The Notebook | Overlooked Pieces of Gear

The Notebook. No, not the Nicholas Sparks classic 1996 novel of the same name, but an actual physical notebook. Note taking material is almost always listed in the course description of most classes, but rarely is it something that people bring along. “Why would I be writing when I could be shooting or watching other’s shoot?” That often seems to be the sentiment I hear from others on the line. Unfortunately I think those people are missing the mark. Let me tell you why a quality notebook needs to be close by at your next class.

Why Bring a Notebook to Class

We’ll start with the concepts first. When I attend classes I’m often the only one with any note taking material. At best, there are one or two others taking notes of some sort, often with a suboptimal notebook or pad. I’ve been a note taker for years, with more than half a dozen notebooks lining my bookshelf from training. Taking notes in class helps me retain information in class, and can often lead to questions to help clarify certain points.

In addition to this, my notes are something I can reference for years to come. Often I find myself going to old notebooks, looking for more data on an idea in my mind. More often than not, I find my answer, or at least a component of one. This then helps me to better develop questions to ask the instructor, for those who are still around to answer. Answers aren’t the only thing I find when doing this, as sometimes I come across topics that had completely faded from memory, with gold on the page I’d left behind. Without notes, it’d be gone forever, and I’d be worse for it.

Learning to balance your focus between the page and spoken word takes time, but doing so pulls so much more value from your training than just being present. If you want to truly get your money’s worth, this is a quick way to make that happen.

What to Avoid

When I do see other students bring note taking material, it’s usually less than ideal. When choosing paper, most students seem to select either large yellow legal pads, or whatever small notepad they’ve taken from their hotel room. The former suggestion is big and bulky, without an easy way to store it when not actively taking notes. The latter is usually cheaply made, falling apart quickly in pockets or weather. These are also usually somewhat floppy, especially if there’s moisture in the air, leading to distraction as students fight their notepad while writing.

Note taking seems simple at first, but problems like these lead people to quickly abandon it. Experiences like these cause people to declare that note taking is a distraction, and that simply focusing on the instructor is more than sufficient. When your note taking material fights you like this, it’s no wonder people start to parrot these lines. Don’t cheap out, and use your head. Think about how you’re going to store your material on the line, and how it will fare in the local climate. Applying a little critical thought can save you a lot of trouble.

Cellphones

What I’ve been seeing more often over the past few years is note taking on a cellphone. At first this seems to make sense, as most people have their phone on them constantly, it’s compact, and familiar. Unfortunately I think your phone is about the worst thing you could possibly choose for taking notes in class. At the very least it is suboptimal.

To start with, using your phone to take notes just doesn’t make you look good. Having your head down in your phone gives the appearance of distraction, and I’ve seen more than one instructor think that students weren’t paying attention because they were head-down, staring into the digital void. Additionally, it is easy to become distracted, with social media, texts, emails, and apps vying for your attention as you try to focus. Even subconsciously your attention is stolen by notifications and more.

Finally, autocorrect can make it difficult to quickly use shorthand or technical language. This means you’re either fighting the machine, or potentially struggling to remember what you meant to type down the road. Sure, handwriting isn’t always clear, but there won’t be a robot telling you you’re wrong when you write an unfamiliar word.

Delicate Devices

Your phone needs battery. A bright screen on a summer day saps battery, and extreme temperatures don’t help either. On more than one occasion I’ve seen phones overheat in class and shut themselves off to cool. Your battery can quickly drain, especially on older phones, leaving you with no note taking material, nor any communication with the outside world.

Even with screen protectors and cases, our compact computers are still fairly fragile. Keeping your phone on you in class can lead to disaster; I know at least one person (myself), who has shattered a screen in class by accidentally rolling over it getting into position, crushing glass against gravel. That’s an expensive mistake that will absolutely distract you all day.

What Kind of Notebook You Should Bring

Without a doubt in my mind, there is one notebook that I recommend people take to class. This is the Rite in Rain Hardcover 3.75″ x 6.5″ notebook. I didn’t start with Rite in the Rain, but I wish I had.

These are weather resistant, which also means that they resist sweat as well. This is a huge advantage in heat and foul weather, ensuring that your precious notes aren’t lost to moisture that can smear ink and destroy pages. The hardcover gives you support when writing so that you aren’t fighting a floppy notepad, leading to distraction and unreadable handwriting. Flat spines allow you to annotate each book for quick reference on your shelf. The book itself is small enough to fit in most back pockets, and virtually any cargo pocket or administrative pouch.

Closing Thoughts on Notebooks