It’s hard to remember the last time I wrote anything longer than a grocery list by hand — excepting my Christmas list that is! With all of the gadgets modern day life has allotted us, it’s a rarity to actually put pen to paper. But, scientists are saying that might be a big mistake for our minds and deteriorating penmanship. Here are the highlights, but if you’d like to check out the whole article, click here.

1. You learn better…

Writing notes by hand apparently activates part of the brain called the Reticular Activating Center (RAS), which filters information for your brain to process. And wouldn’t you just know that handwritten material moves to the front to of the line for processing?

2. You’ll probably win a Pulitzer…

Some of the best writers ever wrote by hand — and not only the ones that had to (Emily Dickinson, Shakespeare…