When you sit down for your lecture, what are you placing on the desk? There are so many different types of students at Boston College, and everyone has to organize their thoughts in one way or another. 

While there was a time when the classic pen & paper was the only real way to take notes, now it seems like no two students have the same strategies when it comes to summarizing their lectures. Whether you’re proud of your notes or not, you can’t deny that these strategies might just be able to say something about who you are. 

Laptop

Efficiency is the name of the game for you. You’re a copy and paste lover, a Docs wizard, and a proud owner of a digital planner. You’re not afraid to multi-task your way through a lecture and can surely be spotted playing the Wordle or checking your emails because the professor is being  “too slow.”

You’re up to date with current events. You probably check the S&P 500 on a daily basis. You make the best cheat sheets out of anyone in the class. While you might not know exactly what was going on for the last hour, you know that you can always find a Youtube video to explain the same ideas even quicker.

Notebook

The classic, the old reliable, the “working man” of notes. When it comes to learning, you’re not messing around. 

You’re somewhat of an old soul and may not have the most adventurous personality. All these new, high-tech gadgets just don’t work the same, right? You’re the kind of person who still makes physical flash cards and checks out books from the library. You probably order your coffee black.

But, nobody remembers the slides quite like you. You’ve done your research: you know that physical note-taking has proven to be better than these other strategies. Even though your palms might be sore after 75 minutes of furious scribbling, you know it’s gonna pay off on test day. No matter if you have color-coded notebooks or an overflowing binder, you’ve got the right idea. 

iPad

Here we have the middle ground: The perfect hybrid between tradition and tech. 

You’ve convinced yourself that writing on glass still counts as handwriting, and honestly, you might be right. But let’s be real, half of the class is spent adjusting highlighter shades and resizing titles until they’re just right. 

You’re organized, creative, and a little bit of a perfectionist. Your water bottle is covered with stickers, and your backpack has pins from all sorts of esteemed organizations. Your wardrobe might be a little artsy … but it’s definitely color-coded.

Nothing

Seriously, who do you think you are? Even though you might think you’re some sort of classroom prodigy, I can almost guarantee that this strategy just isn’t going to work out. Seriously, I understand zoning out for a 9 a.m. lecture every now and again—but if you’re one of those people I see sitting through class with an empty desk and glossy eyes day after day, there’s something wrong with you.

Your room? A disaster. Your favorite outfit? Pajamas. Your attendance? Spotty at best. You’re the kind of person who doesn’t have a phone case, and you’re on your third cracked screen because of it. 

If you somehow are passing your classes, I’m high-key jealous. It takes a special kind of person to be able to scroll through Instagram and memorize cellular respiration at the same time. Teach me your ways, please.