All iPads Would an iPad and Apple Pencil make a good serious note taking device for University?

[TheAppleFan2004]

I'm planning on entering University next year, and I've had this question for a while. Would it be ideal to replace all my notebooks for an iPad and an Apple Pencil to take notes on during lectures? It would be a portable device, and I can keep all my notes centralised as well.

 

[ericwn]

Wether your iPad becomes that valuable tool ultimately depends on how effective you use it. There’s tons of note taking apps to explore.

 

[sracer]

I'm planning on entering University next year, and I've had this question for a while. Would it be ideal to replace all my notebooks for an iPad and an Apple Pencil to take notes on during lectures? It would be a portable device, and I can keep all my notes centralised as well.

I agree with what @ericwn has said.

I suggest buying an iPad w/Apple Pencil (or good quality 3rd party pencil) now and experiment with the various apps available. Using a tablet as a digital planner, journal, notebook effectively takes time to use effectively and you don't want to be stumbling and fumbling in how to use the combo when the semester starts.

Just a few things to consider:

• Backups. How will you create backups of your notes? (cloud syncing is not a backup)
• Type of notes. When deciding the apps to use, consider the usefulness of mixing handwritten notes with type written notes on the same page.
• Connectivity. How will you use your notes outside of your notetaking apps and iPad? You may find the need to use your notes in group collaboration apps or in desktop apps on a laptop/desktop. Some notetaking apps provide versions for iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac OS. That can help make it easy to access your notes anywhere on any device.

 

[TheAppleFan2004]

I agree with what @ericwn has said.

I suggest buying an iPad w/Apple Pencil (or good quality 3rd party pencil) now and experiment with the various apps available. Using a tablet as a digital planner, journal, notebook effectively takes time to use effectively and you don't want to be stumbling and fumbling in how to use the combo when the semester starts.

I've actually been experimenting with my dad's iPad 10th Gen for a bit, and I've gotten used to taking notes on it, and quite like the experience. I was considering something more like the iPad Air personally though.

 

[Nhwhazup]

Absolutely the iPad and pencil is a great note taking combo. Before I retired I worked in a job where I had to take constantly take notes. I always preferred handwriting as I felt that I remembered things better. Also, my boss didn’t allow laptops in meetings unless you were the one presenting. He wanted everyone to be paying attention. With an iPad and Pencil he could easily see you were taking notes.

I also did quite a bit of training in my job and would put my final presentations in Goodnotes. When I presented I could easily point to and highlight things with the pencil as I taught. Additionally, they have the option to record audio. So you could have the whole presentation for anyone that wasn’t able to attend.

I’m retired now and still use a Franklin Covey style pdf digital planner to keep me on track with my to-do list and as a journal.

My favorite apps are Notability and Good Notes.

 

[TheAppleFan2004]

My favorite apps are Notability and Good Notes.

I've heard a lot of good things about GoodNotes, might consider them

 

[sracer]

I've actually been experimenting with my dad's iPad 10th Gen for a bit, and I've gotten used to taking notes on it, and quite like the experience. I was considering something more like the iPad Air personally though.

One thing to consider regarding 10th gen vs Air:

Keyboard options. The 10th gen has the Magic Keyboard Folio. It's a two piece keyboard/folio combo. That makes it nice to be able to detach the keyboard and use it as a tablet and handwritten notes, and then reattach it for typing.

I've switched from an iPad Pro to the 9th gen iPad mostly because of the availability of the SmartCover and Smart Keyboard Cover. The combo is super thin and super light. Toting it between meetings and offices is very convenient, and doesn't take up a lot of space on the desk or conference table.

 

[Nhwhazup]

One thing to consider regarding 10th gen vs Air:

Keyboard options. The 10th gen has the Magic Keyboard Folio. It's a two piece keyboard/folio combo. That makes it nice to be able to detach the keyboard and use it as a tablet and handwritten notes, and then reattach it for typing.

I've switched from an iPad Pro to the 9th gen iPad mostly because of the availability of the SmartCover and Smart Keyboard Cover. The combo is super thin and super light. Toting it between meetings and offices is very convenient, and doesn't take up a lot of space on the desk or conference table.

Yes, to this. We recently bought an iPad for someone as a gift and wanted to get the Smart Keyboard cover. Was totally annoyed that the only Apple keyboard was the Magic Keyboard. We thought they were just out of stock at the Apple Store as the sales associate didn’t tell us the only one that worked with the 10 was the Magic. We left and went to Best Buy. Ended up buying the Logitech keyboard case. Found out after the purchases were completed that we really should have bought the 9 and the Smart.

 

[TheAppleFan2004]

One thing to consider regarding 10th gen vs Air:

Keyboard options. The 10th gen has the Magic Keyboard Folio. It's a two piece keyboard/folio combo. That makes it nice to be able to detach the keyboard and use it as a tablet and handwritten notes, and then reattach it for typing.

