Word

Due to its widespread familiarity, Word is an easy programme to access and use for note-taking.

Word is a word processor used to create text documents. It is the standard word processor on Microsoft devices and most people will be familiar with it (and there is also a version for Mac). It can also automatically saves and syncs to OneDrive, enabling you access your notes from multiple devices.

How to use

• Open Word. If you don’t already have the programme installed on your computer, you can download it for free by following the instructions on the University Student Software page.
• Create a new document and then clearly title your document and save it to a folder so you can find it at a later date easily.
• Start typing: use same principles for effective notes as with handwritten notes, i.e. avoid writing full sentences, just note down the important information, use abbreviations and lay out your notes in a way that is easy to read.

Top tips

• Use Word like a whiteboard. If you want to create notes which help you to map out ideas, brainstorm or otherwise write more freely, simply double-click anywhere on the page to begin typing in that location. You can do this multiple times to type your notes anywhere on the page.
• Practice using keyboard shortcuts. These will help you to write and format your notes more quickly. Here is a quick guide to common keyboard shortcuts you can try.