Bring back pen and paper! You could do with one of these notebooks in your bag

TAKING notes by hand may be better for remembering what you have learnt. With the end of the semester and exams looming, we share some of our favourite notebooks that might inspire you to get studying. 

A new study has found that taking notes by hand as opposed to on a laptop may help students perform better at exams. The key it seems, lies in what’s happening when you’re writing – you’re actively processing and engaging with the subject matter at hand, instead of passively transcribing what you’re hearing without a second thought.

On that, Dustin Wax from Lifehack shares some useful advice for students about effective note taking. The purpose of note-taking, he reminds, enables students to study better and more quickly, allows students to focus on relevant facts and gain new insights.

Inspired now to fold away the laptop and bring back the pen and paper? In the lead up to the exams, we’ve gone ahead and sourced some notebooks that we think is befitting of the humble notebook’s newfound elevated status:

 

Mini Notebooks

Small notebooks could come in really handy for squeezing in that little bit of revision in between appointments, or while you’re waiting for the tram or train. Find those that are small enough to fit into your handbag or satchel so you can take them everywhere with you.

Clover Notebooks $7.95

We like these Clover Notebooks from Paper Elephant.  Petite and pretty in pink or orange, the notebooks feature a geometric clover cover design letterpress printed on cotton stock, recycled stock pages and machine stitched spine.

 

 

Cavallini and Co New York Mini Notebook Set $17.50

Chances are, you’ll probably need more than one notebook for different subjects.

The New York Mini Notebook Set from Cavallini and Co is perfect as it consists of one ruled, one blank and one graph notebook.

 

‘Midi’ Notebooks

Medium sized notebooks are really useful for lectures. It’s a good size for most bags and aren’t so bulky and heavy as to weigh you down.

 

 

 

Sophie Allport Labrador Notebook $18.43

This one is for all the dog lovers out there.

The Labrador Notebook is an A5 hardcover notebook which opens up to plain white pages. The grey ribbon marker is a nice touch, so you know where you last left off. 

 

 

 

 

 

Gutsy Fibre Notebook $24.95

A classic notebook for the boys, and also for those who are supporters of Fair Trade. The Gutsy Fibre Notebook from Oxfam is handmade with ruled pages inside and features a gutsy fibre cover made from wild grass and banana fibre in the Philippines.

The notebooks are sourced from Oxfam’s producer partner Salay Handmade Paper, which provides local farmers, housewives and young people who have left school with a means to generate income, as well as using environmentally sustainable production techniques.