University can be a scary prospect for even the most outgoing and confident youngsters, and while we can’t help you with the social side of things, we can certainly help you find the right gear you need to succeed in your studies!

So let’s take a look at the best kind of university notebook ideas for university students.

Physical notetaking vs word processing

Before we dive in, let’s just quickly cover the benefits of taking notes physically as opposed to typing them up on a laptop. 

Given how quickly you can type on a laptop, the chances are you will just copy what the lecturer says verbatim without actually giving much thought to what you are writing. However, if you take notes physically, you don’t have that same speed, which means you have to think more carefully about what you write and really get to the heart of the idea and capture it concisely. This is an excellent way of actually promoting retention and learning.

That’s why the Curious Book team would always recommend you write up your notes in a notepad. We’re not biased though – honest!

The perfect notepad for university

In this section, we’re going to cover some of the essential features to take into consideration when exploring university notepad ideas:

• A4 size: This probably won’t come as a shock to you, but there’s a lot to take in on an undergraduate course, which is why you’re going to need at least an A4-sized notepad for your note-taking. We probably wouldn’t recommend anything bigger than this though, because A) it wouldn’t fit in many bags, and B) you might look like a lost art student!
• Lined: This is a no-brainer, really. If you’re going to buy a notebook for extensive note-taking, make sure that you get one with lines! Of course, the spacing and colour of the lines really comes down to personal preference.
• Dividers: You’re going to be juggling lots of different topics in lots of different modules and it can be easy to get lost, that’s why we would always recommend you get a notebook that utilises colour-coded dividers. This allows you to quickly find specific topics without frantically turning pages until you hit the jackpot.
• Durable: Your notebook is going to be doing a lot of travelling, probably inside a flimsy backpack most of the time, so make sure that you get one with a durable cover. There’s nothing worse than dog-eared pages!
• Perforation: When taking notes, sometimes it can be useful to tear out a page and place it somewhere else in your notebook, or even lend it to a classmate who “forgot” to do the work. Perforated edges make this a neat and simple task, so you don’t have to worry about uneven tearing!

Curious Book Co. is the leading custom notebook company in the UK. We pride ourselves on our ability to match any brief and really push the boundaries of what a notebook can be. Looking for university notepad ideas? All you have to do is give us a call and we will be there to help. Alternatively, why not use our notepad builder to get your creative juices flowing?