Organizing Class Notes on Google Docs

This document provides a structured format for class notes, making it easy for readers to follow along and grasp the material being discussed. Organizing the notes clearly, it helps users to efficiently review key concepts and information. This approach ensures that important details are highlighted, allowing for better comprehension and retention of the subject matter.

To get started, all you need is a computer, an iPhone, or a tablet—it's that simple!

1) Open Google Drive in your browser and sign in with your college account.

2) Create a main college Notes folder by clicking New Folder, then name it College Notes and your name.

3) Make a subfolder for each year: Freshman year, Sophomore year, Junior Year, Senior Year.

4) Inside the current year's folder, create a folder for each class.

5) For each class folder, create one main Google doc titled the class name. Master notes.

6) Turn on the document outline: By going to View Show Document Outline, you can jump between lecture days quickly.

7) At the top of the document, type the course info as a title (course, professor, meeting days).

8) Each time you take notes, start with the date as a heading 2.

9) Use bold and bullet lists for key ideas and vocabulary, keeping one main idea per line so the notes are easy to skim before exams.

10) Insert screenshots or images of important diagrams with the insert image, then add a short caption under each one.

11) At the end of each week, add a short weekly summary subheading and list the three to five biggest concepts you learned.

12) Before tests, use the document outline or Ctrl+F to quickly find and jump to the dates or headings you need to review.

13) Repeat this system every semester, adding new class folders under the correct year folder so, by graduation, all four years of notes live in one organized structure.