Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Notes and Notepaper

At the moment, I consider any reading that I don't have to take notes on reading for pleasure. Just like having to fill out a worksheet while watching a movie in class, taking notes while reading hugely changes the tone of the task.

What I didn't realize is that the sort of notepaper I use changes the tone as well. For the past few months I had been writing on unlined paper and I just ran out and made the switch to a lined notebook last week. The lined paper has been great; I feel like my notes are more regular and organized now, and it also helps to have a notebook to flip through instead of stacks of paper covering my desk.

Funnily enough, the topic I'm taking notes on is the importance of accounting for relevant parameters when optimizing a system. In light of this, I'm trying to think of other factors affecting my studying and how I might reach optimal note quality. Using multiple colors of ink is next on my list of experiments.

3 comments:

  1. Other potential factors I can think of: taking notes on 3x5 cards so that one can easily rearrange the order, sitting in a comfortable chair vs. a straight-backed chair, studying during the day vs. at night, using star stickers to highlight key points, using small vs. large notebooks...

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  2. For the multi-colour ink experiment, it may be good to get one of those 4-colour pens. I was dashed one for winning at beginner table tennis at Vale do Sul (lost it there too, I think), but you should be able to find one easily in Oxford, unless there's a bylaw against them.

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