Karly

The other day, I was casually scrolling through the App Store when an ad for GoodNotes popped up. If you’re not familiar, GoodNotes is one of the most popular digital notetaking apps out there, sleek, functional, and a little bit too tempting for someone like me. It made me smile because, in a way, it felt like an invitation to revisit a topic I have loved for years: notetaking.

I’m a stationery junkie. Always have been. From glittery gel pens to pretty notebooks, I have a lifelong love affair with paper. In fact, at one point during my undergraduate years, I even ran a studygram, one of those Instagram accounts dedicated to aesthetic notes, colourful mind maps, and motivating study setups. I have to clarify it was nowhere near as successful as I thought it would be, and I spent the better part of my Introduction to Linguistics lectures deciding on a colour scheme that I could later match to the perfect washi tape.

When I first started university, before I eventually pivoted to studying Modern Languages and Linguistics, I was a Psychology major. My Introduction to Psychology lecturer made a point that I still think about: she didn’t allow digital notetaking in her lectures. No laptops, no tablets, only notebooks and pens. Her reasoning was simple: writing by hand slows you down just enough that you process the information rather than trying to capture every word verbatim. It’s not about transcription; it’s about understanding.

At the time, I didn’t mind at all. In fact, I thrived under those conditions. There’s something about the physical act of writing, the scratch of the pen, the slight cramp in your hand, the way ideas seem to settle into memory more firmly, that no keyboard can replicate (although I do own a few keyboards now to make the experience of writing the blog entries more fun, who can resist a “buttery” keyboard?). Writing by hand felt deliberate, almost sacred.

That’s not to say digital notetaking doesn’t have its place. There’s a lot to be said for the efficiency and versatility of apps like GoodNotes, Notion, or Evernote. Digital notes can be organised effortlessly, synced across devices, enriched with hyperlinks and images, and backed up forever. For people whose lives move quickly, or who need to juggle multiple projects at once, digital systems can be a lifesaver. I must admit, though, that I have never quite mastered the art of digital notetaking; sure, I’ve tried the fancier apps I used to see people on Instagram and TikTok using, but I could never get the hang of them, so I stick to the Notes App, even on the iPad using my pencil.

Digital notetaking is also not only marketed as more convenient, but more environmentally friendly; but this ecofriendly stance will set you back more money than a notebook and paper will, in most cases, provided you don’t mind the type of paper you’re writing on or the pens you’re using.

But I’ve found that the medium often changes the relationship you have with your own ideas. Typing can sometimes make it feel like you’re racing ahead of your thoughts, whereas handwriting invites you to sit with them. Paper notes often feel more personal, more creative, a little messier, maybe, but also a little more alive.

Of course, like many people these days, I don’t live purely in one world or the other. I still scribble in notebooks or sticky notes daily, but I also keep a running list of blog ideas in my Notes app, and I draft the posts on my laptop. For me, analogue notetaking is the foundation, the place where ideas are born, and digital tools help refine and share them. It’s less about choosing sides and more about building a system that supports the way I think and create.

In the end, whether you prefer the convenience of a stylus and a screen or the nostalgia of a favourite pen gliding across a fresh page, notetaking remains one of the most intimate ways we connect with our thoughts. And honestly, any excuse to pick up a new notebook (or a new app) is fine by me.