Deejfenn Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 I decided on getting an iPad. I bought a stylus and with the note taking app I got for .99 cents I can write notes very easily, I can upload power points and PDF's and write/highlight, directly on them. I can also take a picture, or a webpage and place it right in the notes and write directly on them. I can easily record in this app if needed, and review the entire lecture if I find that way productive. I have read about a lot of PA students using this method and they love it! All the notes are easily found and organized in one location and can easily be saved to the computer, shared to other classmates, and printed off if needed. The app I use is called "notability" and the stylus i found is the "bamboo" stylus for iPad. Watch the youtube video on Notability and you just may end up liking it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walkoffshot Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I decided on getting an iPad. I bought a stylus and with the note taking app I got for .99 cents I can write notes very easily, I can upload power points and PDF's and write/highlight, directly on them. I can also take a picture, or a webpage and place it right in the notes and write directly on them. I can easily record in this app if needed, and review the entire lecture if I find that way productive. I have read about a lot of PA students using this method and they love it! All the notes are easily found and organized in one location and can easily be saved to the computer, shared to other classmates, and printed off if needed. The app I use is called "notability" and the stylus i found is the "bamboo" stylus for iPad. Watch the youtube video on Notability and you just may end up liking it! How many gigs did ya get? Did you get the 4g, or stick with the wireless? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walkoffshot Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I decided on getting an iPad. I bought a stylus and with the note taking app I got for .99 cents I can write notes very easily, I can upload power points and PDF's and write/highlight, directly on them. I can also take a picture, or a webpage and place it right in the notes and write directly on them. I can easily record in this app if needed, and review the entire lecture if I find that way productive. I have read about a lot of PA students using this method and they love it! All the notes are easily found and organized in one location and can easily be saved to the computer, shared to other classmates, and printed off if needed. The app I use is called "notability" and the stylus i found is the "bamboo" stylus for iPad. Watch the youtube video on Notability and you just may end up liking it! How many gigs did ya get? Did you get the 4g, or stick with the wireless? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ankita Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I really like this!!! And lame or not, it is a face time, can't bit that! I have two kids and with my school, their school and activities, I will take any and all face time I can get:) I'm old school and like to use index cards for everything. When I have a lot of material to go through, I enlist my husband's help. The reason for this is three-fold: 1.) though he is generally easy-going, he is crazily merciless when it comes to the cards so I have to be right AKA I can't just skim through which helps me enormously 2.) related, he'll toss off questions since he doesn't actually know the subject and while he's asking for curiosity, it's also a great test of whether I can explain the subject 3.) it's a huge mental boost to have his support and though it's admittedly a lame way to get face time, it is face time. :) I plan to use this same method for PA school and have already told him we're gonna have boring-to-him nights. He's a champ. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ankita Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I really like this!!! And lame or not, it is a face time, can't bit that! I have two kids and with my school, their school and activities, I will take any and all face time I can get:) I'm old school and like to use index cards for everything. When I have a lot of material to go through, I enlist my husband's help. The reason for this is three-fold: 1.) though he is generally easy-going, he is crazily merciless when it comes to the cards so I have to be right AKA I can't just skim through which helps me enormously 2.) related, he'll toss off questions since he doesn't actually know the subject and while he's asking for curiosity, it's also a great test of whether I can explain the subject 3.) it's a huge mental boost to have his support and though it's admittedly a lame way to get face time, it is face time. :) I plan to use this same method for PA school and have already told him we're gonna have boring-to-him nights. He's a champ. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deejfenn Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 I got the 64Gig to give me the most room for recording and notes. I did not get the 4G, I stuck with the WiFi because I have an iPhone and don't think i'll need the 4G, especially because I will be in class and home with WiFi most of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deejfenn Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 I got the 64Gig to give me the most room for recording and notes. I did not get the 4G, I stuck with the WiFi because I have an iPhone and don't think i'll need the 4G, especially because I will be in class and home with WiFi most of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldscowgirl Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Definitely the whiteboard! I also had a livescribe pen- it was really helpful for me when I was going over lectures to be able to re-listen to the material. