The case for typing

Typing notes on the computer is increasingly common. After all, its potential for quick, efficient note-taking is incredibly high. For most of us, who have been typing from the time we were kids, typing on a computer keyboard is much faster than writing by hand. A related benefit? Notes quickly typed out are sure to still be legible when you go back to study them, while notes that were quickly written down by hand may not always be tidy enough to read back, especially if you know that you have less-than-impeccable handwriting.

If you’re using your computer to take notes, you also have the benefit of all the interactive features that digital notes can offer:

• You can link to sources or further reading and even prepare your citations right there ahead of time, whether in MLA format or APA format.
• It’s quick and easy to highlight corresponding notes or jot down a side note without making a mess of the page.
• Changes can easily be undone with the click of a button.

For convenience, you can’t beat typed notes. If you’re looking for a convenient grammar checker, there’s EasyBib Plus!

The case for writing

Handwritten notes are a classic for a reason. Remember when you were in elementary school and your teachers made you write out your vocab words over and over? That’s because there are proven benefits to the repetitive action—namely, its positive effect on memory. But handwritten notes aren’t just about having the memory of writing it down, it’s also about the physical act of writing itself.

Studies, such as this analysis from Scientific American, have shown that there is something about the action of writing that helps the brain more clearly remember what is written. For many people, this is just part of their learning style: just like some people learn best from visual cues or from listening to something, others learn best by interacting with the lessons in a tactile way. In this case, the action of forming the individual words with your own handwriting may be preferable to the interchangeable, repetitive motion of typing on a keyboard.

The best choice is…

You guessed it: the winner is writing notes by hand. While digital notes may be convenient, that’s pretty much their only advantage. Let’s explain.

When you’re taking notes by hand, chances are good that you’ll have little to distract you from the lecture in front of you. Using the computer, however good the intentions, is a lot likelier to lead to distraction. Think about it: how easy is it to give in to temptation and check your email or Facebook page for just a second, then look up fifteen minutes later without even realizing it? Handwriting notes, although there’s always that temptation to doodle, requires more concentration and has fewer opportunities to tune out of the lesson.

Taking notes on the computer may also allow for more speed, but that’s not necessarily a good thing, as a 2014 study by Pam A. Mueller and Daniel M. Oppenheimer demonstrated. When you’re taking fast notes by typing, what you’re actually doing—maybe without even realizing it—is more like transcription than note-taking. Because of this, students who use this method aren’t processing and synthesizing the information in the moment; they’re just making a record without really thinking about it. In contrast, the slower process of handwriting notes forces students to listen actively, prioritize and summarize information in the moment, and then rewrite it in a way they’ll understand later. This process allows them to figure out what’s important and how to convey it. In many ways, taking notes by hand is another layer of learning, which another study by Dung C. Bui, Joel Myerson, and Sandra Hale also showed.

Developing good note-taking skills will help you throughout your academic and professional careers. Be sure to find a style that works best for you!

Works Cited

Bui, Dung C., et al. “Note-Taking With Computers: Exploring Alternative Strategies for Improved Recall.” Journal of Educational Psychology, 2012.

May, Cindi. “A Learning Secret: Don’t Take Notes with a Laptop.” Scientifica American, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-learning-secret-don-t-take-notes-with-a-laptop/

Mueller, Pam A., and Daniel M. Oppenheimer. “The Pen Is Mightier Than The Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Keyboard Note Taking.” Psychological Science, vol. 25, no. 6, 2014, pp. 1159-1168.

Looking for quick notes on grammar? Check our EasyBib grammar guides and learn about these parts of speech: verb, noun, conjunction, determiner, and more!

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Write it down

Mark Murphy wrote in Forbes Magazine, “people who vividly describe or picture their goals are anywhere from 1.2 to 1.4 times more likely to successfully accomplish their goals.” This is one of the simplest tricks of all, but so many skip it. Don’t miss out, grab a pen and paper, or your favorite digital device, and learn to write down your goals with our next steps.

Writing a paper instead of goals? Take a look at the EasyBib grammar and plagiarism checker for help doing a final review of your paper. You can also read our grammar guides and learn about the basics of a verb, pronoun, noun, preposition, and other parts of speech.

Be specific

Write your goals in very specific terms. Instead of, “Get good grades,” specify when and how much you’d like to improve. There will be many hurdles and distractions on the way to your goal. When you make it specific, it is easier to stay on track.

Example Goal: Increase my GPA by one point by next term.

Create an action plan

Successful people pursue single steps, not their lofty results. One way to stay focused on small steps is to create an action plan. To do this, ask yourself, “What are the small daily tasks I need to accomplish to achieve my final goal?”

Example Action Plan for an Increased GPA:

• Calculate the minimum grade I need in each class to raise my GPA one point
• Speak to my teachers/instructors about my goal and why I want to achieve it
• Add three pieces of advice from my teachers to my action plan
• Read one article a week on studying until I find the best method for my mind
• Review my progress with my teachers ¼, ½, and ¾ through the semester

Bonus Tip: If an action plan isn’t working, change it! Just be sure to write the new plan down too.

