We use our laptops for practically everything these days, but when it comes to note-taking, did you know that 62 per cent of Canadians* prefer to do it the traditional way — with a pen and paper?

Yep, even in the digital age, there's something magical about good old handwriting.

Whether it's taking notes in class, scribbling reminders for your day, or journaling your thoughts, studies show the literal act of putting pen to paper and forming letters activates certain areas of the brain more robustly than typing on a laptop, and that helps with learning comprehension, memory retention, and thought organization.

But if you really want to optimize your handwritten notes, especially this back-to-school season, you'll need the perfect pen in your palm.

The good news is BIC Canada has you covered with the BIC 4 Color range, which includes the new BIC 4 Color Shine pen.

With four interchangeable colours — black, blue, red, and green — and a sleek metallic design, you can jot down and colour-code your notes like a pro. Plus, a pop of colour always makes things more fun, right?

Handwriting boosts your brainpower

You're going to want to write this down. According to a recent survey commissioned by BIC Canada, 77 per cent of respondents believe that handwritten notes help improve memory retention over notes taken digitally.

Plus, when you’re writing by hand, you’re more likely to summarize information and write it in your own words — thus, increasing comprehension.

Study smarter, not harder

Over a third of those aged 18 to 34 who use colour coding in their everyday life believe that it helps them study more efficiently.

Put simply, colour-coding notes gives you a way to organize the information that you need to learn. And when you look back over your notes, the different colours draw your attention to key points, allowing you to rapidly review the most important information.

Ready to make handwriting fun again this back-to-school season? Grab a BIC 4 Color Shine pen to reap the benefits and transform your note-taking into something you'll actually remember!

*These findings are from a survey conducted by BIC Canada from May 9th to May 13th, 2024, among a representative sample of 1,500 online Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. The survey was conducted in English and French. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/-2.53 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.