Learning

【新學年準備】如何用Notion整理大學筆記

如何用Notion整理大學筆記

新學年和一字之差的新年差不多,總是讓人特別有幹勁。然而,這份幹勁很容易就被功課、閱讀材料壓垮。我有過那樣慘痛的經歷,特別後悔開學前沒做任何準備。因此,我分享自己怎樣用Notion有系統地為「開sem」(開學)做準備。這事要趁幹勁還在的時候趕快做,之後的生活就容易多了。

這裡會集中說如何用Notion為科目建立「主頁」以及我那樣做的原因。如果你覺得有用,請複製和分享我的範本吧(我為了讓自己寫此文時有些樂趣,而且容易說明內容的性質,稍稍創作課程的細節,讀者用的時候把那些placeholders改成適合的內容就好了。希望大家喜歡)

如何用Notion整理課堂筆記

步驟 1: 為每一個科目創建新頁面。

步驟 2: 創建提示Reminder 頁面,方便有任何額外資料需要記錄。

步驟 3: 創建科目的「主頁」。

我建議主頁應包括以下資料:

  1. 功課

  2. 遞交指引

  3. 課程資料

  4. 課程大綱 (這佔版面最大位置,也最重要)

在此之前,為了方便,先在右上角增建目錄(/Table of contents)。

如何用Notion整理大學筆記01

功課

/to-do list記錄功課,用@記下它們的「死線」(deadline),並設定提示。這樣既不會忘記做/交功課,做完也可以把格子剔除,對將來的工作量一目了然。

遞交指引

閱讀你的課程大綱,留意遞交功課的細節,如怎樣遞交,對檔案名稱及格式;頁數、字數、註釋要求等。

如何用Notion整理大學筆記03
如何用Notion整理大學筆記04

課程資訊

記下你的導師資訊,包括電郵、辦公室位置和辦公時間。這樣你需要用到的時候,就不需要東找西找。以防萬一,上載課程大綱的檔案。如果使用電子書,也可將檔案或網址放在這裡。

大學的每一堂都字好了主題,安排好閱讀材料(Readings)。因此,我們可以就著每一堂主題創建一個頁面 (/page) ,以便之後做課堂筆記。我選擇放在課程資料的一個套索(/toggle list)裡**,**方便我在不需要看每堂細節的時候,直接存取筆記。在頁面的右邊,是較詳細的課堂資料。

如何用Notion整理大學筆記04

課程大綱

為每堂創建一個套索(/toggle list),用**@記下上課日期。由於已在課程資料創建了所有筆記頁,用@**就可以將筆記連結在此。

/Numbered list將該堂重點記下,好處是在上課和溫習前,打開筆記前,你已經可以看到該堂或該筆記的重點,會較集中,不易迷失。用 /to-do list 記下要閱讀的讀物,每當看完就可以剔除。

如何用Notion整理大學筆記06

Start your Semester with Notion (free template)

Start your Semester with Notion 05

People, myself included, will have high levels of motivation when the semester begins. However, it also wanes fast when the workload gets heavy. I learnt my lesson and understood how important to be prepared and organised; to set up systems when the motivation was still there. It just makes life so much easier.

In this article, I will share how I use Notion to create a course homepage and explain its rationale. If you find it useful, feel free to duplicate the templates and share with others. (I fabricated those courses' details for fun and easy understanding, hope you like them.)


Step 1: Create pages for each course.

Step 2: Create a [reminder] page if there are any extra remarks.

start your semester with Notion01

Step 3: Set up the course homepage.

I recommended having four main parts:

  1. Assessment/Homework

  2. Submission Instruction

  3. Course Information

  4. Course Syllabus (It takes the most prominent area)

Assessment/Homework

Mark the due dates of your assessments and homework. Use /to-do list to create checkboxes. Use @ to create deadlines (and hand in time) and reminders.

start your semester with Notion02

Submission instruction

Read the course outline carefully. Look out for details such as how to hand in your work, and what are the filename/format requirements.

Course Information

Mark your instructor information, including email, office location and office hours. It is always better to have these details in one place. Embed PDF file of your course outline in case you need it.

start your semester with Notion03

Create related pages (/page) for each lesson. I choose to put all my class notes here and use /link to page at the course syllabus section because I want the course note page to align with the lesson title. It can be used as quick access too. Mark your textbook, if you are using ebooks or e-resources from your university library, embed them.

Course Syllabus

Mark all your lessons using @Date and /link to page. Of course, if you didn't create those pages (/page) at the course information section, make them here.

If your course outline includes the main points of the lesson, you should mark them down. Before the class or before you open the course notes page to jot notes, you can go through those points and give them extra attention.

Use /to-do list to mark the required readings. Check the boxes when you finish them.

start your semester with Notion04
Phone view looks oddly satisfying to me.

Phone view looks oddly satisfying to me.


