Case Study: How Supernote Literally Changed Medical School for Me
To really understand how the Supernote has changed my life—literally—you need to understand what life looked like before I started using it. I’ll break it down into three parts: academics, extracurriculars and personal life.
As a 4th-year med student, I went through a full identity crisis when it came to note-taking. I started off with good old pen and paper. It felt natural and effective—until it turned into total chaos. Notes everywhere. No structure. No system. The worst bit of all was struggling to revisit topics I wrote and it was at this point I wanted things to change.
Then I moved to Word documents, thinking I’d get more organised. But I quickly found myself just copy-pasting or typing mindlessly. It felt mechanical, like I was just going through the motions without any real thinking. Eventually, I gave up and stopped taking notes altogether. You can imagine how that went.
Then I circled back to pen and paper, hoping to bring some clarity to the chaos. And honestly, it did feel better—especially when I was annotating textbooks by hand, which became a bit of an obsession. I’ve always loved the tactile experience of handwriting, but beyond just preference, there’s solid neuroscience behind it.
When we write by hand, our brains engage more deeply with the material. There’s something called the N400 neural response—a spike in brain activity that's been associated with processing meaning, learning, and memory formation. Handwriting has been shown to stimulate this response more significantly than typing. Why? Because writing by hand forces your brain to slow down, think actively, and encode information in a more meaningful way. You're not just transcribing—you’re thinking as you write.
(If you're curious, I break this down further in my video, where I explain how the N400 plays into effective studying and why handwriting is such a powerful cognitive tool.)
So yes—handwriting felt great. It felt right. But even with that boost in retention, I was back to drowning in loose sheets, scribbled margins, and half-finished notebooks. The process was effective but totally disorganised. I needed something to bridge the gap between brain-friendly handwriting and real-world functionality.
Then came Supernote.
Supernote brought the paper feel I loved with the digital organisation I desperately needed. Suddenly, my life changed. I could write notes by hand, organise them into folders, sync everything to the cloud, and access all my files instantly.
I loaded over 50+ textbooks onto it—all annotated and searchable. I have different PDFs for every topic, signed documents, med school forms, all in one place. I even lock notes when I’m speaking to patients, write up their histories, and later turn those into revision notes. It’s become my all-in-one clinical companion.
Now all I carry is my phone and my Supernote. My phone connects to the Supernote cloud, so I can watch YouTube lectures and take notes simultaneously, review my materials anywhere, anytime. No more carrying around bulky laptops or textbooks. No more losing notes and more space in your backpack.
And let me tell you—I’ve seen firsthand how this beats the iPad. I can’t get distracted on Supernote. There’s no access to social media, no YouTube, no ads. My brain has been trained to associate Supernote with productivity. Since making the switch, I’ve been consistently more focused and way more productive.
Supernote in My Personal Life
It’s not just med school where Supernote shines. I use a lot of diaries and journals, and now I can carry my daily productivity journal with me wherever I go. I write in it every day, at set times. The best part? I can add unlimited pages and the device never gets heavier.
I’ve even gotten back into sketching. As a teenager, I used to love it. Supernote's brushes and drawing tools made it feel natural again. Now I sketch on the train, in cafes, in between lectures. I’m improving day by day and I’ve fallen back in love with it.
My Reading Game = Transformed
I’ve transferred all my old PDF books—hundreds of them—from a USB straight onto my Supernote. It’s a dream. I can:
- Search keywords
- Highlight and annotate
- Make notes directly on the text
- Revisit concepts without carrying a single book
Even if I forget my Supernote, my phone is synced. Same with my laptop. I have access to everything, everywhere. No more FOMO on a textbook when I’m out and about.
Nomad + Manta
I use both the Nomad and the Manta models.
Supernote Nomad is my on-the-go Supernote. I take it to uni, clinics, coffee shops, everywhere.
Supernote Manta is my at-home powerhouse. I use it for writing long-form notes, studying, and prepping for exams.
And the best bit? They sync automatically. What I write on one appears on the other. I never have to think about it.
Let’s Talk Pens (Because I’m a Pen Enthusiast)
I’ve got a soft spot for nice pens—and Supernote gets that. I’m using LAMY pens with ceramic nibs, and they are smooth, stylish, and precise. They’re not just tools—they make writing a joy again.
So yes, Supernote isn’t cheap. But compared to an iPad (which comes with extra costs, distractions, and zero focus), Supernote is absolutely worth it.
The support team? Amazing. They release frequent software updates, fix bugs quickly, and are always improving the experience. I’ve never felt ignored as a user—quite the opposite.
And To Conclude…
