Typed notes because its faster and if you make any mistakes, they will either be autocorrected or you can easily change them. I must say tho writing does have better memory retention however you save much more time by typing it out.
Remember you cant pick up subjects after you drop them so make sure you have a definite idea of your strengths and weaknesses before making the decision/ as what everyone else says, do your assessments and make your judgment based on the results.
Yeah, it really depends. There are some people who can form coherent paragraphs that can address and explain the question in around 800 words while others might have trouble doing that.
If you're talking about memorization of languages and sciences (or any subject which contains lots of definitions) I highly recommend using the 'learn' feature on quizlet.com . IMO, its the most efficient and easiest way to memorize a lot in a short amount of time.