The vast majority of students rely on laptops – and increasingly AI – to help with their university work. But a small number are going analogue and eschewing tech almost entirely in a bid to re-engage their brains
The vast majority of students rely on laptops – and increasingly AI – to help with their university work. But a small number are going analogue and eschewing tech almost entirely in a bid to re-engage their brains
I have ADHD and didn’t get diagnosed or medicated until after I was out of school.
I basically had two options: pay attention in class or attempt to take notes.
I had so many teachers in grade school complain I didn’t take notes, or do homework but that was a different complaint. The issue was that when I took notes I would miss chunks of information as I was writing and my writing was basically illegible because I was trying to put it down fast. If I slowed down to make it neat I would miss even more information. So any notes I took would be next to useless and I wouldn’t remember anything. And that’s without even determining what I needed to write down.
Grade school was also slow passed and repetitive enough that most of the time I could sit and watch or doodle while listening and retain the information. Basically the only thing I struggled with was spelling because it was just rote memorization.
College was a bit harder in some cases beyond general ed, but for the classes I needed to study for I was able to re-watch the recorded lectures and take the time to write stuff out since I could rewind and pause.
I don’t remember anything either whether I write or type. So it is important that I at least take good notes I can then study off of and make flash cards or practice. Only times I actually learned and remembered is for less information dense material like math that is centered around problem solving rather than information retention and regurgitation.
For me class isn’t for remembering or learning. Just being exposed to material that can be used to study and understand outside of it.