As a student, you will frequently catch yourself trying to find the most effective way to study especially as a pharmacy where there is so much to learn in such little time. Trying to learn AND understand 30 slides of examinable content on a typical lecture, several times a day, can make even the most diligent of students feel burnt out and demotivated. I believe this plays a major part in our obsession with procrastination and delaying both tasks and assignments; How are you meant to feel motivated or keep disciplined when you do not enjoy the task you are doing?
I remember those busy days of lecture after lecture in my time in 1st year. It was a constant cycle- Sitting in a 9 am lecture, watching over 40 slides fly past, then workshops shortly after; where you’d find me scrambling through very well written notes trying to answer question 2. Rinse and repeat.
It was during one of those cycles I stopped and thought, ‘Surely there is a more efficient way? How can I get down all the relevant notes, without the use of tedious printouts which require a very high maintenance filing system? Laptops for me were already a no go. My keypad loved to let everyone know how much I’m working, exaggerating the noise of every keypress in a lecture to the point it consistently annoyed my colleagues. I must admit though, it was a little amusing. It was only until I stumbled onto an Ali Abdaal YouTube video that I came to realise the potential role the iPad could play. But don’t just blindly take the Cambridge junior doctor’s word for it. There are a plethora of YouTube videos and articles all praising the benefits of studying with such a device.
Both the App Store and Google play showcase a range of note-taking apps where you write notes directly on the lecture slides which your viewing, like you will do on a printout. The difference between the apps is a whole topic in itself, however, the most notable ones are Notability for iOS and OneNote for literally anything else. For me the biggest plus is simply that you do not need a printer, saving both my time and the environment or a nice set of pens that may get lost during the year. The integration of an iPad in my student life allows me to write key information said by the lecturer more often and, more importantly, down to the very last letter, which many lecturers don’t end up putting on slides.
Other reasons why I will use a writing device such as an iPad.
· Convenient to carry around on the go on campus as it does not weigh a lot.
· No need to use ring binders or spend time organising all your papers at the end of the university day.
· The ability to review two lectures at the same time or connect them to your laptop (depending on what type of device you have)
· The accessibility of being able to revise and review lectures anywhere.
I highly recommend the use of an iPad or any Windows device where you can directly write onto a screen. That being said, it isn’t a one size fits all. You may find a combination of both physical and digital notes work better for you, or maybe no digitalise notes at all. This is all for you to find out.
If you’d like to learn more these are some great videos on the topic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waR3xBDHMqw
Written By: Jeff Kwakye
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