We may earn a commission from links on this page.
Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding Lifehacker as a preferred source for tech news.
Doing things the old-fashioned way and hand-writing your notes is better for retaining what you’ve learned, but it definitely has drawbacks that can make typing notes more appealing. Hand-written notes aren’t searchable on your phone or laptop, for example, and unlike your phone, your notebook probably won’t always be with you for a quick study session on the bus or train. That’s why you should take advantage of both methods: once you’ve written them out, you should digitize your notes in some fashion to make studying easier, blending the old style with the new. Here are the best ways to do so.
The easiest way to digitize your notes: A camera
The most straightforward way to digitize your notes is by taking a picture of them and uploading it to your Google Drive or straight to your computer. You can name and file the images however you want, and though they won’t be easily searchable, they will be legible to you. Though this is super basic, it’s on the list because there’s one major advantage here: After uploading the image of your paper, you can stick it at the top of a document and use it as a guide to further revise your notes in the space for typing below. Manual revision (especially when done right after class) is extremely beneficial to understanding and retention, so if you’re trying to grasp the content at hand, it might be better to just type and revise it all yourself than to, say, let an app or gadget do the work for you.
That said, phones are getting smarter, and the built-in photos app on iPhone allows you to search for specific words within photos. For example, if you know you have a page of notes about the respiratory system saved as a photo, you should be able to search “respiratory system” or “lungs” or “alveoli” and it will search all your photos for those phrases. Google Photos has something similar.
On that note, let’s talk apps and gadgets. (No judgment.)
Use an app to digitize your notes
The most popular app for digitizing notes is Evernote, which advertises itself as a “pocket scanner” on your phone. You use an in-app camera to scan the document and, if your notes are “clearly written,” they’ll become editable and searchable. I tested this one out and didn’t love it, but it’s still the most popular and worth your time to consider. (You can read my full review of Evernote here.)
For what it’s worth, in a head-to-head notes app battle, I tend to favor Notion over Evernote, but in this instance, that’s not true because Notion doesn’t allow for the scanning of handwritten notes.
If you want to hand-write into an app, try Microsoft OneNote, which is free and easily converts what you write with your finger or stylus into searchable, editable text and makes it available across all your devices with Microsoft’s tools installed.
What do you think so far?
Use a smart notebook to digitize your notes
To make the writing-to-digital process super easy, try a tool designed for the purpose: A smart notebook. You have a few options when it comes to devices that turn your writing into easily accessible notes. The most popular is the Rocketbook ($22–$40), which comes in a few different sizes and styles and is simple to use. You write on the pages with the pen that comes with it, scan the page with the associated app, and then wipe the page clean to start again, as whatever was already on it is syncing to your device. I picked one up for myself when I started grad school and got one for my boyfriend when he went back to school, too. We both found it easy to use, functional, and simple to transport.
While those are more like traditional paper and pen, you also have the option of a smart notebook that is more like a tablet. There are a number of these on the market, but Lifehacker’s Joel Cunningham spent a year testing eight of them and comprised this list of the best ones. With e-ink notebooks tablets aimed at those who need an AI assist, those who require a lot of writing space, or those who also want to read textbooks and other materials on it, you’ll find one that aligns with your own needs. Just be warned that with prices between $285 and $690, they’re quite a bit pricier than the Rocketbook. Still, a resource that can help you through school and beyond is always a good investment.
For what it’s worth, the best-performing one of the bunch is the Boox Note Air 4C 10.3-Inch Digital Notebook ($530) for a few reasons. Its 10.3″ screen is big enough to write on, but not so big that it makes it hard to carry this thing around. The ease of writing with the stylus is notable, according to Joel’s review, as is the varied functionality of its native note-taking app, which helps you not only write your notes, but organize them.
Make a mind map instead
Revising your notes and turning them into readable, portable, and digital versions is smart no matter how you do it and you’ll probably want to keep them, well, looking like notes. But there’s value in making a mind map, too. Part of your revision process can be using an app like Xmind to create a visual mind map that shows the connections between the concepts, ideas, and facts in your notes. Studying with a mind map is helpful, especially for visual learners, because it helps you think critically about how everything you’re going over works together, both while you’re creating and reviewing the map. When you use an app to do it, your maps stay on your phone, so you still have the ease of studying whenever you can find time.
