I need an application to take notes in class.

emptypockets · October 30, 2006 2:39PM

Any ideas? I get my latop as soon as it arrives at my local apple store and plan to bring it to school to take notes in class.

What are some good programs to do this?

I've tried the microsoft notes layout in Office and don't really like it and don't feel its quick enough to take organized notes during a quick lecture.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks

chucker · October 30, 2006 2:41PM

VoodooPad?

emptypockets · October 30, 2006 2:59PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chucker

VoodooPad?

that doesn't seem like it would be that useful for me. I downloaded and tried it.

sthiede · October 30, 2006 3:11PM

have you tried an outliner?

emptypockets · October 30, 2006 3:13PM

No i haven't tried an outliner. Can you post a link to an example please.

splinemodel · October 30, 2006 3:29PM

How do you normally take notes on paper? If you just copy shit down, then just learn TeX so you can input calculus symbols, and copy the rest down in whatever typing program you want. Anything deeper than stream-of-consciousness note taking is a poor use of time -- by the time you organize all of your thoughts, you've missed the last five minutes. Organize on your own time.

chucker · October 30, 2006 3:34PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EmptyPockets

No i haven't tried an outliner. Can you post a link to an example please.

OmniOutliner? Opal?

emptypockets · October 30, 2006 3:34PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splinemodel

How do you normally take notes on paper? If you just copy shit down, then just learn TeX so you can input calculus symbols, and copy the rest down in whatever typing program you want. Anything deeper than stream-of-consciousness note taking is a poor use of time -- by the time you organize all of your thoughts, you've missed the last five minutes. Organize on your own time.

I usually just take bulleted notes with minimal organization, i was hoping to find a program that would let me do this as simply as possible.

With microsoft office notes you have to hold shift + tab in order to untab after it automatically tabs for you or if you decide to tab yourself ( i hope that makes sense)

emptypockets · October 30, 2006 3:46PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EmptyPockets

I usually just take bulleted notes with minimal organization, i was hoping to find a program that would let me do this as simply as possible.

With microsoft office notes you have to hold shift + tab in order to untab after it automatically tabs for you or if you decide to tab yourself ( i hope that makes sense)

I'm not able to try omnioutliner on my current system, so i guess i'll try it out after a get my MBP. It looks promising.

Thanks for the help

ricksbrain · October 30, 2006 8:24PM

Unless you're a quick typist, hand-written notes may still be best. Your laptop can record the lectures, though as a supplement. I've seen iSight video recordings, vocal recordings...

I've been teaching at university for several years. Except for a few, typing and drawing are not easy enough with laptops for most to use them.

mowenbrown · October 30, 2006 9:01PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricksbrain

Unless you're a quick typist, hand-written notes may still be best. Your laptop can record the lectures, though as a supplement. I've seen iSight video recordings, vocal recordings...

I've been teaching at university for several years. Except for a few, typing and drawing are not easy enough with laptops for most to use them.

I agree. I had friends in law school that typed notes, but in the end I think you're better off wrting notes, and then organizing then in Omnioutline after class. besides, there's something about writing that seems to aid recall.

emptypockets · October 30, 2006 9:58PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mowenbrown

I agree. I had friends in law school that typed notes, but in the end I think you're better off wrting notes, and then organizing then in Omnioutline after class. besides, there's something about writing that seems to aid recall.

I was hoping for a program that would make it easier to take notes, my handwriting is terrible and by the 3rd page I can't read a thing i've written.

ricksbrain · October 30, 2006 10:01PM

Don't mean to be rude, but... um... self control? If you can't do something that's necessary, how about learning to do it better?

timo · October 30, 2006 10:03PM

Took all my notes by hand in college. I do agree that in my experience writing aids in really understanding the lecture -- typing is somehow too abstract to "stick" the same way.

kile · October 30, 2006 10:42PM

sorry, i can't do any thing.

bergermeister · October 31, 2006 7:08AM

On paper or a computer, mind-mappign is a great note-taking method that does not entail much writing (and therefore is quick and easy to do), is free-form and increases your retention.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map

http://www.jcu.edu.au/studying/servi...map/index.html

ConceptDraw MindMap is great for this and the Pro version lets you make links bettwn maps, which is very helpful for subjects such as history (my major many years ago).

Mind maps are also very easy to review (often just a single page will do) in comparison to normal notes.

http://www.conceptdraw.com/en/products/mindmap/main.php

There is a academic discount.

VoodooPad is a great mini notebook but is still text-based. I use it as a Super Dock (using a table, I placed links to apps and files within the cells); one page holds all my major stuff.

At the moment, I am using VP to help me with my photography hobby: cataloguing and reseaching the fauna found at a large lake in a cladera near my house. It works very well for this and permits transgressions just by creating a new link. FlySketch works really well, too. The final product will be a pamphlet created in Pages, but VP does the trick for now and can hold a hjournal as well.

bergermeister · October 31, 2006 7:21AM

If you can't read your knotes on the 3rd page, you are not alone. Many people, for many reasons, have trouble taking legible notes. There is something to the act of writing aiding memory, but it may also include typing, as it is more likely the process of receiving input, processing it once in order to transcribe it, and then re-reading it and thus re-inputting it into the brain. The freer form that hand-taken notes take likely adds to the artistic stimultion of the brain and allows you to quickly circle, underline, etc, interact with what you have written. A good mind-mapping app lets you add picts, color, etc., and you can move things around at any time.

Curio is also an interesting app.

http://www.zengobi.com/products/curio/

tkn · October 31, 2006 11:05AM

Guess what? It takes time to write neatly. The main advantage of hand-written notes are that you are editing and processing before committing to paper. Generally the people I have seen with illegible notes are writing verbatim or near-to... Then typing is far superior if you are that style of notetaker.

Everyone in my law school pretty much typed, but having a computer and an internet connection were a distraction in most of the classes I was in.

I do think hand notes are better, but only if you are organizing and editing in your head first, then my notes tended to be brief and to the point. I fully admit there are times that you just have to write a lot and keep up though.

I personally like Omnioutliner although don't bother with Pro as styles are a complete mess.

bergermeister · October 31, 2006 4:22PM

AquaMinds makes a product called Notetaker.

Never write anything down verbatim; as TKN said, it is important to once process things mentally, then choose what to commit to paper and then use the paper to recall the process of processing (boy that is a mouthful; just woke up). Verbatim means you are not engaged in listening, does not allow you to form questions about what you are listening to (which aids in comprehension and retention).

If you take bulleted notes, I thnk VoodooPAd would be good for you when you review: you could quickly add key words and use them to link various sections of your notes, particulalry differnt days, even different classes.

mike555 · November 2, 2006 7:31PM

you might try " noted " http://noted.finotto.org/ it's just a simple text note app. that auto saves

I need an application to take notes in class.

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