I love doodling. Whenever I'm on the phone or listening to lectures, presentations, or just anything, I would start to draw or write things on my notebook. I thought people just scribble when they are bored, not paying attention, or daydreaming, but apparently, there's a good excuse to doodle now. According to British researchers, scribbling can help people remember
29 percent more information of what they've heard during those times they doodled.
“If someone is doing a boring task, like listening to a dull telephone conversation, they may start to daydream. Daydreaming distracts them from the task, resulting in poorer performance. A simple task, like doodling, may be sufficient to stop daydreaming without affecting performance on the main task. This study suggests that in everyday life doodling may be something we do because it helps to keep us on track with a boring task, rather than being an unnecessary distraction that we should try to resist doing,” Jackie Andrade, who is a psychology professor at the University of Plymouth, says. 
Comments (37)
YES! I doodled in several of my classes (okay, you caught me, all of my classes), and I ended college with almost a 3.9 gpa.
Which isn't bad at all, even if you're someone who reads the books cover to cover, and studies his brains out.
However ... I did not read ANY of my books cover to cover, did enough studying to feel reasonably confident most of the time, and was rewarded with a gpa many would be envious of.
My secret? Doodling. I never fell asleep in class (okay, maybe once), and usually took in enough to respond to my professors' questions.
Yay for doodling!
Dang, that's awesome. I am, in fact, a doodler. Maybe I should do it more often.
i doodle in class sometimes. i don't think it helps me remember the lessons better though
Yeah. I doodle. One of my doodles from history here.
Har. At least now I know it's beneficial.
I doodle all the time.
I like to illustrate the lessons in my classes to help me remember [and to keep me from daydreaming]
Hmm, I've never really been much of a doodler. Maybe I should start ;)
I doodled during AP chemistry all year. I managed to get an A on my final and as my final avg... so I guess yeh? lol
29% more? you mean 29% less, haha. my grades dropped when i started doodling, that's why i stopped, and they went back up.
I guess it depends on how absorbed you get into your doodling. Mindless doodling might be useful (filling in shapes, scribbling) but I'd imagine working on very detailed drawings probably aren't going to enhance your memory.
i saw this in reader's digest too lol.
i doodle but i won't pay attention because i can't multi task.
I doodled. I remember one time specifically when I didn't have time to eat and I doodled little food items in my margins.. like a bowl of oatmeal with curly-q steam lines. I still remember the subject of that lecture and it was over a year ago. Ha. I can't say whether or not it is related though. I have never not doodled.
i doodle all the time. but sometimes it seems to distract me from my work and cause me not to learn as much as i would have had if i just focused on the task in front of me. but its good to know i'm benefiting from my excessive doodling habit. =)
I doodle ALL the time. But so much thought and concentration goes into my doodling that I tend to ignore my lessons. OOPS.... O.O
Of course! That is the only way to keep one's brain alive during those 8am classes : ) Plus it looks like you are taking notes if you do it right.
i doodle all the time. but..i think that distracts me more because its just so much more interesting.
I was a doodler. Now, my memory is sucky. Sometimes.
I always doodle. My favorite time is at restaurants where they provide paper placemats. At a Mexican restaurant, they even hung my cartoon drawing of a tortoise on their wall. :D
It takes a lot of self control for me NOT to doodle, especially at completely inappropriate times and when doodling means defacing something that's not mine. It's practically a compulsion for me.
In high school I doodled in/on every piece of note taking paper or book. my math book was filled more with doodles than notes. The back half would be doodles galore and then the front would be notes with doodles on the pages. I can't help but not doodle.
I even doodle at work. Hahaha!
I doodle allllll the time. 2 weeks ago some other managers and I were conducting a few interviews and I was doodling while we were asking them questions. I still remember the interviews very well and what I thought of the potentials.
I daydream/sleep darn. Maybe I should start?
i dont doodle much but this post is awesome. i'll have to tell my friends!
Omg, no wonder. I always wondered how the hell I was remembering all the information when all I did was doodle in class. And now I know. Ha.
-Kunoichi
I'm a teacher, and whenever I had my students listen to recordings of books, or some other Iistening activity, I would also give them a "coloring page" to do while they listened. It really helped.
I doodle quite often but I'm usually daydreaming while doodling so I can't say that it helps, though I've never gotten horrible grades either so maybe subconsciously it works.
I always tried to convince my mom to let me draw during the long, boring church sermons when I was younger, but she thought it would take my attention off completely.
Truthfully, it always helped me listen, because the imaginative-daydreamy part of my brain had its attention on the doodles. Otherwise I would always drift off, unfailingly.