In the photos above, I visualise the 2 different systems. Each of the systems involves having a new cell per lecture. However, in the first 2 photos (from left to right) I have separate pages for my lectures vs my lab notes. Whereas on the right, I have my lectures, labs, extra reading and questions all formulated into one table. Clicking the See All button at the top left of the table, above the search bar, you can choose to view classes by type i.e. just see my lectures or just see my lab notes for example.

The second system I have found works best, otherwise you are just clicking too many buttons to get to the area you need. However, in future I shall implement the ‘breadcrumb’ at the top the page, like i did with the first and second photos. (Breadcrumb = univeristy/ BMS2037:cellu../lecture below the page titles). Breadcrumbs make it easier to shift between pages instead of clicking the back button all the time. They are essientally hyperlinks to other pages.

Tip: to insert a breadcrumb simply put /breadcrumb and a breadcrumb will appear. This works for anything you are trying to insert e.g. a table

You can also choose to insert materials e.g. any lecture slides or resources you used within that lecture. Personally I dont find this helpful, as our VLE is clearly laid out with our lectures. But it might be something worth trying, as you can also insert pictures or any sort of media you require.

I also use the tick box function to keep track of whether I have written the lecture into Anki cards (flashcards)/ attended the lecture.

Side note: Please ignore my spelling/ how I label lectures, they make sense to me, they dont need to be 100% correct - right?

Internship/Placement Page:

I have recently been dabbling in the layout I would like to use for my internship year, however, I shall update you at a later date with any additional details, as due to COVID-19 the formate of the year and my assessments has changed. I also will find out more when I start my internship... which is soon - yay!

Notion - BASIC And EASY Note Taking System FOR STUDENTS

I’ve decided to have reminders at the top, which I inserted using /callout - you can change the emoji to anything you would like. This is for me to know instantly any important documents or tasks that I need to complete.

The external work to that provided by my internship is included in the table. This is essientally the coursework I have to complete on the side of the placement. Here i decided to note the deadlines and percentage of the year that it is worth. This is just to help me grasp the format of this year, since as mentioned above, it is slightly different.

Underneath this I have a selection of details to do with the company. This includes my acceptance letter and any insurance forms I need to send off. I just wanted to have them at hand so i can reference them at any time.

Summer 2020/Taekwondo pages:

These pages I format the same as the ‘Module’ Pages, so I haven’t included any pictures etc.

Miscellaneous things:

- NOTION IS FREE FOR STUDENTS - if you have an educational email, you can sign up for free! If not, packages start at $4 a month, which isn’t too bad for something you use frequently!

- This service is avaliable on tablets and computers, so anyone can take advantage of this organisational software!

- You can change the cover and icon at the top of each page. They include emojis and a standard image database, but you can also upload your own unique images if you desire.

- There are also template designs for pages, with different themes for different needs. So if you don’t want to start one from scratch you have lots of options to choose from. Use those as a base and edit them from there! For example, there are calendars, habit trackers, resume trackers and whole load of other things.

- Using a device for notes, such as notion, allows you access to any notes you have made at ease. It is organised, and you are unlikely to lose your notes. Paper is great until you scrunch up that important sheet, or it rains and the paper gets wet, or you are carrying every single note you have ever made - that can become heavy. Just something to bear in mind, especially if you can afford a laptop/ note taking device of some kind.

- You can create multiple pages for different aspects of your life (photo below). For example I have 2 additional pages, 1 for personal things and another for blog post ideas - to keep you guys entertained... haha! 😆

Conclusion :

What I have shared here is a very BASIC overview of how I use notion. If you desire a detailed in depth report of how notion works, it might be worth checking out Ali Abdaal, who can give you this information. As for me and what I require from the service, Notion has been working really well, keeping me organised with all my notes in one area. Knowing what I am doing, when, and being able to keep up with the speed of lectures - considering my writing speed is questionable. 😂

When you first download notion and look at all the templates, it can be a bit overwhelming/ exciting. Start with what you need, and then explore new ideas that you want to incorporate. There is no point setting up hundreds of pages if you aren’t going to use them, just like writing out pretty notes doesnt help you learn content - but more about that in a future post. Start small, being organised involves consistency, you can’t be consistent if you have given yourself too many things to do daily. Or at least you are unlikely to be.

