Pen or Pencil: Which Tool Helps Our Learning Best?

Kelsy Brown

Staff Writer

Like every college student, I too love to play 2048 or solve the day’s Wordle. However, my first semester of freshman year, I found myself in a bad habit of doing these activities during class. As a result, in my second semester of freshman year, I challenged myself to not use my laptop in class and only take notes using pencil and paper.

Through only using paper and pencil to take notes during class, I found myself paying more attention. If I have a laptop in front of me, it is so tempting to get unfocused and scroll on social media or play a game rather than paying attention. By only using paper and pencil, I was able to fully give all my attention to learning rather than getting distracted by the endless possibilities that a laptop can do. By taking notes the “old-school” way, I saw my grades drastically improve,  as I was immersed in the material.

With Assumption’s move back to paper and pencil learning, I have heard mixed reviews from other students, but I encourage everyone to keep an open-mind. The benefits of fully being focused in class makes exam time so much easier as, in my opinion, you retain the information so much better by physically writing it down. For me, when I do not have a laptop in front of me, I am more inclined to converse with class conversation and discussion.

While I truly understand the comfort of having your laptop open during class, the method of only using paper and pencil is so beneficial to your learning.

It may be a hard transition, but I truly believe that Assumption’s move to a technology free classroom will improve all course discussions and student understanding of the material at hand. I challenge everyone reading this for even just a week to ditch the laptop during class and use the “old-school” method of paper and pencil, even if it is just for one class, as it has helped my learning tremendously and can help so many other students on campus.