To record or not to record, that is the question

Students who have to attend classes on a regular basis are often faced with a problem when it comes to taking down notes, especially when there are back to back lectures. At the end of the day it becomes often very tiresome to note down during the in going lectures. And when it comes to the lecture of a professor who goes really fast with his/her approach, then the problem intensifies.

However, this problem can be solved rather easily with the help of voice recording devices for lectures. But the matter is not as simple as that. There are various advantages to the use of recording devices no doubt but there are a few disadvantages as well. What you need to do is basically weigh both the pros and cons and then take a decision accordingly.

First, let us take a look at the advantages that we get when using lecture recording devices:

1. The main question that most students have to grapple with is whether they should pay more attention to the lecture or to the act of taking it down on their copy. This is a problem that can be solved with the help of recording devices. Once you have set the recorder, you can actually sit back and pay more attention to the lecture itself and not bothering to take it down on your copy.
2. Each and every student has their own style of taking notes. It is but natural that we might not find somebody else’s style conducive to our understanding. Suppose due to unavoidable circumstances, you end up missing a lecture. Then what? You cannot always depend on somebody else’s class notes, right? So, in such cases a voice recorder comes really in handy.
3. A digital recorder for lectures comes really in handy in case of a professor’s lecture who is difficult for you to follow. You can keep the lectures recorded so that you can listen to them peacefully back at home. These also make excellent revision tools.

Now, let us take a look at some of the disadvantages that you might encounter when it comes to recording lectures:

1. Many students have over the years complained that the use of voice recorders not only distracts the professor and the other students, but it also distracts the one who is using it as well! One has to constantly worry whether the device is working or not and hence the attention automatically shifts from the lecture.
2. Recording devices are also known to discourage participation in the lectures. Once one knows that the lecture is being recorded, one tends to become more relaxed and hence just might end up taking less interest in the lecture.
3. The most important thing that one might find difficult to get is the professor or the lecturer’s permission to record. One has to be aware of the university or college regulations before recording lectures in order avoid legal problems.

But, in spite of all the disadvantages, the advantages trump them since the use of voice recorder can prove to be an extremely helpful tool for those who are really interested deriving the best from all lectures!