how many of you use your laptop, in nursing school, like it's goin' out of style ? :monkeydance:
i should start a nursing program in the next 3-6 months, and i'm debating over whether i should use my laptop or not. i will obviously bring a binder and writing utensils..but i'm wondering if i can keep more information in my laptop. i type 65+/wpm, so i'm thinking i may be able to get more information down. plus, it seems very organized.
what do you think? how did you go about taking notes and learning in your classes?
I would also vouch for the Microsoft OneNote application. It comes with Microsoft Office The Student Edition. I didn't really know much about it until a few weeks ago and now I wish I had known how to use it sooner!! I love how you can just copy/paste images onto your notebook and choose where you can type notes. It seems a bit overwhelming and confusing at first but when you get the hang of it, it's actually quite awesome.
I bought a laptop when I started my undergraduate courses--that was 3 years ago--and I just bought another laptop (old one died) and I prefer taking notes if the professor is very "wordy" in lecture. Powerpoints help as well but if you're a note-taker like myself, OneNote is a lifesaver. :)
I type much faster than I write and it's legible and you can take notes in an outline/bulleted format which I found helpful for reviewing. You can also make notes on the PowerPoints in the "notes" section, if you prefer that format. I also recommend a recorder if your instructor allows you to record. Olympus makes one that you can download the lectures to your computer which I like. The new iPhone coming out in a couple days also allows you to email the lecture recording to yourself.
Specializes in Intensive Care, Simulated Learning & Ed..
how many of you use your laptop, in nursing school, like it's goin' out of style ? :monkeydance:
i should start a nursing program in the next 3-6 months, and i'm debating over whether i should use my laptop or not. i will obviously bring a binder and writing utensils..but i'm wondering if i can keep more information in my laptop. i type 65+/wpm, so i'm thinking i may be able to get more information down. plus, it seems very organized.
what do you think? how did you go about taking notes and learning in your classes?
i trained in the old school. there were no computers. even today my typing speed is about 24 words per minute. since the iq increases by about 10 % every few years i am not surprised that you type at 65+ words per minute and are more computer literate than me.
if i were in your shoes i will definitely take my computer to classes. many of my students bring their laptops. it is the normal thing in classes these days.
i passed my exams by reading article after article.
study methods keep changing as technology changes. so keep current with methods of study and you will do well.
As the person in the front of the class: I don't much care for laptops out there. I do my best to make eye contact, to watch how people are responding, if they are still writing, etc. The ones staring at the screen, well, I don't know if they are looking at my power points or something else, but they definitely aren't connecting with me. Having someone giggling at inappropriate times is distracting both to me and to the rest of the class. I have not banned them from my class, but reserve the right to in the future.
(Its a little obvious as well when someone is texting instead of notetaking by the way. Despite the no cell phone policy )
As far as recording, you really do need to ask permission first. It makes some of us uncomfortable. Also, I do not wish to show up on someone's facebook, you tube or anything else. My voice and image are my own. Will I make mistakes in the front of the class? Oh yes, been there done that. Pointed it out to my students and told them to correct their notes. Do I want that on the web, out of context? No. No more than I would wish to publish student errors. I allow audio recording for the private use of the class for that semester only, I'm not totally inflexible!
My final thought: laptops can create a barrier between you and the instructor. Can you really concentrate on looking up at the lecture and lecturer without being distracted? Will you look up in time to see what it is thats being highlighted on a ppt? Its an individual thing, it seems clear some of the previous posters handle it well. I personally want my students looking at the same power point I am at any given time.
I just happened to come across the Pulse Smartpen recently. I start nursing classes in a couple of weeks, but already used the pen during one of my meetings at work (I am a CNA) and found it extremely helpful. The pen records up to 200 hours of lecture (I have the 2GB version) and exactly what you wrote on paper. I really like the fact that I can just tap whatever I wrote on the paper and it automatically plays back exactly what was being said at the time I was writing that. Me, personally, I find that actually handwriting down my notes helps me remember things better. I am an extremely visual person, so when it comes time to recall that information, I can visualize the paper and actually read through what I wrote to find whatever I am looking for. The only downfall regarding the pen is that you have to buy these notebooks (that look just like regular notebooks, but with the "controls" at the bottom), which are a little expensive. But for the convenience of keeping all of it digital (all that you wrote and record are uploaded to your computer when you set the pen on its' cradle) and going back to the lectures later, is worth the expensive paper (I figured it out to be 0.05 cents per page). You can also upload your pages (with audio) to this community or to your fellow classmates. This way, they can have the notes, too, if they missed something!
I type fast, also, but I absorb MUCH better when I write! If I type it, I find that I have to take an extra couple of hours to actually handwrite everything I just typed! Even if I have read the material five times, I still have to handwrite it! ...But I can only handwrite something once and it's stuck in my brain... so that's much more worthy to me than typing and trying to read something over and over (and combatting the wandering mind).
Nursing school is exhausting and I don't want to waste my time typing something and trying to memorize just by reading my typed notes, when I can just handwrite them the first time and replay back the lecture as needed.
(Plus, I avoid the temptation to check my email or read everything on this allnurses.com site that I absolutely LOVE... when I should be learning!)
Hope this helps!
