Study Notes in Plain Text for Students
How to take, organise and revise study notes in a text editor, with a simple structure and habits that help you remember.
Students take a lot of notes, and plain text is a surprisingly good tool for it. Files are small, fast and easy to search across a whole course.
Advantages for students
- Fast. No formatting options to slow you down in class.
- Searchable. Find any word across all your notes.
- Reliable. Files rarely corrupt and open anywhere.
- Easy to back up.
- Small. Years of notes take little space.
A simple structure
Create one folder per subject, with one file per topic or lecture:
Biology/
2027-02-01-cells.txt
2027-02-08-photosynthesis.txt
History/
2027-02-03-industrial-revolution.txt
Start each file with a header:
Subject: Biology
Topic: Photosynthesis
Date: 2027-02-08
Source: Lecture 5, Chapter 4
Taking notes
- Write key points, not full sentences.
- Use indentation for sub-points.
- Mark important items with a symbol such as an exclamation mark.
- Note questions to ask, starting with ?.
- Write definitions clearly.
Example:
Photosynthesis
Plants convert light energy into chemical energy
Inputs: light, water, carbon dioxide
Outputs: glucose, oxygen
! Occurs in chloroplasts
? Ask: role of chlorophyll
Reviewing
- Read your notes within a day, and tidy them.
- Turn key points into questions and quiz yourself.
- Make a summary file for each topic, with the main ideas only.
- Use spaced review: revisit notes after a day, a week and a month.
Revision aids
- A glossary file with key terms and definitions.
- A formulas file for quick reference.
- A questions file of past exam-style questions.
Working with others
Copy notes into a message to share with classmates. Plain text is easy to paste and read.
Different subjects
| Subject | Tip |
|---|---|
| Sciences | write formulas in a separate file |
| Languages | keep vocabulary lists with example sentences |
| History | keep timelines in date order |
Stay organised
A consistent naming pattern, a folder per subject and regular backups keep your notes in order all year.
Try it
Start with one subject this week, and see how it feels.
Notepad+ Text Editor
A fast, advanced text editor for notes and code, with emoji support
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