One word of warning, Notion is not compatible with the Apple Pencil, so if you like writing notes on your iPad, this may not be the best software for you. As well as this, if you are a faster writer than you are typer, DO NOT USE NOTION. The whole basis of this app or at least how I use it, is to stay organised and write notes productively and efficiently. If you prefer writing, keep at it! Don’t just switch because suddenly you hear lots of tapping on keyboards in the lecture theatre.

Play to YOUR STRENGTHS , enhance what you are good at, not what everyone else is doing. As always, you’ve got this 💪

Let me know if you have any questions, or whether you’d like any further posts/details about my notion workflow. I’m happy to answer any queries you have.

Speak soon,

Lucinda x

More Posts from Oliviasstudyblrshit and Others

oliviasstudyblrshit

9 months ago

so, you're taking a class and you hate it: how to make a bad class suck less

as i struggle through my spring quarter classes, i thought i may as well make a post about something currently relevant to me: taking classes that you don't like.

maybe you're taking a degree or distribution requirement; maybe you signed up for a class because it's exactly in your field of interest, but the professor is a really bad lecturer (not that this is personal experience or anything); maybe, you just...........don't enjoy your class for whatever reason.

so, you have two options: drop the class, or continue on.

since you're reading this post, i assume you can't drop the class for whatever reason—something from above, or maybe something else. i'm not going to judge you! but here's some things that, in my experience, have made bad classes, well, less bad (in no particular order).

one: find ways to make your time before and after the class in question as enjoyable as possible. likely this class drains your energy horribly—so doing something that makes you happy or calms you down before the class, and something to destress afterwards, you'll feel a bit better almost immediately. this can, in my experience, take me from hating an entire day of my week, to being frustrated but able to deal with it. examples of things i do, depending on my energy levels and time:

take a nap

read some of a book

draw

take a walk

write

two: schedule your week so you finish everything up until the day of the class (both for that class and your others) before the day of the class. for me, there's nothing more stressful than getting out of my second to last class, and realising i still have to do five types of homework before i can even think of relaxing or calming myself down about the class i'm dreading—assuming i even have any time to do so! this is a more long-term strategy, so if you can, you should start to do this as soon as possible. for me, this looks like making to do lists on my blog to keep myself accountable, or setting alarms to remind myself to do things (since i'm not very good at keeping a planner).

three: talking to your friends or family! the power of complaining before or after a really draining experience can be very cathartic. oftentimes, your friends or family will be very sympathetic to your frustrations. they can also help distract you if you need it!

four: somewhat similar to one—reward yourself for making it through the class! on wednesdays after my dreaded class, i buy myself a cookie and watch bad book reviews, because i am both food- and gossip-motivated.

five: keep on top of classwork. if nothing else, you have to make sure you don't fall behind in your least favourite class. it'll make everything feel fifty times worse. if you have a required presentation and a final project, start working on them or thinking about what/how you're going to do them as soon as you find out about them. get these done as soon as possible, or at least start working on them, so that when the due-date approaches you don't panic.

hopefully my experiences will help you!

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oliviasstudyblrshit

5 years ago

student reset routine - how to get back on track ⛅

hello everyone. in today’s blog post i’ll be sharing with you tips to reset and prepare yourself for a new week!

planning and productivity

catch up on any incomplete homework

declutter old papers from your folders

plan and schedule for the week

write your notes and do your worksheets

empty out the trash in your bag

finish up all your tasks

digital declutter

unsubscribe from pesky newletters

delete useless photos

clear your inbox

delete unused social media accounts

turn off unnecessary notifications

turn on ‘do not disturb’ mode

uninstall miscellaneous apps, if possible

personal wellbeing

do some stretching or light yoga

drink water

turn on the diffuser and put some lavender essential oil

go for a walk

take a shower

wash your face

i hope you enjoyed this post - and have a great week ahead! 💖

p.s let me know what you think of my new content! how can i improve? let me know in the comments section below, thank you!

