You’re in university now! Say goodbye to binders and notebooks, and say hello to laptop notes — or even better, handwritten digital notes!
Going paperless was the best decision I’ve ever made. Its been 2 years since I have gone paperless, and there is a lot I’ve learned.
How to go Paperless
First, get an iPad or 2-in-1 PC (I have the iPad Pro and Dell XPS 13 2-in-1, and I prefer the iPad Pro). Don’t forget to purchase the stylus/pen because it is not included in the purchase price of the iPad Pro.
Next, find the best note-taking app for you. I use Notability ($9) on iPad and One-Note (free) on the XPS.
So, here are the 5 reasons you need to go paperless. The last one is an absolute game-changer.
1. You can save SOOO much space — literally and digitally
Like I mentioned, you won’t have the capacity to store many binders and notebooks with you in college. You’ll be running around campus and will want to carry as light of a load as possible. With only your laptop, iPad or 2-in-1, and your occasional knick-knacks in your backpack, you will be glad your bag isn’t heavy.
Speaking of digital benefits, going paperless will allow you to seamlessly access all of your materials — textbooks, notes, PowerPoints, course websites, emails — in one place. No more rummaging through your bag for the crumpled assignment you totally forgot about last week. No more carrying highlighters and colored pens.
When it comes to device storage, do not worry about using it all up. If you are a student, chances are you get Office 365 or Box for free, which means you can store as much as you want on the cloud, with no penalty.
2. Seamless Connectivity Wherever You Are
At my university, everything is handled virtually — whether it be completing a physics assignment or reading Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto. Imagine completing your online assignment on paper, then taking a photo of the paper and uploading it to the assignment portal. That is too much work, and frankly a pain for your TA to grade. Instead, simply complete the assignment on your device and seamlessly upload it to your course website.
In addition, everything seamlessly connects. Every document, photo, note, and more can be stored completely in the cloud. So it won’t matter whether you’re going on a weekend trip or off to visit your parents — everything you need will be accessible from any device.
I find myself having to spontaneously leave my dorm and travel outside of campus frequently, and I never have to spend more than 1 minute packing my school stuff! All I do is grab my iPad Pro and Laptop and stick them in my back pack!
3. Office Hours become even more Powerful
One thing I’ve noticed since the pandemic is that during office hours it is imperative to have a digital device to take notes on. This is because you can share your screen, via your iPad or 2-in-1, and show your professor your calculations, mechanisms, or whatever you need help on. This saves so much time, and evades the awkwardness of showing your paper to the camera and hoping the image (and your handwriting) is clear and legible.
4. There is Endless Productivity
You might be wondering — “what if I need to store some quick notes, like a post-it? Wouldn’t jotting it down on a cocktail napkin be easier?”
Well, not really.
With the iPad Pro, there is a convenient feature called Quick Notes: simply swipe up with the Apple Pencil from the bottom right-hand of the screen, and a small square post-it appears, where you can quickly jot down anything important. These Quick Notes are immediately saved and available for viewing on your other iCloud devices.
5. Integration at its Finest
Going paperless has allowed me to integrate everything I need into one space. Let’s take school, for example.
For my organic chemistry course, I can use Notability on my iPad to import and annotate the lecture slides, complete the homework, and practice drawing my mechanisms. On top of that, in the same place, I can attach links, post-it notes, images, videos from YouTube, and even music onto one page.
Gone are the days where we make bookmarks in our browser for a class, or email ourselves readings, worksheets, and YouTube videos.
Such integration and simplicity makes going paperless an absolute powerhouse for productivity and education.
The upfront cost of going paperless may seem like a lot, but in the long run, you’ll be saving so much money.
Going paperless is relatively affordable. Once you purchase an iPad, for example, you’ll never have to buy paper and pens again.
So, will you join me and go Paperless?!
