Maybe try both for a while and see which one most suits you in terms of memory retention/understanding.
Everyone has their unique study methods so I can't exactly pinpoint one specific type for you to do.
Some pros of writing include:
- it is what you will actually do during the HSC
- scientifically, it is most beneficial in terms of memory (I'm not 100% sure on this but I heard it is apparently)
- it is much easier to draw and write down equations or diagrams, which is particularly useful if you do subjects such as Chemistry or Physics
Some cons of writing include:
- it is probably a lot slower
- it is harder to edit your notes along the way
Some pros of typing include:
- it is much much quicker
- it will probably look neater than written notes
- it is easier to edit your notes easily along the way
- you always have a digital copy of it somewhere
Some cons of typing include:
- you won't be typing in the HSC
- it might be harder to insert equations or make your own diagrams for certain subjects
Anyways, the above points are from my experience, but it's really down to your own personal methods to find out what's best.
Good luck!
Some excellent points.
From a cognition perspective, there is a significant difference depending on how you are with writing on a computer and creating illustrations, etc. If you are typing up notes that are largely already written, then the cognitive demand of composing prose is relatively less and the consideration of issues like formatting and presentation are less problematic. If, however, you are writing notes synthesising various sources (teacher's notes, textbook, tutoring, online sources, etc) and making selections on inclusion / exclusion and organisation, then the cognitive demand and load of the writing itself is high. To someone without considerable experience in such tasks being undertaken simultaneously with computing, this can be very difficult. Pre-organising on paper can be a helpful first step in such cases.
These issues / demands on working memory and cognition are subject-dependent. Prose, quotations, and reflections on English, say, is much closer to the familiar writing-based tasks than is writing and illustrating scientific content, or presenting mathematical reasoning with TeX, for instance. Anyone not in the habit of making typed notes is advised to start in a domain with fewer complications, to pre-organise, and to try to put off polishing the text and formatting and presentation until the bulk of writing is done.
Actual writing on a computer is a developable skill, and a valuable one - but it is not one the HSC evaluates, and it is different from writing on paper. Answers to HSC science questions that might easily fit in a given space if copied from edited and re-edited and polished and tweaked can't be simply transcribed in an exam. A new answer must be written, which will not have the time / process of editing to perfect in an exam situation, raising selection and organisation issues that can be dealt with differently on a computer. It is vital that skills of responding on paper in an organised and coherent way are mastered separate from the typed environment. You must be able to draw and label a diagram that is relevant to the context of the question without the benefits of cut-and-paste images / components and undo buttons. You must be able to judge what features are essential because there is a penalty in time (and potentially clarity) in including unnecessary detail, a risk that is reduced when a diagram can be used for multiple points in a set of typed notes.
In short, typed notes can be a great resource, but much of the learning can be connected with the process of making them, rather than reading ones prepared by someone else. Reading and making sense of textbook content does not equate to having the knowledge and skills of the person who wrote the text, after all. If you devote time to preparing typed materials, do everything you can to make the parts involving composition of the text, clarity of expression, organisation of ideas, etc as unburdened by the process of typing, formatting, making / placing diagrams, etc as possible. Only someone highly skilled in the former will find the cognitive load sufficiently low for the other factors to be handled well without interfering. Remember that the goal is not the most beautiful / perfect / longest / shortest / most envied set of notes... it is a deep and robust understanding of the topic that can be flexibly applied to novel questions and situations. Preparing the notes is a means, not an end.
A related point... if you can answer questions / provide explanations / tutor your friends in a topic area, there's a good chance you understand it. Writing notes can be a way to explain a concept to yourself, which your notes then explain to another (maybe a reader of the notes, maybe yourself at a future time). Their value thus lies in being helpful, understandable, coherent, relevant - in essence, being useful - to the reader. Thus, the parts of the process that lead to those qualities are the most important. Giving this priority is fairly natural in hand-writing, as it is a direct externalisation of thought and reasoning, etc, and handwriting is a skill that you mastered long ago. In typing, the medium creates opportunities for improved expression and presentation, but with associated cognitive demands. How that comes out in a cost-benefit analysis will vary between individuals and situations. There is no "best" approach to notes or to studying that is universal.
