Note-taking is an essential part of studying for college classes. There are many apps that aim to make note-taking a more streamlined process on digital platforms. Students and staff have access to some of the best apps on the market through their school logins, including Notes, Notability, and One Note. Each app has its strengths and weaknesses, so this guide is intended to help you decide which one is the best fit for you and your classes. The following is not a paid endorsement and these are not your only options, they are simply recommendations summarized here for your convenience.
Apple Notes
Notes is the free note-taking app for all Apple devices. Notes automatically syncs with your apple id, so any changes made to your notes will be accessible from your other apple devices and will be automatically backed up in the iCloud.
In this app, organization is handled through folders and hashtags. You can set up some folders as “smart folders” which pull in the notes that use the tags that you specify. You can also swipe to the right to pin important notes so that they appear at the top of the list. If you swipe left, you can see options to move your note to another folder or delete the note. You can also move notes by pressing and holding them.
There are many standard features in this app that are expected of note-taking apps. You can add photos and documents, change the font size and styles, and hand-write notes using the apple pencil. Because of Apple's cross compatibility you can also add photos, scan documents, and sketch from your phone, which is very handy if you need to take a snapshot of a lecture slide. The app can also be customized with different paper and lines and handwriting can be converted into text to make notes easy to read and review.
There are some downsides to apple notes. This app will not let you draw with the apple pencil overtop of the text. There is also no way to zoom in on the notes you take in this app, unlike the others mentioned in this article. You might also decide not to use Apple notes if you do not have compatible products, like Android phones or Windows PC’s.
As with the note-taking apps mentioned in this article, you can send an invitation to share your notes to collaborate with your classmates. The notes receive live updates and there is an activity feed to track the changes made to the document so you will be able to see who contributes the most to the information.
Notability
Normally this third-party app is a subscription service for the full version, but you will have access to all the features through your school account. When setting up the app, please be sure to turn on the automatic backup so that you don’t lose your notes in the event of a damaged or defective device. To store your backup you can use iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, and a variety of other cloud storage options. This app is also not available for use on Windows PC’s or Android phones.
There are three levels of organization for notes within this app: Dividers, Subjects, and the notes themselves. The dividers separate broad categories while the subjects keep track of more specific categories. For instance, you may have a Divider for each semester and have a different subject for each course you take. To move notes around all you have to do is drag and drop them into the right place.
The most appealing features about Notability lie in the adaptability and personalization of the notes. Like other programs there are many different paper styles to choose from. You can view the notes by page, or you can opt for the seamless view that allows you to scroll down uninterrupted. You can also zoom in on notes and they will retain a high resolution. You can tap anywhere to start typing, change fonts and colors, save favorite fonts, or draw text boxes for movable text. The drawing features in notability are advanced from Apple notes. You will be able to draw on top of text and use an eyedropper tool to quickly switch to previously used colors. Certain geometric shapes like lines, squares, and circles will be automatically recognized. This feature also applies to the highlighter feature, making for clean highlighting lines. The snip tool can be used to move handwritten notes and to convert them into text. You can edit your note presets so that it opens the page just the way you like it every time, and even switch the program into dark mode.
There are other useful media features. Principal among them is the ability to record audio while taking notes. Using this feature allows you to record the audio of the lecture and selecting notes on the page will send you to the point in the lecture when they were written. As with other note-taking apps, you can take photos from your library and camera, scan documents, etc. You can even add gifs to add motion to your visuals. You can also bookmark pages in the documents you open in the program and when you highlight any text it will not obstruct the dark lettering.
There are many options to share your notes. You can save them as a pdf with a very helpful export preview, or you can send invitations to specific people. There are some classes on campus that require this app for class projects and homework. If you do not want to share your notes with anyone, you can set a password to keep your notes safe and protected.
One Note
One Note is produced by Microsoft. You have free access to the full version of this app if you log in with your school email and password. One note is available on most devices, so it is a good option for those who have Windows PC’s and Android phones. Notes in this app are automatically backed up on the OneDrive and can be accessed from any device where you are signed in.
Like Notability, One Note has three levels of organization. Notebooks, Sections, and Pages. When sharing notes, you can share individual pages, larger sections, or whole notebooks if you desire, making collaboration easy no matter the scale of the project. If you need to move a page or section, a long press will allow you to drag and drop the page wherever you need it to go. If you prefer to keep your notes private, you can choose to lock certain subjects to keep them away from prying eyes.
Pages are highly customizable with different line patterns and paper colors. Each page gives you an open scrolling space where you can zoom in and out. Anywhere you touch or click with the text tool will open a text box so that you can easily reposition any text you type on the page. You can draw and mark up text. Handwritten notes can be recognized and read by the app when you are using the app’s robust search features. You can also draw with shapes and set the drawing tool to automatically recognize basic geometric shapes. In this app you can personalize your handwriting experience by selecting the orientation of your pencil. Even if you are not drawing with a pencil you can draw with touch controls as well. If you prefer to switch your view to dark mode that is also an option in this app.
There are some special functions to be found in one note. If you type in a basic mathematical function, one note may recognize it and solve it for you like a calculator. When you add images you can correct prospective skewing of slides by cropping the image to the shape of the slide, it will automatically straighten out the sides. You can also add alt text to visuals to make them easier to search for and set certain images in the background to be able to type over them. Adding tags like checkboxes, stars, question marks, etc. to make important information easier to see. But the most interesting accessibility feature is the immersive reader. This can temporarily change the format of your notes to be larger and more spaced out for review, and it can even read your notes back to you.
With so many apps to choose from, the decision is ultimately up to you. We recommend these apps because of the tools available at our university, but if you decide to use another note-taking app you are welcome to. Have a good semester and take good notes!