Oh... one more thing... as long as you write horizontally on the livescribe paper, there is a search feature in the program that enables you to jump to exactly what you are looking for! I don't know how it recognizes your handwriting (especially since everyone writes differently), but it does and it's an awesome feature to have!
I have a tablet PC, but I found it too cumbersome with all my books too. I switched to the livescribe pen & notebooks. They work great. They are dicreet and everything backs up to my pc. I am able to review my notes by listening to the lecture while doing menial things like laundry. It is a real time saver for me! It also helps me to share my notes with my classmates. If you miss a word in your notes, just leave it blank. Listen to it later and fill it in. You will never miss another word.
There are a lot of great posts on this subject! I am definitely going to steal some of them I went through the same debate with my boyfriend before purchasing a netbook ( Asus eeePC 1000HA) because I was not computer literate at all! Since buying my net book and using it for class, not only have my notetaking skills vastly improved, so have my typing, computer skills, and test grades. I wouldn't go to class without it. Netbooks are fantastic because they are small, convenient,cost effective ( mine was roughly 325.00), and have a reliable battery life. They do have their limitations ( no optical drive, limited memory, etc.) though and I would thoroughly research them to find the right one for you. I found the best information on amazon ( pay attention to the reviews, comments, and disscussion forums. They tell you all kinds of tricks to get the most use out of your particular model) and cnet.com
That being said, my professors never had a problem with laptops in class ( in fact a couple of them commented on hwo tiny my netbook was!) and most laptop's keyboards are especially quiet so the clicking isn't a problem either. Once I got familiar with the netbook, notetaking was a snap and I was able to listen to the professor more. Handwriting vs. typing your notes really is a matter of personal preference and learning style, but try it both ways to see what fits.
Also, I would never record a professor without asking permission first. Some of them are really opposed to it ( understandably) and all of them are grateful ( at least at my school ) for the courtesty you show when you ask.
Yes, you can print off your own livescribe paper, but you have to have a special printer and it's the same as buying the notebooks. YOu either use one or the other. You can't use both at the same time... I, with an all in one printer, do not have the required printer to print the paper.
Second, I do have permission from the Dean to record in every single one of my classes. I suppose it may be because I also am a little Hard of Hearing, so I have the special accommodation or recording every lecture. Most schools do not have an issue of recording, because there is always at least one student that needs it according the ADA (American Disability Act). Teachers absolutely canNOT refuse their lectures to be recorded due to this act that protects those with disabilities. So, in that sense, PLEASE ask the Dean if it's okay to record the classes. Use the ADA as an example: "What if there were a student with a hearing disability that needed the recordings? Why couldn't I record, also?" IN that sense, they would realize that that's true. I've never heard of a school never allow me to record their lectures, even if there is confidential information. It's for my use and my use only. I also have a digital recorder that the school is supplying me (which is a backup source for me in case one or the other decides to malfunction).
Just some ideas regarding recording in nursing school.
Using a computer, or a PDA with a keyboard, will definitely keep you more organized. It also facilitates sharing notes with classmates via email. Just make sure your instructor is OK with using a laptop in class. Most of us either took handwritten notes or wrote on the instructor's PowerPoint handouts.
Using Microsoft's OneNote is also an interesting idea. It simulates a notebook with tabbed pages. I used it when studying for the NCLEX to easily sort my jumbled learnings, gleaned from answering many practice questions, into major topic headings such as "GI" or "Cardiovascular." But I didn't use it in the normal course of nursing school, because the info was already sorted for us by the instructor. In other words, today's lecture would be on "GI," the next lecture would be on "Cardiovascular," etc.
well both handwriting and bringing the laptop to class are usefull. I tried only the laptop for a period, but when I study all the lectures and notes from the laptop; my eyes hurt me. and I need something in my hand to study, so I then tried writing down notes. I got confused sometimes when I read and watch the powerpoint slides, becuase not all the lecturers would write the slide number when they are giving lectures. At the end having both is good, but there is no space for the laptop and the notebook.
At the end I wrote down notes, then I go home and watch the slides.
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I went through the same debate with my boyfriend before purchasing a netbook ( Asus eeePC 1000HA) because I was not computer literate at all! Since buying my net book and using it for class, not only have my notetaking skills vastly improved, so have my typing, computer skills, and test grades. I wouldn't go to class without it. Netbooks are fantastic because they are small, convenient,cost effective ( mine was roughly 325.00), and have a reliable battery life. They do have their limitations ( no optical drive, limited memory, etc.) though and I would thoroughly research them to find the right one for you. I found the best information on amazon ( pay attention to the reviews, comments, and disscussion forums. They tell you all kinds of tricks to get the most use out of your particular model) and cnet.com
hyunjoo82
46 Posts
I would also vouch for the Microsoft OneNote application. It comes with Microsoft Office The Student Edition. I didn't really know much about it until a few weeks ago and now I wish I had known how to use it sooner!! I love how you can just copy/paste images onto your notebook and choose where you can type notes. It seems a bit overwhelming and confusing at first but when you get the hang of it, it's actually quite awesome.
I bought a laptop when I started my undergraduate courses--that was 3 years ago--and I just bought another laptop (old one died) and I prefer taking notes if the professor is very "wordy" in lecture. Powerpoints help as well but if you're a note-taker like myself, OneNote is a lifesaver. :)