Mantra

A great tool to help you succeed is a mantra. A mantra is a short phrase that you can repeat to yourself in order to stay focused. Goal setters find them useful when inevitable negative or discouraging thoughts emerge. A mantra should be short, easy to remember and the words ought to be a powerful argument against negative thoughts. If you are having trouble writing one of your own, here are some easy universal mantras you can try:

• “A little is better than nothing.”
• “Small steps make big change.”
• “I am the best at this.”

Rewards

The last part of your resolution should be your reward. Many people find this confusing because they believe that success is a reward in itself, but this reward serves another purpose. This reward is for showing up every day and doing the work no matter the outcome. The best type of reward is tied to your goal. As an example, if we want a higher GPA a reward could be $50 toward an app or program that makes studying easier.

Your final resolution should look something like this:

Increase My GPA by One Point by Next Term

Action Plan:

• Calculate the minimum grade I need in each class to raise my GPA one point
• Speak to my teachers/instructors about my goal and why I want to achieve it
• Add three pieces of advice from my teachers to my action plan
• Read one article a week on studying until I find the best method for my mind
• Review my progress with my teachers ¼, ½, and ¾ through the semester

Mantra:

“A little is better than nothing.”

Reward:

$50 toward an app or program that makes studying easier

Bonus tip: forgive yourself

You don’t need to be perfect every day to reach your goals. Many people fail because they make one mistake and end up scrapping it all. Even if you miss an entire week or even a month, true success is about finding the resolve to try again tomorrow and the day after that.

Create a bibliography like the one below with EasyBib.com. It doesn’t matter if it’s an MLA format citation or MLA in-text citation, APA citations, or even a Chicago citation, EasyBib.com has the tools to help you cite in thousands of citation styles.

Works Cited

Murphy, Mark. “Neuroscience Explains Why You Need To Write Down Your Goals If You Actually Want To Achieve Them.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 15 Apr. 2018, www.forbes.com/sites/markmurphy/2018/04/15/neuroscience-explains-why-you-need-to-write-down-your-goals-if-you-actually-want-to-achieve-them/#37fe6aea7905.

The post 5 Tricks to Writing Resolutions You Can Really Keep appeared first on EasyBib Blog.

1. Try timeboxing

Timeboxing is time-management system that focuses on tasks accomplished, not time spent. So instead of saying, “I have one hour to study one million paintings for my Art History final,” you’d say, “I have one hour to memorize the titles and artists of 30 Renaissance paintings.”

There’s a reason most of us focus better the night before a paper is due. It’s because we have to focus and get it done! Turn that principle into a smart study tip. Timeboxing allows you to apply the same focus to any task, no matter when you’re completing it.

2. Try space repetition system (SRS) learning

Space repetition is a tactic that has been long used by language learners, especially for character-based languages like Japanese. But it can also shave serious time off of memorization for any subject, from foreign languages to anatomy to those million paintings.

Here’s how it works: instead of mindlessly flipping through flashcards, you rate each card from 1 to 5 for how well you remembered the answer. Then in subsequent study sessions, you review your less-confident cards more frequently. Luckily there are plenty of apps available that make creating your own SRS deck super easy. There are some good ones listed here.

3. Put your phone away. Far, far away.

Research shows that just having your phone with you can deplete your focus and gnaw away at your concentration. Or, as the Science People put it: “The Mere Presence of One’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity.” Think of it like this: it’s not a matter of discipline. Your brain becomes so conditioned to checking your phone, you literally can’t stop yourself if the screen is within grabbing distance. Scary? Slightly. Reality? You bet.

So just do yourself a favor and give yourself some space. Give your phone to your mom, your RA, your neighbor, or just leave it at home when you go to the library. And make sure those frisky push notifications are switched off!

4. Don’t multitask.

Bad news for all of you who are reading this while watching a video while texting a friend while writing a paper: research finds that “heavy media multitaskers” (people who tend to have several screens or windows up) have worse working memory and long-term memory. That means it’s harder to retain information when you’re working on something (say, studying for a test) and when you’re trying to call it up later (when you’re taking the test). Eep.

The solution? Stick to one activity at a time. Oh, and put your phone away.

5. Use online tools.

If you can find an online study hack, why not use it? As long as all your work is original, there are so many tools out there that can help you manage your workload. If you need to make a works cited page, an annotated bibliography or even an APA title page, try EasyBib’s free and easy citation generator. Save time making citations and spend it on polishing your paper!

There are also lots of interactive textbook solutions available online that can help you make sense of problem sets and tough information. Remember, no one has to struggle alone!

Welcome to the new era of studying. With these pro study tips, you’ll be ready to hit the books, hit the sack, then hit the ground running. You for president!

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