Who needs a cryptic code when you have appalling handwriting?

As mentioned before, I carry around a notebook in case of writing emergencies (and ideas). Also previously mentioned is the fact that I only study Maths, Chemistry and Physics nowadays. In 1 and a fraction years, the most writing with a pen that I've done is doing a proof by induction (They are pretty darn long). My handwriting was hardly perfect to begin with, but now it is effectively illegible. However there is a silver lining in all of this. Unless you are me, you can't read anything I've written (seriously, not even my parents and close friends can decipher it).




I've covered this in passing before, but now seems like a good time to go into more depth. For reasons I still don't fully understand, I managed to skip part of kindergarten and/or Year 1 in school. Which was when apparently most of my friends started learning how to write joined up. Even the huge amounts of handwriting practice (and encouraging stickers) didn't help loads. So I have bad handwriting to begin with. And I think faster than I write, so to get it all on the page I have to scribble it out really fast - even more fun in an exam 5 minutes before the end, where your hand basically causes the paper to catch on fire due to its speed. And I'm too lazy honestly to form up complete letters. I can if I really focus, but that takes a lot more energy.

Conversely, I'm a really good reader. Between my grandfather's handwriting, my sister (who can't spell, to make things better) and having had a history teacher with worse handwriting than mine for 2 years, I'm pretty good at reading/guessing what any scrawl is supposed to say. So when it comes to my own writing, where I have a good general idea about the context, I can cope with it. (Oh, and fun fact: I can also read upside down. Just sayin'.)

Apparently, not everyone can read my handwriting. So, for instance, if I'm sitting in a packed restaurant and someone on the table peers over my shoulder, or one of my friends 'acquire' my notebook, they tend to spend so long deciphering it, that I've figured out what they're up to. Well, that or they've given up, which is also quite likely. But regardless, it's far easier than going for a code that a) I'll forget. Almost certainly. and b) That makes it look like I'm writing a top secret government doucment, as opposed to 500 words of rubbish.

Of course, come exam time, this all backfires, because the examiner can't read any of my answers... or my name. But it's a small enough price to pay, right?