5 Benefits of writing notes

People nowadays are more inclined towards digital note-taking rather than handwritten notes. They feel that it is a time-consuming process and makes our hands hurt as well. Technology has become so prevalent in our lives that it is almost impossible to get anything done without the help of a computer or laptop. Nowadays we are more engaged in electronic devices, rather than pens and paper. Typing notes on a computer allows for more words to be written, but research shows that this, may not be as beneficial as it sees for a note-taker. Students who take notes on computers tend to transcribe words directly from the source rather than putting information in their own words. Because handwriting notes is a slower process, those who handwrite their notes are forced to interpret the information and put it into their own words. As such, students who handwrite notes can understand the content better.
Writing by hand makes you understand the words better and it allows your brain to focus on them, understand and learn from them. Handwritten notes increase knowledge, retention, and learning. There are a lot of reasons, why you should prefer handwritten notes over digital notes –
1. Improves Your Memory – When we write something using pen and paper, it forces us to interpret the words, which further helps us to memorize as well. Sometimes studying can feel like a memory game more than anything else. The more you use the memory, the better it will get. That’s utilized greatly during notes-taking by hand.
2. Increase Your Focus – Writing by hand enables us to concentrate on our work and it helps us to understand the content better as well. When you handwrite a note, there is no means of distraction, as the only thing you have in front of you is a paper and a pen. But while you are on the computer, laptop, or mobile, you are just inches away from the endlessly entertaining internet. A distraction-free environment and handwriting requirements will help you increase your ability to focus.
3. Enhances Your Creativity – As we know that writing puts to work more parts of your mind than typing, it enhances your creativity. Typing on a computer or laptop can be a dull experience that does not have much room for creativity. Writing by hand encourages you to expand upon your thoughts and form connections between them.
4. Stronger Conceptual Understanding – When you write notes by hand you develop a stronger conceptual understanding than by typing. Writing by hand forces your brain to mentally engage with the information, improving both literacy and reading comprehension. Thus one should practice writing rather than typing.
5. Mental Exercise – Educational exercise and physical exercise are not as different as you may think. The brain-like the body needs to be worked and stretched to grow and strengthen. While the saying goes, “No pain, no gain” is overused athletically, it is undervalued in the academic world. As writing by hand engages more of the brain, so as a result it pushes our brain to think more and allows it to take mental pressure as well.
Writer’s View – I prefer handwritten notes over digital note-taking. I understand, that in today’s world, we are so much dependent on technology, but we should still find out times to practice writing by hand to increase our mental skills.

By –

Rajarshi Saha