我如何用Notion寫閱讀筆記

Notion book notes templates

後知後覺,上星期才聽到Notion個人版變成免費任用的福音。因為我用大學電郵登記,一直免費,便沒有留意這個消息。而最終得知,是因為看到Notion被中國禁用的新聞時順道發現的。

被禁的原因至今未明,至少中國政府沒有官方解釋,但現時已解封。期間創辦人及CEO Ivan Zhao寫了一封〈Notion中文社區的朋友們大家好〉講解情況。有用家對於他的背景(中國出世)感到不安,怕他被「招安」。不過Ivan在網上反駁網友,並稱自己是中學移了民的「華人」。後來Notion亦出了聲明,講明是美國公司,資料放在美國,也不擁有用戶資料,而且符合GDPR規定。這做法值得一讚

順帶一提,有指北京印象筆記搶先注冊Notion的商標。後來更出現了疑似山寨版Notion,叫「寒舟」……


我用過很多文字軟件或程式,由以前必用的Microsoft Word,到Google Doc,也有用Evernote、Cold Turkey、Google Keep、Apple Note、Typora……有時間可寫篇對比文章。但結論是Notion暫時最為吸引,尤其我過去一直在用Google Doc和Googlesheet吃力地希望做到的效果,在Notion則是內置、基本、「一鍵搞掂」的功能時,終於覺得自己等到了。

Notion不但幾乎有齊文字軟件的功能,最重要是有數據庫和連繫功能,用處實在太多,今次先說閱讀筆記。以下是我的閱讀筆記Page(可視Page為Notion的基本單位,而且現在個人用戶可免費、無限隨你開)

Notion_booknotes

在閱讀筆記Page裡,我建了一個Database,加入想要的分類,一目了然。若有需要搜尋、排序、篩選都非常方便。我的閱讀筆記少得一眼睇哂,但在管理寫過的文章時就很有用。

先說這些閱讀筆記的用途,這裡只談一般書籍,教科書、論文等不計。由於我試過很多次看完一本書,幾年後某天寫文時才想引用當中的內容,結果花了很多時間才找回要用那段。如寫信時(對,我還會寫信)想引用某小說時,最後差不多重看一次,因為我忘了那段在哪而小說很吸引。自此我不只直接在書寫筆記或Highlight,也另外在電腦做筆記,目的是我要用時可以毋須手上有那本書,同時減省尋找的時間。

以此為目標,這類筆記的基本元素就是頁數、內容、小記。

在Google Doc寫閱讀筆記時,也沒有就此弄一個template,往往都是開上一個file,製作副本再刪去舊的內容。小記直接寫在內容下,有需要便用不同顏色區分。

google doc booknotes
google doc booknotes

但Notion是用Blocks的形式,(如果建過網站,很可能就明白這自由也會帶來些痛苦),設計Template比Copy&Paste或製造副本然後刪內容更方便,所以我就弄了一個極簡單的版本。有需要可拿去用

notion_booknotes

留意在Template內的分項會自動成為Database的分項,但你可以自由選擇在Database顯示哪幾項。例如我的Templates有記錄何時開始看那本書,但我認為看Database時不需要這項資料,就隱藏了。

Notion的Toggle list也很好用,讓我把不需要用的章節收起來,寫或看筆記時毋須轆過長長的篇幅。

notion booknotes
notion booknotes

假設想連繫相關網頁 、檔案,其他文書軟件也不難做到,可透過超連結去做。只是Notion的用戶體驗很好。它可直接搜尋已經建立的Page,例如看此書時突然觸發我在另一本書〈最後一個知識人〉看過的內容,我便可將它們連起來。又例如有天看到新聞,雖不一定有相關性,但日後或者可再觀察,也可以把連結放著。

notion open new page
notion linked page

更方便的,是可以直接在Page內建一個新Page。例如我想單獨寫 Salami Tactic的筆記,可以即時開一個以此為名的Page,然後像一般的文字連結般將兩個page連上。

又例如看書時,想截圖留下,也很方便,就直接上載到Notion。Google Keep及Apple Note都可以,但我已忘了Google Doc能否做到。在Notion它不會直接把你上傳的圖片加入Page中,而是替你在Page中另開Page放好。由於只是示範我懶得改名,但若真的有需要,不妨按頁數改名,甚至直接用截圖做筆記也可。要把截圖放在原先的Page使用,點進去直接把圖拉至左上角需要的位置就可。

notion share picture
notion share picture

最後,完成筆記後建議點選Page Lock。因為Blocks真的很方便自由移位,有時在手機上看時,撥撥下就調位了,最慘是你只看到撥錯了,卻沒看到動了甚麼,結果要去Page history看。不過公道一點說,它的手機程式設計得不錯,撥的時候如果要移位,會震動提醒。Google Keep的checkbox就不會。

notion page lock

這就是我在Notion寫一般書籍的閱讀筆記的做法,其他讀物會有分別,有機會再談。不過,Notion也有一些缺點,但對於寫閱讀筆記而言,可能不太明顯,例如:

