As you may or may not know, I really like paper note-taking. It’s simple, cheap and does the job just fine! That’s why originally I was almost reluctant to using an iPad or a tablet to take notes for my interpreting appointments.
However, when I started teaching note-taking online, creating note-taking lessons with symbols, transcriptions, diagrams, etc.. using paper was too tedious! First, I’d have to write everything on paper, scan it, then edit it and finally post it for my students. I had to find a way to work smarter not harder…
That’s why I first started using my iPad mini 4 to create the symbol lessons. Once I got used to the stylus pen I said to myself ”Hmm… this is not so bad! And wouldn’t it be great to not have reams of bond paper hanging around in my office and desk? Oh, and not waste so much time stapling the paper and creating notebooks?” Yes, I’m very crafty, I only liked the notepads I created myself because of 1) money 2) comfort, and 3) writing habits. So, I gave it a go and bought a larger tablet: the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, and today I want to share some of my insights with you. Did I completely switch to digital note-taking? Let’s find out!
I like my Samsung tablet!
Surprisingly enough, I really like this tablet because it has a number of advantages over pen and paper, but there are still a few things I wish I knew before buying it and other things that will most likely improve with time! Here are my insights:
1) The screen of the tablet doesn’t feel ”slippery” when I use my pen because the tip of my S pen is extremely soft and the screen is completely flat and smooth. The S pen works just as well as a real pen. Even when you press it down the line weight becomes thicker which is oddly satisfying for my note-taking purposes. The quality of the pen was an unexpected advantage. I definitely recommend using a soft, lightweight pen.
2) I tried several note-taking apps but chose the basic Samsung Notes app. The app that you use for digital note-taking is just as important as your tablet and pen because the way that you ”flip” the page (scrolling down, tapping, or infinite scroll) affects your note-taking skills. For iOS I thought Notability was the best app out there, but a large iPad was too expensive for my budget, so I went for a Samsung tablet. I quickly tried OneNote, Evernote, Notion, Squid… but in the end, I chose the good ol’ Samsung Notes because it has a pagination feature (you can tap to go to the previous page and scroll down to create a new page that snaps back to the top of the screen). This is how I digitally ”flip the page” for long utterances. Pagination is the #1 feature I was looking for in the apps: shifting between pages really fast. I think that’s a major advantage that tablets have over pen and paper. For example, instead of taking you 3 seconds to flip the page, you can do it in 1 second which saves you time, distracts you less, and allows you to take more notes and easily go back to your previous notes. My only suggestion would be to have an app where you can tap on the screen or a button to go to the previous page AND ALSO the next page/create a new page; tapping is faster (and less tiring for your fingers) than scrolling. I’m still looking for an app that does that, but for now, I’d give Samsung Notes an 8 out of 10 because it’s free and does the job.
3) My tablet saves so much space, it’s less heavy, and I can take it anywhere! This is probably the main reason why I decided to switch to digital note-taking. Paper is heavy and takes up more space on my desk, not to mention that I also have to throw away the used paper which of course translates into more garbage to get out of my office. Some people say that it’s eco-friendly to use a tablet, however, I didn’t buy the tablet to be more eco-friendly, but more efficient.
4) Size matters! I wouldn’t have bought this Samsung tablet if my iPad mini were bigger. I usually take notes with 8.5 by 11 bond paper (regular printing paper), so I wanted a tablet of the same size which was a challenge because large tablets can be really expensive. The tablet not only needed to be big but have Android or iOS to download a note-taking app and sync it with my computer. There were some cool graphic designer apps on Amazon but I wasn’t sure how it would work for me because I have never used them before. There aren’t ”note-taking tablets for interpreters” in the market, so I stuck with what I knew and bought a tablet with Android. The size is okay, it’s a little smaller than I thought: 5.1 by 11 inches (compare it with my usual 8.5 by 11). So, I definitely have to find a way to take smaller notes, structure my notes more efficiently, or learn how to switch between pages very fast! (the latter seems much more possible and easier).
The down sides 🙁
Every rose has its thorn, right? Nothing is perfect, but I’d say digital note-taking can be just as perfect as paper note-taking once you get used to it.
1) I’m still getting used to the feeling of writing with an S pen and a tablet as well as synchronizing my mind with my hand and the tablet. You know it always feels weird to do something new. In the beginning, when I was drawing symbols digitally with my iPad mini it just felt very weird and my drawings were not as good, but now I’m so used to it I can do it with my eyes closed! So far I don’t see any real issue with continuing to use the tablet, if anything, there’s a lot of advantages once I create the habit.
2) Large tablets are expensive. Like I mentioned before, large tablets (8.5 by 11) can be really expensive, so this was definitely an important investment. This tablet should be good for at least 10 years! Let’s do the math really quickly:
Pen an paper costs per year = $180 USD in 10 years = $1800 USD
* Yes, I use copious amounts of paper!*
Samsung S Tablet (one payment only) = $620 USD in 10 years = $0 USD
Back-up S Pens *I still don’t know how many of these I will need, let’s say it’s a new pen per year, which is a lot* = $20 USD in 10 years = $200 USD
Samsung Tablet = $820 USD
Pen and paper = $1800 USD
So, it seems that long term, I would spend more money buying pen and paper than using a Samsung Tablet.
In summary!
After using this tablet and S pen to take notes for several of my interpreting appointments, I do recommend digital note-taking! I think it’s an upgrade from paper note-taking. I also think pen and paper will always have their place due to confidentiality issues. And you definitely do not need to begin with digital note-taking to take very good notes. It all comes down to the interpreter’s skills, not the medium used to take notes! Overall, I would say paper note-taking and digital note-taking are pretty much the same thing in practice. Also, tablets can be more comfortable, modern, and minimalistic than paper and pen! I’m very excited to keep learning about my tablet and all of its features.
If you are interested in learning my note-taking system, feel free to enroll in my 18-hour note-taking course or if your budget is a bit more restrained and you are looking for something more self-paced, you can join my Memory Retention & Note-taking Club on InterpreMed
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Until next time!