Heavy may receive a commission if you purchase a product through a link on this page.

11 Best Notebooks for College Students

Studies by Pam Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer show that those who take notes on laptops tend to fare worse in conceptual evaluations than those who write out their notes longhand. The mechanism here essentially boils down to the efficiency of typing itself. Because people are able to write so much more quickly on a computer, they tend to reproduce the content verbatim, rather than framing it in one’s own words. This removes the critical thinking aspect of note-taking, however minute, that leads to deeper understanding and memory. For all your note-taking needs, here are the best notebooks for college students:

Price: $ – $
11 Listed Items

There's no end to the paper-based documentation systems out there. From traveler's notebooks to Bullet Journal, there are a million ways to take notes and keep track of tasks. These systems all require a fundamental underlying unit: the pieces of paper on which to write.

Choosing a notebook is as much about form as it is function. If you don't care what it looks like, there are a million options for you out there. Most of us want to write in something we actively like and that matches our aesthetic. We have to stare at this thing everyday for at least a semester, so it might as well speak to you. We live in a golden age of well-made, well-designed notebooks, so you have your pick of different materials, paper, and ruling styles.

The needs of students are in some cases simpler than those of the planner and Bullet Journal communities, but doesn't mean that they can't benefit from the same great notebooks. We've chosen a mix of notebooks that offer excellent design, innovation, or just high quality.

See Also: