Color coding your notes can be your best ally while you are studying.
Be it an intensive studying session,
or just skimming through your materials
identifying certain bits of information
just by the color can help you on the long run.
Firstly, you will save tons of time reading
just because you are trying to find something within te text.
Also,
reading only highlighted or color coded text
can give you an overall view of the materials
without having to read the notes in their entirety
Whenever you decide what is your color code
you have to chose between a code with colored pens
or highlighters.
Picking both of them
will turn your notes into a mess of color
and you will lose sight of what is relevant or not.
Highlighters are a good choice
if you wish to write all in black or blue during class
and color code only when you have more time.
They are also perfect to use with typed notes.
Your pens of choice should be fine tiped and smudge proof
to avoid mistakes and drama while writing.
I suggest swatching all of your colors first
side by side.
This gives you a good overview
of which colors are the most intense
and pigmented.
Avoid dark and soft colors like
brown, grey or yellow.
Unless you are writing your main notes with black
you should stay away from blue and colors with blue undertones
like purple and blueish greens.
Color Theory helps you decide
which colors you should chose for your color code.
Because I've studied Arts for a few years,
I got acquainted with color theory
and how complementary colors,
this is,
colors which are opposite in the color circle
create the strongest contrast
when placed next to each other.
You should chose a combination of
two opposite colors in the color circle.
In the picture, you can see how the blue and orange circles
seem to have such intense colors
and how the circle with orange and red
cancels itself.
turning the inner orange circle
into an apparent darker color.
I also highly suggest
you to pick only two colors for your color code.
Complex notes never benefit
too much color.
2 colors plus your main text color
like black or blue are the perfect
amount to maximize your abillity
to retain information.
I know because I've made that mistake myself.
The final step
is just to assign your chosen colors
to referenced information.
Basically,
you need to understand, according to your subject,
the pattern in which information pops out
as you take your notes.
If you are taking science or maths
it's probably important to use a color for
for formulas and equations
so you can easily find them on a page.
for someone who is studying law, like me,
we're constantly referencing the law in class
so I always use a contrasting color to
name paragraphs and articles of the law
as well as referencing statutes.
Think beforehand of what is important,
in whatever you are studying
and try out different combinations.
Last year, I bought a ton of colored pens and highlighters
and I completely overdid my color coding scheme.
As you can see in the video,
I mixed highlighters, colored pens
and things just stopped making sense.
It makes a pretty page
but, when you're studying,
all that color will just distract you,
and you won't even understand what's important and what is not.
A studying aesthetic is not all that important
in the long run.
And, although it can help you feel motivated and inspired all you study,
the fact is, sometimes,
it won't help you achieve the results
you are aiming for.