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oliviasstudyblrshit

1 year ago

Hey, a random piece of advice from your fellow interpreter with ADHD: if you really struggle with prioritizing information when taking notes in class, I recommend looking into the method of note-taking for simultaneous/consecutive interpreting. Here’s a book on it by Andrew Gilles that we were offered in university. There are more manuals online and more videos about the method.

If someone isn’t familiar with it, the purpose of SI note-taking is to break large blocks of information into easily memorized sentences that get attached to further informative pieces through personalized association. The method is to use the least space/symbols possible under least time spent to retain as much information as you can.

For example, instead of writing down that “it was raining yesterday but today the sun is shining”, an interpreter can put down something like “⏪☔(b)🔽🌞” and they will know what it means in given context.

Symbol language in interpretation is entirely personal and depends on the professional in question. Some concepts are given “recommended symbols” in different manuals, for example, arrows tend to imply direction within time continuum.

If you’d like to use it, you can start by trying to take notes of a certain lecture, book paragraph, or any piece of information through symbolic note-taking. From my experience, it does help to prioritize the “important” information aka “who-where-how-what-when-why” with the details being added on as necessary.

Hope someone finds it useful!

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oliviasstudyblrshit

5 years ago

day 52/100 of productivity | november playlist!

types of study breaks for every situation

if you realize you’ve been studying for hours: grab a snack to refuel your body and watch a sitcom to refuel your brain. then back to the books.

if you’re feeling stressed out: take some deep breaths, text your friends, maybe stare at a wall for a few minutes. gather yourself.

if you can’t seem to focus: get moving and get outside. take out the garbage, check your mail box, maybe walk your dog. just get moving and get fresh air. it’ll help bring you back.

if there’s something else going on in your life and you can’t get it off your mind: write down what’s going through your head, sort of like a diary entry. it’ll help you work things out.

if you’re just mentally and physically exhausted: set a timer for 25-30 minutes and take a nap. any longer and you’ll hit REM and you’ll wake up feeling just as tired. once you wake up, get some caffeine in you.

if the material is boring as hell: find another way to study. see if there’s a crash course video online about it or draw out what you’re trying to learn in diagrams and pictures to make it fun.

if people around you won’t shut up: listen to some music. soundtrack and classical music is always good because they won’t absorb you as much as music with lyrics. white noise (like ocean waves, rain sounds, etc.) also works.

if you only half understand a concept: call/message a friend who’s not in the class and try to teach the material to them. this will help you mentally work through the material and will help you remember it as well.

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oliviasstudyblrshit

4 years ago

it’s giveaway time!!

over the years I’ve accumulated a ton of tumblr-recommended stationery and there’s no way I can possibly use it all now that I’m out of school. I’m putting together a goody bag full of (unused, of course) stationery from my personal collection, plus a few hand-picked new items!!

prizes

a fun grab bag of stationery that will include at least:

Notebooks

A collection of pens, highlighters, markers, etc

Washi tape

Stickers, sticky notes, or other fun goodies

Supplies will be from my favorite brands, including: Muji, Rifle Paper Co., Ban.Do, Zebra, Stabilo, Staedtler, etc

rules

open to US followers only

must be 18+ or have parental permission to enter

must be following me

reblog this post

each reblog = 1 entry

i may pick multiple winners based on how many entries there are !!

winner(s) will be randomly picked on August 15, 2020

faq here

I’m so excited to put together this prize and share my favorite stationery with you!! good luck!!

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oliviasstudyblrshit

3 years ago

hello july 🕊

im not a fan of pink but this month im feeling girly with a hint of brown. i guess u can call me down to earth gal 🤍 also if u like to see more back the scene of how i create my spreads, follow my ig! @nochascorner

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oliviasstudyblrshit

1 year ago

i love how theres no rules for pronouncing words in English, you literally just have to learn and hear someone say every single word

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