I've switched from an iPad Pro to the 9th gen iPad mostly because of the availability of the SmartCover and Smart Keyboard Cover. The combo is super thin and super light. Toting it between meetings and offices is very convenient, and doesn't take up a lot of space on the desk or conference table.

I prefer handwritten notes, so I'd probably use the pencil more than the keyboard, but it would be a nice addition

 

[MarkNewton2023]

I'm planning on entering University next year, and I've had this question for a while. Would it be ideal to replace all my notebooks for an iPad and an Apple Pencil to take notes on during lectures? It would be a portable device, and I can keep all my notes centralised as well.

That depends on your comfort on taking notes on iPad. If you are comfortable, then get it with the pencil. Hope the best for your decision 😊

 

[sracer]

I prefer handwritten notes, so I'd probably use the pencil more than the keyboard, but it would be a nice addition

I too prefer handwritten notes as I find the process results in greater information retention.

The problem for me is that I'm a touch-typist and can type far faster than I can write. So there are some situations where I need to quickly capture a conversation or info that is coming at me quickly, so I'll type. Otherwise, I'll write things out. I like the flexibility to easily switch between handwriting and typing... and even annotating with the Pencil over what I've typed up. There's no substitute for drawing freehand diagrams that the Pencil.

It's this type of fluidity that requires some practice and experience with.

 

[YoitsTmac]

For what it's worth I used a combination of Evernote and Notability in college. Both have moved a bit since I used them. I liked Notability because I could hand-write a note and it was indexed, so I could easily find stuff later. If I needed more room in my notes, it was easy to move a set of bullets and such.

I used notability on a Mac and an iPad with a bluetooth keyboard. They make the keyboard shortcuts a little difficult to figure out, but all you need is bullets, numbered list and the normal copy, paste, bold, underline etc. I still use Notability for brainstorming while at work, although I do recognize the handwriting recognition is now a subscription.

 

[KaliYoni]

I'm planning on entering University next year, and I've had this question for a while. Would it be ideal to replace all my notebooks for an iPad and an Apple Pencil to take notes on during lectures? It would be a portable device, and I can keep all my notes centralised as well.

I have a contrarian view. Even though I have the full complement of tech devices, I use pen-and-paper to take live notes. Then, as a way to both review and pare down, I transfer an edited version of my notes to a computer or tablet.

Why? There are many reasons, including:

• I can be fully present and focused on the lecturer/speaker/discussion participants.
• I don't have to worry about batteries or tech problems in the moment.
• I don't have to worry about the only version of my notes getting corrupted or accidentally erased.
• Pen-and-paper is the quietest way to take notes.
• It's easier to make drawings, diagrams, and graphs quickly (IMHO) with pen-and-paper.

In any case, I think your field of concentration and the types of courses you take is a significant factor to consider. For example, if you will be spending a lot of time in laboratories, your needs will be very different from somebody who does mostly reading, writing, and debating.

 

[Mainsail]

I have a contrarian view. Even though I have the full complement of tech devices, I use pen-and-paper to take live notes. Then, as a way to both review and pare down, I transfer an edited version of my notes to a computer or tablet.

Why? There are many reasons, including:

• I can be fully present and focused on the lecturer/speaker/discussion participants.
• I don't have to worry about batteries or tech problems in the moment.
• I don't have to worry about the only version of my notes getting corrupted or accidentally erased.
• Pen-and-paper is the quietest way to take notes.
• It's easier to make drawings, diagrams, and graphs quickly (IMHO) with pen-and-paper.

In any case, I think your field of concentration and the types of courses you take is a significant factor to consider. For example, if you will be spending a lot of time in laboratories, your needs will be very different from somebody who does mostly reading, writing, and debating.

I agree with your list and would add that I just find it difficult to write on a screen. My handwriting is terrible and is made much worse by the screen. So, I prefer to use a pen and notebook for notes.

All of my "kids" did their undergraduate degrees with MacBooks and iPhones. No tablets. They used paper and pencil for note taking. However, one of them started a PHD program in Economics, and he uses an iPad for writing and copying/pasting certain types of formulas.

As you said, it really does depend on the type of program in which you are enrolled.

 

[NastyMatt]

Doing my Masters (about 6-8 years ago) I used a laptop, hand written notes and a second gen iPad (no pen). I ended up with a ton of hand written notes as using a laptop in a lecture was too time consuming, I would have loved to have had my current iPad - that would have been all 3 methods in 1. The ability to index hand written notes would have been amazing.

 

[dukebound85]

100% notability

You can use the microphone to get the context from what your notes are referencing. Goodnotes does not have that ability as far as I know (i have goodnotes too)

 

[Greenmeenie]

Yes. Yes. A thousand times YES! The iPad for me at least is the best note taking device for college or personal use there is. It works seamlessly with the Apple pencil ✏️ And there are so many apps out for note taking. But i just prefer the built it Apple notepad.

 

[Mainsail]

I am no artist, and as I mentioned, my handwriting on the screen is terrible. However, for me, the iPad really shines for reading documents and making markups. I am drawing a distinction between lengthy note taking, which is difficult for me on the screen and short useful annotations made on existing documents to highlight information or reinforce concepts. I find the iPad very useful for this purpose.

