The Importance of Taking Notes

If you're like most people, you've probably scribbled down notes in the margins of a textbook, jotted a few thoughts on a notepad, or tapped out reminders on your phone. But have you ever considered how structured note taking can transform your learning process and spark new and fresh ideas? For those diving into new fields, like i am jumping into a web development, note taking isn't just something you do here and there. Notes should be like a living, always evolving organism. If done right, note taking can be a powerful tool for personal growth and creativity. Not only retaining the new knowledge but as a tool help you develop new insights and wider perspective. In this post, i will share my own experience with note taking, and how leveraging tools like Obsidian can supercharge thinking capacity.

A Brief History of Note-Taking

Before we dive into modern methods, let’s take a quick trip down memory lane. Note taking has been around for centuries, from ancient scholars scratching ideas onto papyrus to medieval monks meticulously copying texts. In the 20th century, the advent of typewriters and early computers revolutionised how we capture information, making it easier and faster. Fast forward to today, and digital tools have opened up a world of possibilities for organising and retrieving our thoughts with ease.

“Note taking is not just a way to remember things; it's a method of making sense of the world around you.”

Different Methods of Note Taking

There’s no single best approach to note taking, but understanding different methods can help you find what works best for you. Here’s a rundown of popular techniques:

Zettelkasten

"Linking ideas creates a web of knowledge that evolves over time."

• Concept: Developed by German sociologist Niklas Luhmann, Zettelkasten, which means “slip box” in German, is a method of note-taking that focuses on creating a network of interconnected notes.
• How it Works: Each note (or “zettel”) is a self-contained idea or concept. Notes are linked to each other through a unique identification system, making it easy to trace connections between different ideas. This method encourages the development of a personal knowledge base or "second brain."
• Strengths: Great for building a complex web of interconnected ideas, which can be particularly useful for research and writing projects.

Cornell Method

“The Cornell Method provides a clear and organised way to simplify knowledge review”

• Concept: Developed by Walter Pauk, the Cornell Method is a systematic approach to note taking that helps with organization and review.
• How it Works: The page is divided into three sections: a narrow left hand column for cues or key terms, a wider right hand column for detailed notes, and a summary section at the bottom. During the lecture or reading, take notes in the right-hand column. Afterward, summarize the notes and jot down key terms or questions in the left hand column.
• Strengths: Provides a structured way to review and study notes. The summary section and cue column help reinforce learning and facilitate easier review.

Mind Mapping

“Mind mapping helps visualise relationships and encourages creative thinking.”

• Concept: Developed by Tony Buzan, mind mapping is a visual note-taking method that organizes information around a central idea.
• How it Works: Start with a central concept in the middle of a page, and then branch out with related ideas, keywords, or concepts. Each branch can further expand into sub-branches.
• Strengths: Useful for brainstorming, organising thoughts, and visualising relationships between concepts. It’s also helpful for memory retention due to its visual nature.

Outline Method

“Outlining breaks down information into manageable chunks, making it easier to digest.”

• Concept: This is a hierarchical method that organizes information into main topics and subtopics.
• How it Works: Start with main headings and then create subheadings or bullet points under each heading. Each level of detail is indented to show the relationship between ideas.
• Strengths: Excellent for organizing structured information and creating a clear, logical flow. It’s particularly useful for subjects with a clear hierarchy, such as history or science.

Sentence Method

“This method is perfect for capturing detailed, step-by-step information.”

• Concept: This method involves writing each new piece of information as a new sentence, often in a linear fashion.
• How it Works: Notes are taken in complete sentences, with each sentence representing a distinct idea or fact. This method tends to produce a narrative style of notes.
• Strengths: Provides detailed and comprehensive notes that can be easy to understand when reviewed later. It’s particularly useful for lectures with dense information.

Flow Based Note Taking

"Capture ideas in their natural flow to foster creativity and insight."

• Concept: This approach emphasizes capturing ideas in a free form, non linear way, often using a combination of text, diagrams, and arrows.
• How it Works: Notes are taken in a continuous, flowing manner, integrating text and visual elements to capture the flow of ideas as they come.
• Strengths: Allows for creative expression and can adapt to various types of information, making it useful for subjects where connections are fluid and less structured.

Charting Method

"Categorise data to compare, contrast, and clarify information efficiently."

• Concept: This method organises information into tables or charts, which is particularly useful for comparing and contrasting data.
• How it Works: Create a chart with columns and rows to systematically categorise information. Each row can represent a different item or concept, while columns represent different attributes or criteria.
• Strengths: Ideal for subjects involving comparisons, classifications, or data analysis. It helps to quickly visualise and retrieve information.

Boxing Method

"Separate topics visually to keep your notes organised and accessible."

