Taking notes on a laptop?

[SchiwartRN]

I have a laptop available to me while I'm in school and wondered if anyone else uses a laptop in class to take notes on?? Is this something that is helpful? I can type about 70 wpm, so keeping up isn't an issue, but I'm wondering if I'll end up reverting back to writing my notes....

I'd love to hear opinions on this...

Sonya

Class of 2008

[gauge14iv, MSN, APRN, NP]

I would never have time to sit and listen to entire lectures, but I use Microsoft OneNote, which sychs the audio recording to the notes I am making on my laptop. I click the text, and the recording plays from that point so it allows you just to listen to the parts you need to clarify.

OOOOOO!!!!! Explain more about that please!!! I have OneNote - I just never took the time to really figure it out.

[RebeccaJeanRN]

'Amytheodd' : just really curious now...can you please explain more about how Microsoft OneNote works? Do you need a special recorder? Obviously you need the OneNote software program...

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

http://www.microsoft.com/office/onenote/prodinfo/demo.mspx

[sweetiehrt7985]

I've thought about the laptop option, but I think it would be irritating to others in the class. That and with my luck with computers, it would freeze up or something and I would be in a bind.

[Josh L.Ac.]

I would never have time to sit and listen to entire lectures, but I use Microsoft OneNote, which sychs the audio recording to the notes I am making on my laptop. I click the text, and the recording plays from that point so it allows you just to listen to the parts you need to clarify.

+ rep

Oh wait, wrong site.

[ak127]

Sorry, I haven't been checking this thread! PM me next time I drop the ball! :wink2:

My laptop (and many) has a built in microphone. The OneNote documentation in the helpfile and on Microsoft's website is very good. I figured it all out from that. There are some unique features only for tablet pc, but I would use it anyway just to type my notes if mine wasn't a tablet.

Basically, you just click the begin audio recording button and start taking your notes. Everytime you start a new paragraph, it creates a new "bookmark" in the audio file. Sit down in front of the tv and play with it. Make a recording and write random words from what the speaker is saying to figure out the delay you want. What I mean by that is you can set it to jump back in the audio 5 seconds, 10 seconds, whatever from the point when you wrote your note. i.e. it takes you a few seconds to write the note, so it makes it easier to find the point.

Also, the note flags are one of the most powerful features. Totally customizable. I have mine set to definition, key concept, lookup, question etc. Then I can have it copy all of these out for me by flag, for instance, it will create a new page of all of my definitions, things to lookup in my book, or questions to ask in class.

Play with it, you will find some great features. Only downside: everyone will want to use your notes!

[mrscurtwkids4]

I use my laptop for taking notes during lectures. Almost all of my instructors provide powerpoint presentations for the classes, so I can download the presentation and take notes onto the notes section of it. Plus I can just take regular notes on Word if I need to. I'm faster at typing than I am at writing. I just can't keep up well when I have to hand write my notes. But I normally try to keep a notebook handy in order to draw anything that I might not be able to type, like diagrams and such. But when I'm reading the texts, I generally handwrite notes from what I'm reading because I do have a tendency to remember things better when I write them rather than type them. So typing is good during class, but writing when I am reading and studying.