iPad girlies. You either know who they are or you are one. They have their color-coordinated notes pulled up on split screen with iMessages, and their pristine keyboards and pencils help them perfectly write and annotate every word spoken in lecture. How are iPads revolutionizing note-taking around campus? 

Many of us grew up using notebook paper in our colored binders full of painstakingly detailed labels and dividers. Maybe you even had a spiral notebook for each class. Now, students combine every class and note ever taken onto a small screen. By switching to iPads, students not only limit paper waste, but they also make their backpacks lighter. iPads can serve as a laptop, notebook, iPhone or just an iPad!

When using an iPad for class, students use apps such as Notability, GoodNotes and OneNote to download PDF notes from Brightspace or start a new note in class. To supplement this note-taking, students use styluses to write on the screen or detachable keyboards to type. With these apps and additional technology accessories, iPads essentially are becoming amped-up computers.  

“Using paper felt like a waste. What is the point of writing my notes by hand if I was going to digitize them after? Why write my notes twice? Also, on my iPad, my notes are forever, and I can better organize them,” senior Cristian Ochoa said.

Instead of having to print out notes daily or file endless pieces of paper, students can arrive to class, quickly download the PowerPoint PDF provided by the teacher and write directly onto the document. 

“I’m an iPad convert as of this semester. I always thought they were dumb, but they’re helpful for classes where I have PowerPoint notes,” junior Sophia Waugh said. “My iPad genuinely has been such a game-changer because now I can focus on what the professor says in addition to what’s on the PowerPoint without frantically attempting to write it all down.” 

While the iPad clearly has its merits, this switch to technological note-taking can make things more generalized and less personal. If everyone converts to iPads, everyone will have the same small silver box with a white stylus. Students have added cases and stickers to iPads to let personality come through. 

“I use stickers on my iPad and phone because it gives me a chance to showcase what I am into and still be able to trade them out. I’m not the best artist so I chose stickers,” sophomore Marlyssa Lee said. “I periodically change them over time depending on what I’m into, and it just sets my iPad apart from others.”

However, the cost of iPads acts as a barrier to this convenient note-taking method. Fortunately, Apple offers hefty student discounts to try and make things more financially inclusive for students across the world. 

“While taking notes on paper never seemed like a massive inconvenience to me, I decided to bite the bullet and finally invest in an iPad since I would most likely need it in medical school, and it would end up being a long-term investment,” junior Caroline Holman said. “I am so glad I did because in my biochemistry classes, all of the diagrams are colored, and I need to use different colored pens to label things. Now, I cannot imagine if I was unable to purchase one as it is a massive barrier in this specific class and other STEM courses.”

While the term “iPad girlies” may have been coined, iPads really are the future of note-taking on campuses and in workplaces worldwide.