How to become a fast handwriter?

[elephant]

I have these exams at my university, and knowing that my handwriting is hopelessly slow, I´m on the lookout for a way to improve it. Does anyone write at all this days? Does anyone know how to do it real quick? Can anyone recommend any links or books?
 

[ada]

Learn shorthand. The bad news is it'll take a while to learn

[donjuan]

yeah, try to use shortened versions of words in your notes:

b/c: because
NRG: energy
w/ : with                                   
w/o : without   
e.g. : example
use lots of arrows like "apple falls --> tree" (you can omit "from the")                                     .
the three dots that look like .   .   and mean "therefore"

ohhhh wait... you DID say you have to write on exams....
huh well short hand and using these little shortcuts may not be a very good idea because someone else has to read and understand what you write.  Well, I never had such problems because the written tests are done all on the computer and I can use my mad touchtyping skillz...

I have always found handwriting slow and difficult to read-even my own.  I myself do printing, but tend to combine letter groupings so my pen is in contact with the paper longer.  for example, when I print "as", I will do a handwritten "a" and go directly into a printed "s", following from bottom of the s to the top.  I do this because the handwritten "s" is difficult to read and requires more busy work than a printed s.  Just develop a style everyone can understand as soon as they read it, but think about the fastest way to do certain letters.  "t" is another one where handwriting is slow- you have to backtrack the vertical part to continue writing and after you finish the word, you go back and cross the t.  well, what I do is do a single vertical line, from bottom to top, and then go directly to cross the t from left to right.  after crossing the t, you can then go ahead and write another letter w/o ( ) losing contact w/ the paper.

find shortcuts!

[quantum]

I made the decision long time ago that I would totally convert from handwriting my notes, to entering them directly into a computer or PDA.  Finally this past year I suceeded doing so at about 99% of the time - lectures just seem more enjoyable now.  No more looking down  on a pice of paper, I can actually take time to LISTEN what the lecturer is saying. 

Anyways to answer your question:  I prefer handwriting to printing because I find it more economical.  When you print (as donjuan mentioned) you have to take your pen off the paper and reposition it many times in a single word.  When I handwrite I do it much less, only backtracking to cross t's or dot i's.  Also I find that it is much easier to move the pen at fast rates (even though it may be a bit messy) with fluid movements. 

[elephant]

I cant´t see my university start using computers for examinations anytime soon, and the various types of shorthand will surely putt off (appropriate expression?) the sensors.

I have started relearning the handwriting taught at elementary school, and I guess if I write a few pages every day, I will eventually get quite adept.

However, there must be some shortcuts for ramping up speed and legibility (sp?) quickly? Perhaps there are some parallels between learning to write and learning to play?

[diegosmom]

1) Write small (saves ink, saves space, saves time).
2) Write in cursive (rather than in print).
3) Tilt your paper (not your wrist).
4) Write lightly, not heavily (less stress on the hand).

[elephant]

Write lightly, not heavily (less stress on the hand).

My faculty uses these triple-layer sheets for exams, forcing us to write very hard to produce two legible copies. It really ruins the hand, so for the exams this spring I wrote lightly and had them use a copier. They went quite angry, though, so for this semester I will probably get a declaration from my physicist.

[diegosmom]

Ouch. Even heavily signing my initials in triplicate hurts my hand. Good idea about the doctor's note.

[sklebil]

Hire a secretary.

[elephant]

Quite off-topic, I wonder: What is a medical doctor, and what is a physicist? What is the appropriate term for use like I did in this thread?

[abell88]

Quite off-topic, I wonder: What is a medical doctor, and what is a physicist? What is the appropriate term for use like I did in this thread?

A medical doctor is a physician. A physicist is a type of scientist.