The Pen Is Mightier Than Keyboard Essay Example

Something connects Richard Branson, Bill Gates, and George Lucas. They have been successful in their fields and have never parted with their notes. They attribute their successes to their habit of jotting down their thoughts and learning in a simple notebook. Those who achieve the greatest success in the world have a habit of taking notes.

While it is easier to write long essays via computer, writing is scientifically proven to help students increase their grades because it helps them retain data, it is easier to summarize, and it improves focus.

A computer is a hugely distracting device. Students who type notes on computers only take notes 60% of the time, with the other 40% spent on useless pages and administrations. Not using a computer could dramatically reduce distractions. A calm and open mind indeed helps while thinking. However, did you know that writing notes by hand rather than typing them will help you focus while you are thinking? According to surveys, students who handwrite their notes are more focused on the material. As a result, transitioning to transcribed notes will not only reduce the number of distracting interruptions but will also increase our attention to the information we are taking in.

Dr Jane Vincent of the University of Surrey compared students who took notes on a computer to those who wrote them out. "Handwriting's function in learning and maintaining knowledge is one of the reasons why certain students like it," she said. "Some of the scholars in our study discovered that handwritten notes help them recollect information better than typed notes." For example, taking organized notes probably necessitates a more in-depth and detailed analysis of the lecture material, while typing merely necessitates a meaningless encoding of the material. The minds of those taking notes on paper are working to absorb, summarize, and catch the essence of the material. As a result, retention improves.

Have you ever heard anyone say, "I can type as quickly as I can think"? This is obviously useful when transcribing spoken words, but thoughts need to breathe, and writing by hand provides such a space for thoughts to completely form before being laid down in sentences. The fact that taking notes with a pen instead of a laptop gives the students a familiar understanding of the subject in an article published in Pathological Science is claimed by two US researchers, Pam Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer. This is because when we take notes in class using a computer, we usually use the same format exactly as it is said word for word, whereas when we write our notes by hand, we tend to write in shorthand and write more meaningfully to us, even if it may not be to others. Being willing to focus further is one thing, but evidence shows that we should take things a step further and expand our capacity to understand and interpret knowledge on a deeper level.

Even though writing has many more benefits than typing, it doesn't mean you have to ditch your computer. Typing out notes for research is a much better way of note-taking because we can copy and paste information and it is also easier to write long essays. 

Students do not achieve world-class academic status without putting in a lot of effort. So, the next time you sit in a lecture, take a technological step back. Close the computer, take out your notebook (the one with paper, not the one with a keyboard), and gradually but steadily strengthen your brain muscles. Your grades will appreciate it.