A Note on Notes

A Note on Notes

50% of CPA students can increase the effectiveness of their note taking by making one small change.

That change, is handwriting your notes. I hand wrote all my notes for the CPA exam.

I know typing is easier and faster. Trust me, I type for everything else, but this is one thing you can’t afford to take the easy route on.

The benefits of handwriting your notes is immense. If you’re not aware of them, let me fill you in.

Handwriting engages the brain in a way that typing doesn’t. The motor activity of writing has been shown to stimulate parts of the brain relating to memory and language. I don’t know much about the brain but I know I want to activate my memory when studying.

Handwriting notes also allows for more creativity. You can put your own unique style on things (even if you don’t realize you’re doing it) and this helps make the information more personal and relatable. This sense of ownership creates a greater sense of responsibility for your learning, and ultimately better recall of the material.

Here’s an example from one of my Becker textbooks. Get creative and don’t be shy. Mark the heck out of it!

One final aspect of handwriting that I really appreciate is that it makes you slow down and take more consideration of what you’re writing. When you type you can go so fast that you’re not even paying too much attention to what you’re saying. But with handwriting, it is so deliberate and slowed down that it gives your brain so much more time to absorb what you’re saying. 

Additionally, I recommend everyone to take handwritten notes in their review course textbook & in their own separate spiral bound note book. This notebook will become filled with pages and pages of valuable information that you can (and should) go back and review at any time.

Here’s some pictures of my old spiral bound notebooks I became very well acquainted with.

I know my CPA Exam process would have been more difficult if I had typed my notes instead of handwritten them. For me, the positive effects of handwriting 100% outweigh the time benefit you gain from typing.

Notes/Thoughts:

• I made a free course about everything you need to know if you want to become a CPA that is available on CPAexamplanners.com

• No CPA Exams are being administered until Janaury but don’t let that stop you from staying on top of your studies! But also don’t let your studies stop you from spending time with family and friends during the holidays! ☃️🦌

• If you want a funny Christmas movie you have maybe never seen before try National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. It’s one of my favorites!🎅