BTW - it is also a very nice secondary display to bring along with your MacBook. Handoff and Continuity features are great.

 

[Abazigal]

I was back in university doing a 4-month course earlier this year, and had the opportunity to use my iPad Pro (2018 11" model) for taking notes. The summary was that the various apps at my disposal made note-taking fun for me, but it also resulted in my notes being spread out across multiple different apps, which can make it a hassle to remember where they are stored, much less retrieve them at a moment's notice. That's the main advantage of a physical notebook - it's always faster to flip through a couple of pages then open an app and try to recall the name of the document.

The other drawback of a tablet is that it can also serve as an added source of distraction. Sometimes during a boring part of the lecture, I find myself starting to browse the web or my news feed (between Apollo, Tapatalk, Ivory and Reeder) and message my friends (via telegram).

I used freeform in the first week when the keynote lecturer was sharing the big picture of the leadership course I was attending. The (near) infinite canvas was useful for putting everything together, though it made my iPad lag towards the end of the week as the file got larger. I also have no idea how I am ever going to export it, but it does look pretty (to me at least).

When reading lecture notes, Mindnode was handy as a mind mapping tool for me to list out the main points as I came across them, so that I could try and find links between them later. This was invaluable because it had been over 10 years since I graduated from university, and my brain was struggling to process the academic readings that I was tasked to review prior to each lecture.

For lectures, I either converted the slides to pdf documents that I annotated in the files app (as they were stored in OneDrive), or typed them out in notes. This was where stage manager came in handy, because I could have files, mind node and notes open in front of me (one for the readings, one for note-taking, and one for the summary of the readings). I seriously have no idea how some people are able to follow the lecture armed with just a notebook and a pen.

And if you ever need to present or showcase what you have done or learnt, having it on your iPad is always more convenient.

I say go with the iPad. 😬

 

[RaphaZ]

I'm using the iPad (9gen) as a lightweight solution to have my notes, texts and articles with me. I do have the Pencil, and I do like to use it (after I found Pen Tips I begun to love it).
However, I shall say that for my purpose (I'm a PhD student) the MacBook offers more things.
I can't say no the the iPad, but having a better iPad would be too much.
One thing that I want to share with you is that notes (that I have taken in during the PhD, before having the iPad) are fully digitalized. Less paper, in this phase, is better for me.

 

[MBAir2010]

I've actually been experimenting with my dad's iPad 10th Gen for a bit, and I've gotten used to taking notes on it, and quite like the experience. I was considering something more like the iPad Air personally though.

I was going to get the Air but opted for the 10, blue which can do everything the air can.
Lately, I usually spend 50-60 hours a week drawing on that iPad.
the 1st gen Pencil is great, and not a bother to connect or charge with the extra step instead of a using the iPad.
I have no regret with the iPad gen 10 which can also save and read files via usb c port to an external drive

Ahh college! I have several scrapbooks of cartoon drawings during note taking in my college classes,
if I had an iPad I still would have drew all semester as well!

 

[Nhwhazup]

Another benefit of the handwritten notes on GoodNotes and Notability is that they are searchable. No hand flipping through a paper notebook to find something.

 

[stanza.richi]

I'm planning on entering University next year, and I've had this question for a while. Would it be ideal to replace all my notebooks for an iPad and an Apple Pencil to take notes on during lectures? It would be a portable device, and I can keep all my notes centralised as well.

Hi!! During my time at med school, here in Italy, we used a lot book and notes from the previous year: every semester I had to print the old notes, bind them and then underline them and add my notes during the lessons.

If I had have an iPad with a Pencil at the time I’ m sure that the job was easier.

If I have to think about using an iPad with Pencil to take notes today I think that a good point could be to find an app that could automatically convert your handwritten notes in a .doc or similar .

Good luck for your studies ☺️

 

[Devvy]

I'm using an iPad in combination with a pencil and the Logitech K380 keyboard. I find this combination to be convenient, as I can quickly switch between pencil and keyboard (the keyboard can stay were it is when I have to scribble, and since the keyboard and the iPad are not attached, I can place the iPad in any position while still having the keyboard directly in front of me).

Another area where I use the pencil a lot is in the Books app to annotate PDF documents while reading. This is really convenient.

For class notes, I usually use the standard Notes app with a proper folder structure. If it is just for note taking, the base 9th gen will do its job as well as any other - more expensive - model; I used one for more than a year during classes.

 

[iPadified]

I'm planning on entering University next year, and I've had this question for a while. Would it be ideal to replace all my notebooks for an iPad and an Apple Pencil to take notes on during lectures? It would be a portable device, and I can keep all my notes centralised as well.

Depends on what you are going to study. iPad+ pencil is a very good combination if you expect to draw diagrams etc as well as summarising the lectures (text). My teaching is diagram heavy so I wish that more students had iPad+pencil instead of laptops which are too slow to use for drawings during lectures.