Pursuing a master’s degree can feel like juggling a million things at once – readings, lectures, assignments, project work. With so much information, it can be easy to lose track of important details. That’s where having good note-taking skills makes a difference. Rather than just writing notes down, successful note-taking also involves creating a system to stay organized and be able to make connections between ideas. Google Docs is a widely used tool for note-taking, yet there are many features of it that are not well-known. I have provided 5 aspects of Google Docs that you can incorporate into your future notes.
- Table of Contents
To add an organizational structure to your notes, Google Docs offers a Table of Contents feature. Inserting a table of contents at the top of your document allows you to easily see the page number of each section and subsection, and clicking on the section names in the table of contents even brings you directly to the location of it in the document.
- Tabs
Different tabs can be added to a single document, further breaking down the contents into separate, distinguishable sections. Each tab functions like its own document, which allows for focused work on individual sections and breaks down large documents into more manageable sections to reduce endless scrolling.
- Code Blocks
Especially in a data science field, note-taking often involves code. Google Docs has a Code Block feature that allows users to select a coding language and insert a chunk of code into the document that remains in the format of that language. Using Code Blocks can help distinguish between text and code.
- Insert → Building blocks → Code block
- Checklists
Using the checklist function can help create a structured plan for next steps, whether that be individual or in a group. In Google Docs, tasks can be assigned to specific individuals with a date to be completed by. Using checklists can serve as a reminder to aid completion of tasks.
- Task Tracker
Many group meetings often result in tasks being assigned to group members, which can be recorded in a Task Tracker table in Google Docs. The Task Tracker feature not only includes the title of the task, but also has fields to assign a task to a specific person, establish a date, and record the status of the task completion. This can be helpful when taking meeting notes to record and track progress throughout the course of a project.
- Insert → Building blocks → Task tracker
These 5 features in Google Docs can assist in organization, whether that be of notes, brainstorming, or planning. While everyone has their own unique note-taking strategy, these tools can make your note-taking process more efficient and effective. With the addition of these features into your notes, your Google Docs can go from pages of text to organized and easy-to-read notes. Try out some of these features in your next Google Doc and see how they transform the way you take notes.
Columnist: Hannah Enck