Studying? Writing > Typing

May 27, 2014 • High School, Middle School

One of the ways to better cement knowledge in your brain is to write your study notes rather than type them! A seemingly simple change can make information easier to recall on test day.

Hard to believe? Science Alert reports that a new study published in Psychological Science reports that using laptops to make class or study notes makes the act of note-taking so simple that the information being recorded is less likely to be retained. Although laptops enable students to record information faster, the act of putting pen to paper activates areas of the brain that help them better comprehend the material they’re noting. The researchers write: “Although more notes are beneficial, at least to a point, if the notes are taken indiscriminately or by mindlessly transcribing content, as is more likely the case on a laptop than when notes are taken longhand, the benefit disappears.”

To read more about the benefits of using pen and paper to create study notes, click here and here.

For more study tips, click here and here.