lose it all the night before your assignment is due.
Study skills and time management can be greatly improved by using a laptop with good sense.
If you love using a laptop in the classroom, share your laptop tips in the Continuing Education forum.
