| It’s a challenge – but it’s worth it! |
Hello, my dearest reader.
Let me guess… You are here because you don’t know how to take notes in a lecture – whether it’s better to use an actual paper notebook, your laptop, your iPad, tablet, or some digital version of handwritten notes.
Well, let me tell you – during the first semester of law school, I was in love with my tablet and mind maps. I attended every lecture we had and created my mind maps during each one. They were really pretty, highlighted, and everything. That all sounds really nice, but during the exam terms, I was lost in a ton of student materials, books, and just everything. Plus, I was struggling with depression, and it was just hell. I hated it and my performance in every exam was getting worse. But that’s not the point. The point is, as long as my mind maps were pretty, I didn’t look at them at all. I didn’t work with them at all, and I ended up deleting them after my exam.
So, that wasn’t effective for me.
Then, I decided to try taking my notes on my laptop. I use Notion because it’s so pretty and handy, and I love it. I also use it as my second brain, but I am still developing this process. Not just in these things, I am trying to find what works for me in every aspect of my life since I started university. It’s all about finding your own way. And things that work for me may not work for you, and that’s absolutely okay.
So, this semester, I tried to take my notes on my laptop, which was really hard because I have an old laptop and I don’t have a desktop computer. I do everything on this one laptop, so its battery is in bad condition (after 4 years of intensive use – I had it during lockdown as well). So, I had to carry a quite heavy charger everywhere, and not everywhere has sockets, so it was really complicated.
Anyway, you can see where this is going – no, I didn’t use my laptop notes either. Because it was usually just the stuff that was in the presentation, or I found them later in books.
And then, I saw a wonderful video from YouTuber Elizabeth Philips (I hope I’ll find the link – you should definitely check out her videos – I think the animations and the whole vibe is so original and amazing) about taking notes in one notebook and nothing more. Well, since she is studying medicine and I study law, the techniques might be slightly different, but – I tried taking notes in one small notebook (A6 I think – I got one in my local firm – Papelote which matches my personal style).
Trying this was the best decision of my life. I write only the things that I know I won’t remember or the things that I didn’t understand during the lecture so I would take a look at them later. From the back, there are notes divided by subject that I take at the end of my study session.
In my field, there are no pictures, so the only pretty thing in there is a small mind map that helps me organize my thoughts and knowledge.
I don’t use highlighters, but I do use a different color for Latin words, rules, or sentences. I was sad that I didn’t try this sooner, but now I know what works for me and what doesn’t.
I know that it’s different for every school and for every subject, but don’t be afraid to experiment. Otherwise, you won’t find your way. But if you did already, congratulations! I am happy for you.
If you read the whole article, thank you very much. I hope it was encouraging or inspiring, and see you letter.
Ressily