Senior continues pandemic iPad note-taking habit

Photo by Kevin Yang

After finishing the stats class, Kris Wang opens his iPad and sees if there is anything to add on.

Since online learning during the pandemic, dependency on electronic note-taking has skyrocketed, and as a result, note-taking on iPads has become immensely more popular. Senior Kris Wang said he is continuing his pandemic habit of iPad note-taking, a method he has now used for three years.

“The biggest difference is that you don’t always need a folder to keep everything with you,” Wang said. “You don’t have to use an eraser or anything besides the stylus.”

Designed to be thin and portable, the iPad allows him to carry around less paperwork and make better use of the space in his backpack. 

He also said it is an eco-friendly and convenient choice: As he takes notes, he can easily erase any mistakes or add corrections without shredding his erasers and wasting pages of paper. Wang said this is also significantly more efficient because it’s “easier to correct mistakes” and “draw diagrams.” Moreover, all of his notes are automatically uploaded to iCloud Drive, where he said he can leave them for future reference. 

Wang added that the iPad’s usefulness is not limited to taking notes. Almost everything a laptop can do, an iPad can do equally well: For instance, he remembers  a math video he made in his sophomore year using his iPad to explain a problem. 

The App program that Wang uses to take notes is called Goodnotes, and he has used it for four years now. He called the program amazing, saying it’s not just limited in taking notes, but can also choose the type of paper such as A4 paper, binder paper and graph paper, etc. It can also organize in different folders, categorize different subjects. But most importantly, it is a one-time purchase for only $9.99

However, he acknowledged that iPads, like any other Apple product, are expensive. To take notes, users need to purchase a complementary Apple Pencil, which costs $129. According to the Apple Store, iPad models run from a starting price of $329 to $2,399, depending on the model. 

Despite this, Wang said the iPad and accompanying software bring a “new age for note-taking.” “It’s very convenient and easy to keep on track,” Wang said. “If you want your life to be easier and faster, use an iPad to take notes.”