If, like myself, you are studying the humanities and haven’t yet developed carpal tunnel syndrome, you may not be taking notes properly. In courses where lecturers prefer to go without visual aids like slides, or opt not to post information on Blackboard, students spend the majority of their time in class labouring feverishly to keep up with the professor.

So, what is the most effective way of taking notes? And I’m not talking about whether you prefer point-form to longhand or paragraphs to sentences; I’m talking about the most efficient medium.

Taking notes in class is a personal preference; in my experience, U of T students tend to fall into one of the following three categories of note-takers; the scribbler: one who furiously and illegibly transcribes every word, verbatim, uttered by the prof; the loud typist, who, like the scribbler, pounds the keyboard of their laptop with speed and precision in order to catch every last word of the lecturer; and, finally, there’s the recorder, who places their recording device on the lectern, clicks “record,” and relaxes for two hours, with plans to listen to the lecture at home afterwards.

There exists a device, however, which arguably covers the premier aspects of each of these three examples to embody the most effective form of note-taking: the tablet.

A tablet, unlike pen and paper or a laptop, is the most effective and efficient way for students to not only take stellar notes; it enables us to study and read more efficiently. Historically, tablet tech has been prohibitively expensive, however, in recent years multiple producers have rolled out less costly models to appeal to student budgets.

Using a tablet, like an iPad or Kindle, for academic purposes is as strategic as it is convenient — you don’t need to carry multiple notebooks for various classes, you can say goodbye to your pencil case, your finger is the stylus, and you don’t have to lug your laptop around from class to class — rather, you can keep it at home to type out long-form assignments and research projects.

For those who have yet to be convinced to join this technological note-taking revolution, and who may be skeptical or scared of change, I empathize with you; I too was wary of bringing a tablet to class. I wasn’t only worried that my precious Chaucer notes would somehow get lost in cyberspace or deleted, but feared that I lacked enough will-power to refrain from googling and checking social media after transcribing a few dismal lines.

That being said, if you generally stay off your phone in class, or take it one step further and turn off the Wi-Fi connection, I assure you that taking notes with a tablet won’t be a huge adjustment, and has the potential to make your notes more organized and legible come midterm and exam seasons.

Although many students and professors warn against taking notes on screens instead of writing them out longhand, writing and typing don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Tablets, unlike typical notebooks, have the option of connecting a stylus to your screen, so that you can physically write on the top of your tablet whether you use a note app or Microsoft Word.

Although this seems strangely akin to just taking notes with a pencil and paper, like our parents did before us, writing on a digitized system enables you not only to archive your handwritten notes in one space, but it also allows you to draw schematics, diagrams, and graphs you wouldn’t be able to do as effectively on paper or on a laptop.

It’s clear that tablet beats paper in the classroom for note-taking and studying purposes, but that doesn’t mean you have to completely abandon books and longhand which remain the cheapest option of all. However, if you want to have a leg up come April and are willing to make the investment, bringing a tablet to class is one of your most viable solutions.

Emma Kikulis is the associate comment editor at The Varsity. She is studying sociology and English. Her column appears bi-weekly.