  • 或因為有database或toggle list等原因,它比一般文字軟件/程式要多點時間Load。幸好情況不嚴重,而且同步也做得很好。

  • 加圖沒有問題,但缺乏編圖的功能,似乎連剪裁的功能都沒有。

  • 文字編輯選項有限,例如文字顏色和Highlight不能在同一個字上使用。字體選擇也不多,但筆記而言這算less is more吧。

  • 凡要加表格,基本上就是database;但有時其實我就只想要個正正常常無功能的表格。當然,因為它是用blocks,所有文字可以搬來搬去,必要的話還是可以造出來,只是麻煩。

  • 我始終有時不慣用blocks的方式來寫文,所以若寫長文,多數都在Google Docs寫。但做資料搜集或後期管理時,又會用Notion,現時算是雙線並行。

  • Templates是跟database,只有先建了database,才可以設計templates,而且不能隨便搬動。假設我在Book Notes的Page寫了Templates,想用在Blog Post裡,要再寫而不可搬。而由於是用Blocks 的關係,複製貼上會移位,Template內的page也會變成copy page 而不是本來的page。不過,Page是可以自由搬動的,所以我的建議,是單獨為Templates開一個database,不要一來就分類。每次按Template,開了新Page才自由安放吧。

加Icon的功能很有趣,如Research Writing 用垃圾桶就很應景……編書的眼嘛,就缺了點紅筋。

加Icon的功能很有趣,如Research Writing 用垃圾桶就很應景……編書的眼嘛,就缺了點紅筋。

How I take book notes on Notion

If you have a student email(.edu), you can use Notion for free! It is fantastic news cause Notion is an excellent note-taking app for students or anyone who wants their note to be interactive.

I had tried various note-taking apps and software. From the most common one -- Microsoft Word, to Google Doc, Evernote, Cold Turkey, Google Keep, Apple Note, Pages, Typora...(I may write an article to compare them later) Notion is by far the most attractive one. Mainly because what I was trying to do manually at Google Doc and Google sheet, Notion can do it automatically with a few buttons. Not to mention using short keys, haha. I finally met a note-taking app with functions that I desire.

Notion basically has everything a note-taking app requires. The most powerful functions are to build a database and create a linkage between pages. There are tons of ways to use it, tailor-made for your learning style. In this article, I will share how I use Notion to take the most basic book notes, more advance ways of using it will be introduced later.

This is part of my book notes database. There are a few categories I need to stay organized. It will make it easier for me to search, re-order or sort them. (Even if I don't, it is satisfying to look at such table. It motivates me to read more.) To create this table, just click /table OR HERE to get my template.

My basic version book notes aim at recording insightful content or quote for later use (So that I can easily find what I need without the book in hand). Trust me, it saves a lot of time. To achieve the goal, the note includes the following parts:

  1. Book Title

  2. Author

  3. Status: In Progress? Finished or Hold

  4. Area: Novel? Commentary? History?

  5. Book Type: Ebooks? Physical Books?

  6. Tag 

  7. Start Date

  8. End Date

  9. Attachment

  10. Page number

  11. Quote/ insightful ideas

  12. Personal Notes

Before using Notion, google doc is my choice. Here is the comparison.

Google doc vs Notion

Very simple, but it does the job. So simple that I never create a template. Instead, I just copy the table from the previous note and paste it to the new one. I created a simple symbols system and use it on all my note.

Notion's Toggle list is a simple but life-changing feature. Book notes can be extremely long, especially if it is a long novel with a lot of excellent quotes. Toggle list can group and bundle the content, so I don't need to scroll to the very end.

It isn't rare we find some useful links, files, photos that want to insert in the book note. You can do so in other note-taking apps too. Yet, the user experience of Notion is fantastic. It allows the user not only to do all of the above but also link notes that already established. For example, when I read about this novel, something from a book read before come up to my mind. Then I can simply link that book note to the current one.  If there is topic (For example Salami Tactic ) I want to know more, I can open a new page and link to the book note. So no matter I read about Salami Tactic page or the book note page, I can easily trace the related topics.

Notion linked page

Please be aware that some features are quite different from other note-taking apps.

  • Since there are features like database and toggle list, it takes a little while to load. Though the speed is highly acceptable and the syncing is reliable. 

  • Easy to insert photos, yet it didn't come along some simple photo editing function. 

  • Whenever you add a table, it will automatically turn into a database. It is excellent, yet sometimes I just simply want a table. The most straightforward table that can easily copy and paste to other pages or files.

  • You can only create templates in a database, and you can only use it there. Therefore, I recommended user to create a templates database and choose what you need there. After that, you can move the page to other places where you want.