• Concept: Information is divided into “boxes” or sections on a page to visually separate different topics or subtopics.
• How it Works: Draw boxes around related pieces of information to group them together visually. Each box can be a topic or a subtopic.
• Strengths: Helps in organising notes by visually separating different sections. Useful for subjects where clear delineation between topics is helpful.

Each method has its own advantages, and the best choice often depends on personal preference, the nature of the material, and the intended use of the notes. Some people even combine methods to suit their needs!

Practical Tips for Effective Note Taking

Be Concise and Focused

• Tip: Avoid writing down everything verbatim. Instead, focus on capturing key points, main ideas, and essential details. Use abbreviations and symbols to speed up the process and keep your notes succinct.
• Why It Helps: Concise notes are easier to review and retain. They also help you to process and understand the material better as you’re forced to distil the information into its most important elements.

Use Active Listening and Engagement

• Tip: Engage actively with the material as it’s presented. This means asking questions, making connections to what you already know, and summarising information in your own words as you take notes.
• Why It Helps: Active engagement ensures that you’re not just passively transcribing information, but actually processing and understanding it. This improves retention and comprehension.

Organise Your Notes Clearly

• Tip: Use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and numbered lists to structure your notes. Leave space for additional information or clarifications. Consistently use a system for organising your notes, whether it's a specific method like the Cornell Method or just a personal style.
• Why It Helps: Well organised notes are easier to navigate and review. They make it simpler to find specific information and see the overall structure of the material.

Review and Revise Regularly

• Tip: Set aside time to review and revise your notes regularly. Summarise what you’ve learned in your own words, fill in any gaps, and clarify any points that are unclear.
• Why It Helps: Regular review helps reinforce the material in your memory and ensures that your notes are accurate and complete. Revising also helps you to better understand and integrate the information.

Utilise Visual Aids

• Tip: Incorporate diagrams, charts, and other visual elements to represent complex information and relationships. Tools like mind maps or flowcharts can help in visualising connections between ideas.
• Why It Helps: Visual aids can make abstract or complex information more concrete and easier to understand. They also help in memory retention by engaging different cognitive processes.

Why i love Obsidian?

Obsidian is a flexible note taking app that helps you organise your ideas by linking notes together and using simple Markdown formatting. Its Graph View shows how your notes are connected, making it easy to explore your thoughts visually. With notes stored locally and lots of customisation options, Obsidian is great for keeping track of and connecting your information.

Markdown Support. Obsidian uses Markdown, a lightweight markup language, which allows you to format your notes easily and ensures compatibility with other Markdown based tools. This makes writing and editing content straightforward and flexible.

Links and backlinks. One of Obsidian’s standout features is its bidirectional linking system. You can create wiki style links between the notes and Obsidian will automatically update the links when you change or move connected notes. It is possible to create a link to notes that still has to be written, empty and nonexistent files. After clicking on such link, obsidian will automatically create a new file. It helps if you are writing a lot and planning to connect future writings, no need to come back and update the links. It is flexible and powerful. The ability to link notes and visualise connections makes Obsidian ideal for building a personal knowledge base.

Graph View. The Graph View is a visual representation of your notes and their connections. It provides an intuitive way to see how your ideas are related, allowing you to explore your knowledge base dynamically.

Customisability. Obsidian is highly customisable. You can choose from a range of themes, install plugins, and adjust settings to tailor the app to your workflow. This adaptability makes it suitable for various use cases, from simple note-taking to complex project management. Obsidian can work very well as a bare bones app, without any additional plugins but plugins are also a great way to add and remove extra features. From simple styles and calendars to complex data fetching plugins that turns your obsidian vault into a database, powerful template generators... you name it.

Local Storage. Only you are the owner of your notes. Unlike many cloud based note taking apps, Obsidian stores your notes locally on your device as a plain markdown files organised into a set of directories and sub-directories. This offers greater control over your data and ensures that your notes remain accessible even without an internet connection. You can easily format, reformat, convert, code, encode and so on... It is your data and you can move it how you wish.

Publishing tools. By utilising a simple structure of notes stored in a local directories or online repositories like github or gitlab, with the help of the static site generators like Quartz or Jekyll it is only a matter of few minutes and you can have your own digital garden, collection of personal knowledge and everything you written. Feeling inspired? Read this: A Brief History and Ethos of the Digital Garden, a newly revived philosophy for publishing personal knowledge on the web.

Conclusion

Taking notes is a simple yet powerful practice that can greatly improve how you perceive the world around you. From organising ideas to tracking progress and facilitating learning, effective note taking can enhance your productivity and problem solving skills. By using the right tools and methods, and maintaining a consistent note taking habit, you can ensure that you stay organised, focused, and continuously improving in your web development journey.

So, grab a notebook or fire up Obsidian, and start turning your scattered thoughts into a well organised stash of knowledge. Happy note taking!

Image taken from: https://blog.cuaa.edu