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldscowgirl Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Definitely the whiteboard! I also had a livescribe pen- it was really helpful for me when I was going over lectures to be able to re-listen to the material. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayakr Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 A time machine. :) But seriously, a dry erase board to draw/write on while studying is nice. Especially for anatomy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noiseordinance Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! After reading your posts, I am leaning toward the good ole paper and pen method for note-taking. I am strongly considering the scanner to make an electronic copy of my hand-written notes. As for the original paper copies, I am thinking of having a binder for each "block" instead of by semester. For example, I would have a separate binder for cardio and digestive systems. I could then access the electronic copies via pdf through iCloud on my iPhone or an iPad for on-the-go access. Any thoughts on this? This might sound like overkill, but whenever I'd take notes by hand, or highlight sections of books / Powerpoint print-outs, and I wanted a digital version of the information, I'd transcribe it by hand into an organized bullet point document, either through Word or Onenote. The mere act of rewriting the important information requires you pay attention to the parts you thought were important. Maybe that's just the type of learner I am, or maybe I am rationalizing being a cheapskate. :) Nevertheless, the extra step really helps me retain information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walkoffshot Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 This might sound like overkill, but whenever I'd take notes by hand, or highlight sections of books / Powerpoint print-outs, and I wanted a digital version of the information, I'd transcribe it by hand into an organized bullet point document, either through Word or Onenote. The mere act of rewriting the important information requires you pay attention to the parts you thought were important. Maybe that's just the type of learner I am, or maybe I am rationalizing being a cheapskate. :) Nevertheless, the extra step really helps me retain information. I use this in a different variation. Keep in mind this was in undergrad, and I will have a lot more on my plate in PA school. I adopted a theory that my micro professor told me the beginning of class. That is.. by the time you take your major test (ie. midterm or final) you should have gone over the material 4-5 times. He said first, you want to pre-read the chapter before lecture.. thats 1. Then you sit in on lecture.. thats 2. The 3rd is sort of ambigious.. that is making notes while listening to lecture. Then going over your notes and possibly comb over important concepts in your text again... thats 4. The 5th is studying for the exam. By the time you hit #5, it's not even really studying.. this process enables you to apply it conceptually rather than cramming it in your head. I followed this while taking Micro, Patho and Epidemiology. I finished with a 98% in Patho (couldn't believe it.. and it wasnt a cake teacher either), I walked through the micro final with an A and... well, epi was a piece of cake anyways, but you get the point. If I could somehow find the time in PA school to do this, well that's another story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beautifulday Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 I'm thinking about taking notes and transcribing them too because it helps me to rewrite things. I like the idea of the white board too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajdev Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Walkoffshot, Halfway through undergrad I realized I did best when I went through the book and my notes together and then rewrote my notes. I completely rewrote them by HAND and condensed them or even reorganized them to fit into pages. Come the end of every semester I usually had the entire class notes condensed into roughly 15 pages, front and back. FAR easier to study than computer notes and rough partials! The question now is, will I have time for that in PA school? ........ we'll see! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdahoPA Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 ^I feel silly, but can you explain this "condensing"? I keep seeing it, and I know what the word means, but what exactly are you getting rid of? If it was important enough to write down the first time, wouldn't you likely still need to know it? Do you just keep stuff you're having trouble with? Any insight would be most appreciated. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystaltide Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 I tend to do the condensing thing quite a bit with my notes. For me, when I take notes in class, I may write down the thought process that gets to a certain important point. After studying a little bit, those extra lines of logic aren't quite as important to keep written down because you already understand the basic premise. Plus, you start to realize as you study that certain things are more important than others, and that you already have other things memorized. When I rewrite my notes, I get rid of any extraneous words and information, and I bullet point everything under certain headings. This condenses everything significantly. Can't say that's what everyone does, but it works for me. Like adjev said, we'll see if that works when I get into PA school... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molly2390 Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I'm trying to decide between a Macbook Pro and a Macbook Air, does anyone think one is better than the other for PA school? The air seems like it would be great for bringing to class since it's so light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
