Quick LinksIt Makes Organizing Notes Easy It Syncs Across All My Devices The Search Features Works On Handwritings The AI Features Are Practical Time Keeper Helps With Exams It's Great Value For Money
After months of consideration, I finally decided to splurge and get a lifetime subscription to GoodNotes while gearing up for the new academic year. So far, I believe it's one of the best note-taking apps I've used. Here's why.
1 It Makes Organizing Notes Easy
Considering I study multiple courses, organizing my notes is extremely important to me. I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said that organizing my digital resources is the equivalent of keeping my study desk neat and tidy.
Before I used Goodnotes, I tried note-taking on Apple's native note-taking app, and while Apple Notes was a great note-taking app, the lack of organization options was one of the biggest issues I had with it.
Now, I organize my notes by creating individual folders for each semester and sub-folders for each course I'm taking.
I also create sub-folders for assignments, slides, notes, and more in each course folder to keep everything neat. I rely heavily on color coding, so I change the color of each subject folder for easy access.
Goodnotes even lets you add icons to folder covers, which is a nice touch for distinguishing them quickly. I also color-code the covers of notebooks within each subject folder to ensure nothing gets mixed up.
2 It Syncs Across All My Devices
I use both an iPad Air and a MacBook Air for my education. One of the best features of Goodnotes is that all the notes I take on my iPad sync across all my Apple devices. This means if I'm on the go and can't access my iPad, I can easily pull up my notes on my MacBook or even my iPhone.
To enable Goodnotes' iCloud sync, all your devices must be signed in with the same Apple Account.
3 The Search Features Works On Handwritings
I use separate notebooks for every course and tend to do assignments in new notebooks since I submit them on Google Classroom. With the amount of notes I have in Goodnotes, searching for specific topics can be a hassle.
For instance, I'm taking an Applied Physics course this semester. If I want to review my notes on vectors, I could go to the dedicated folder I created for the course, but that only narrows it down to a few documents. I'd still need to open several notebooks and scroll through them to find the right notes.
Fortunately, the Search tool in Goodnotes has made this much easier. Instead of manually skimming through multiple notebooks, I can type "Vectors" into the Search tool, and every document containing that word appears -- yes, even my handwritten notes!
You can also open specific documents and search for keywords within them.
4 The AI Features Are Practical
Let's face it -- it's hard to find an app these days that doesn't have AI features integrated into it. While I find some AI features in other apps a bit annoying, the ones in Goodnotes have genuinely impressed me.
Spellchecker for Handwritings
When writing notes in class, I focus more on capturing everything the professor says than on perfect spelling. Goodnotes' Spellcheck feature is a lifesaver for this. It underlines the misspelled words with a dotted red line, and you can tap the word to see spelling suggestions.
Once you select an option, Goodnotes' AI will work its magic and correct the word for you in your own handwriting!
Math Assisstant
As a STEM student, I also find the AI Math Assistant incredible. The feature analyzes your solution, provides real-time assistance, checks your work, and gives hints if you're stuck. It's currently limited to Goodnotes' Interactive Exam Practice Courses, like the SAT Math Practice Course, but it's a game-changer.
So, if you're like me and tend to mess up while solving a question (like adding two numbers incorrectly), this feature is something you'll love. I only wish they'd expand this feature beyond the practice courses.
You can open an Interactive Exam Practice Course and use the AI Math Assistance tool to solve random questions in the blank space like I did in the image above. Keep in mind that doing that means you won't get hints according to the question.
Ask Goodnotes
Ask Goodnotes is another great AI tool. You get 30 daily AI credits to ask questions, and what's cool is that you can ask questions related to the document you have open. For example, I once asked Goodnotes to explain how to resolve a vector using my notes, and it not only covered the key points, but also explained an example question I had solved.
Ask Goodnotes doubles as a great AI tool to help you solve all your math problems. If you'd like to ask a question about an image, you can use the Lasso tool.
Many of Goodnotes' AI features are currently experimental and available only in a few countries, so you might not have access to them yet.
5 Time Keeper Helps With Exams
Something I've always struggled with during exams is time management. You'll always find me hastily scribbling away at the end of every exam, even when the classroom is almost empty. To improve this, I practice solving past exams under timed conditions. Before using Goodnotes, I used to time myself using the Clock app on my iPhone or Mac.
The Time Keeper feature, as the name suggests, allows you to time yourself when you're working on tasks. It currently offers two different modes: Timer and Stopwatch. I use the Timer when simulating exam conditions with past papers, and the Stopwatch when practicing assignment questions to track my solving time for different question types.
You can also view your Time Keeper history to analyze your progress. While this is a minor feature, it's something I often use but haven't seen in other note-taking apps.
6 It's Great Value For Money
One factor that binds all students worldwide is that we're all always on a budget. Subscribing to a note-taking app comes at a cost. But if you think about it, all the notebooks, binders, and the stationary you'll purchase throughout the academic year will add up to roughly the same amount, or even more.
Like most note-taking apps, Goodnotes offers monthly and yearly subscriptions, but it also offers a one-time payment option for $29.99, which is what I chose. Considering most undergraduate programs last four years, opting for the yearly subscription would probably cost you more than the one-time subscription in the longer run.
However, if you're enrolled in a shorter program or need to experiment with the app beyond the free trial period, I'd side with the yearly subscription. Keep in mind that the one-time option is only available for Apple users.
I was hesitant to subscribe and considered other options, but I'm glad I gave Goodnotes a shot! It's definitely among the best investments I've made since I got my iPad for college.
