You’d think after four years of university, I’d have the perfect note-taking system figured out.
I don’t.
But I do have something that works.
Over time, I realised that taking notes isn’t about writing everything down — it’s about knowing what actually matters. Especially during lectures where everything moves fast, and half the time you’re still trying to stay awake.
What Didn’t Work for Me
In my earlier semesters, I tried to write everything.
Every slide. Every explanation. Every example.
It looked productive, but it wasn’t.
I’d end up with pages of notes that I never looked at again.
How I Tried Different Methods
I also experimented with different ways of taking notes.
At first, I used pen and paper. It felt like the proper way to study, but I kept losing my notes or forgetting where I put them. Even when I didn’t, I wasn’t motivated to go back and read pages of handwritten notes.
Then I switched to Notion.
Typing my notes felt a lot more manageable, and everything stayed in one place. It also made me feel more productive. Having templates for note-taking, to-do lists, and even unfinished tasks helped me stay organised without overthinking everything.
What I Do Now
Now, I keep it simple.
Instead of writing everything, I focus on understanding first, then noting down only what’s useful.
You don’t need to write everything. Open up your lecturer’s slides on your phone, tablet, or laptop — whatever works for you — and just add notes where it actually matters.
Here’s what that looks like:
• I listen first, write later
• I only note key points, not full sentences
• I highlight things the lecturer repeats or emphasises
• I mark anything I don’t understand to revisit later
Keeping It Manageable
I also stopped trying to make my notes “perfect” during class.
Messy notes are fine.
What matters is that I understand them later.
If needed, I clean them up after class — but only if it’s worth the time.
What I’ve Learned
A good note-taking system isn’t about having the nicest notes. It’s about understanding what you’ve written. It’s about making revision easier.
And honestly, once I stopped overcomplicating things, studying became a lot less stressful.
If You’re Still Figuring It Out
If you’re still figuring out your own system, that’s normal.
It takes time to find what works for you — and even then, it changes.
Try different methods, keep what works, and don’t force yourself into a system just because it works for someone else.
If you’ve found a note-taking method that works for you, I’d actually love to know — I’m still figuring mine out too. Comment your preferred method of note-taking.
-J
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