labcatis Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Great suggestions everyone! You've really got me thinking :) Noiseordinance, your post made me realize that I actually did re-write my notes in undergrad, but in a different way. The times when I have tried to type my hand written notes word-for-word, my mind wanders. However, when I work through a study guide, I essentially re-write my notes reference the text when I need to understand something better. When I answer questions about the material, it forces me to think critically, go through a logical thought process, make connections, and create a memory. I really hope we get study guides in PA School! I love them! But if not, I suppose I'll have to learn to create my own. As for my technology decisions, despite the horrific price, I am leaning toward a Macbook Pro and an iPad. I think I'll leave out the heavy-duty scanner (my printer has a flat-bed scanner if needed) and purchase that only if I hate taking notes on the Macbook and iPad. Thanks again, fellow PA-S's! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterallsummer Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I'm a marticulating student but I cannot say this enough: GOOGLE DOCS Such a huge asset for school. Excellent organization, everything is live and auto-saved. You can share documents with other users and edit them simultaneously. The folders and layout is super simple and clean. Everything is free. I like their "Slides" way better than powerpoint for viewing and taking notes and making powerpoints. Easy to upload pictures to your notes. Easy to collaborate with students. Easy to make a folder for every class and sub-folders and organize everything to a T. Google calender is also excellent and comes with a good to-do list. And of course with GCal and Gdocs everything works with your gmail. I really cannot recommend these programs enough! There is a little learning curve but it is about 100x better than MS Doc or Mac's Pages and you really can't beat having everything auto-saved and on a cloud. As far as other technology, I plan to invest in a Macbook Pro once my PA loans come in and am about to buy an Android phone. I see students in my classes (undergrad) with tablets but they look like more of a distraction than a help. Dry erase board is good for study groups but your school probably has them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deejfenn Posted April 17, 2012 Author Share Posted April 17, 2012 Molly2390, I have a Macbook Air and I must say that I absolutely love it! I had a Macbook pro for 3 years before trading it for my Macbook Air and i'm very happy with the switch. I have an external CD/DVD superdrive that plugs into the USB port if I ever need to use a CD (very rare), however it came with my Macbook Air because I got it off Craigslist. Its VERY light, and it is faster than my older Macbook Pro that I previously had. I would say go with the 13 inch Macbook Air, you won't regret it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molly2390 Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Oh great, yeah I've had a 15 inch pro for almost 4 years and have loved it but I definitely need something more portable. Thanks for the feedback! It seems like it will be great to take to class and take notes. I was considering the Ipad but seems like the air is more versatile and will be handy with clinicals as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lgurney Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I am 4 weeks from finishing my didactic year and I have to agree that my small white board was essential for me! I used it to write out and memorize pharm stuff, anatomy stuff, and physical exam components. I also bought a PANCE study guide which I found really helpful. I would use it the day or so before the test just to make sure that I had the essentials of various conditions down. The book I bought also had sample questions which I found helpful when reviewing for exams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterallsummer Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 On the Air, can you still install Word, Powerpoint etc with no problem? I am considering getting a Macbook Pro. I have a Chromebook which is the ghetto version of macbook air but I am not pleased with it and don't think it'll suffice for PA school because opening word, ppt, excel etc documents has to be done in google docs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffchic Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 I found a lot of value in whiteboarding things like coagulation pathways. "Writing it down" seems to work well for helping me retain things. Also, I really valued an iPod and medical podcasts for use on long car trips. Slightly off topic question here on the coagulation pathways, how detailed did you have drill down on these? I'm curious because as a clinical lab scientist, I am currently teaching coag to my students. I start PA school in the fall. I have a distinct dislike for coag pathways and I'm just wondering how detailed the study of them will be in PA school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molly2390 Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 winterallsummer, I currently have a pro and I believe that the air is similar in that microsoft programs such as word and ppt will run just fine. Not familiar with the computer you currently have but I think they would be able to run just like they run on the pro. I have heard google docs are helpful in PA school but I'm sure with any mac as long as you buy the microsoft programs, you have your choice of what to open them with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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