Hello everyone, in my "What's in My Backpack" video
I gave you a sneak peek of my new notebook
and I had tons of requests to show you how I'm currently taking my notes and
some tips on how to achieve the same type of result with your own notebooks. So for today's video
I'll show you the five key aspects that make my notes work so well for me, and how you can take similar ones
First of all, the first step is to pick a notebook that is pleasing to the eye
efficient and sturdy enough to hold all of your notes for a long time.
I picked a single notebook for all my semester's notes because of that I thought it would be important to get a sturdier hardcover notebook
that I'll use for the months to come every single day.
The notebook I picked is a moleskin Pro A4 notebook with dotted pages, and it has two key features that make it so functional for note taking:
numbered pages and a table of contents
Since I'm using a notebook for all of my classes
it was very important for me to be able to number the pages and
index the different class topics and
subjects in a table of contents and the fact that this notebook already has these two components makes my job much easier
Although this doesn't count as a tip for the note-taking in itself
It is definitely a big part of the organization of my notes
And I suggest you to apply the same concept in all of your notebooks
The second tip is to use two columns instead of writing across the whole page.
I've been taking notes like this for a few years
and whether I apply the Cornell method or not, I always prefer to use it
It allows me to have much more flexibility when taking notes during class
Since I'm never able to fully anticipate the lecture speech
The fact that I can write horizontally in two different spots allows me to add comments, examples, and corrections
instead of having to worry about cramping all the information I'm hearing into the same space
The column method can be used in tens of different ways and this really varies per subject class and the course you're currently taking
In our bachelors, I used to write down the legal articles
I was commenting in class so I could look at both the original source and the professor's comments in the same page.
I also use the column to add my own personal comments on a subject or
reference to other pages or materials that I wanted to consult to complement those materials..
The way you use this method is really up to you, but I think you should try it out at least for one day.
The third tip is to use color, but with caution as a rule;
I only use two colored pens for each set of notes.
On the one hand, that allows me to highlight only the important information without having to decode
thousands of different colors searching for the relevant parts.
On the other side, using only two pens makes note taking in itself much more efficient,
since I don't need to lose time choosing between too many different colors
when I should really be paying attention to class. As a plus, I think that picking a few contrasting colors
also makes your notes much neater looking, and if you're looking for this type of aesthetic,
minimalism is the way to go.
The fourth tip is to learn how to arrange the space in the pages of your notebook
Some people like to cram as much information as possible in one page, and while that can be quite pleasant
looking in a few cases, it can make the studying process way more difficult.
If you are using your class notebook as a transitional source of information,
like if you're going to rewrite all of your notes when you get home, this might not be a problem.
However, if you're thinking of your notebook as the ultimate source of information when studying, it will be important to think of your handwriting and,
most of all, of how you arrange the spacing of your page.
If you want to use the column method, sometimes you'll not have information to add in the second column.
Although this can leave a blank portion in the page that you desperately want to fill in, leave the blank space in there.
This can be beneficial for two reasons: first of all, your page will look cleaner and
reviewing for tests or exam will be much easier if you give your eyes an easier time looking for specific information.
Secondly, allowing yourself for some blank space between notes also lets you write your own personal comments in between in future study sessions;
something that I highly suggest you if you are into active reading. Finally, learn how to efficiently cover up mistakes.
Tons of people ask me how I'm able to take notes without ever making mistakes.
Well, since I'm currently taking English courses, and my first language is Portuguese,
believe me when I say that I make mistakes.
I know quite a few of them actually.
However, since I'm the only one reading my own notes, if I make any grammar or vocabulary mistake,
I will either leave the word as it is as it will not compromise my learning of the subject or I will rewrite it
in front of the wrong words and underline it.
If my mistake compromises my knowledge on the topic if I read it in the future,
I will strike it through as neatly as I can. Overall, this will result in notes as spotless as they can be and
It will not make a difference at all.
So I hope you've enjoyed my five quick tips on how to write notes like mine, and I'll see you next week. Bye