#1

Hi there, I’m a college student and new to the Obsidian application. I have not setup my first Obsidian vault yet. I don’t want to start down a path and end up with a garbage in garbage out note system… I want to get the right structure. I am studying for a degree in social work to earn my BSW and MSW. Ultimately, I will write many essays and dissertations throughout my college career.
I am wondering if anyone has an example workflow for taking notes while in class and what that process would look like in Obsidian. Should I just use one “note” for all the content for each day in class and make that an MOC? It seems like it would be tricky creating additional linked notes for each concept in real-time and linking them together during class.

#2

My advice is to not have an in class workflow. Let your in-class and initial reading notes be very raw lit notes /fleeting notes organised by textbook chapterz topic, or whatever. Take time outside of class to organize those notes, build MOCs or whatever. Note making (as opposed to note taking) requires your full attention.

Another rec: don’t make separate vaults for different classes. The more you can link ideas across classes the more efficient you will be when coming up with, eg, term papers.

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#3

In my (limited) experience, the perfect system constantly evolves. I’ve learned to be okay with that. :grimacing:

One thing I’ve grown to like is just taking notes. I haven’t fallen into Zettelkasten (apologies for spelling…) but I’m suspecting that is in my future. That said, I try to make my notes as small as possible with relevant tags to help find them. Then I go back later in my review and add structure. It sounds like that’s what @JAndrews2 is recommending too.

As they say, it’s at least a two-step process. 1. to get the notes written and into your system and 2. processing them.

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#4

Hi there. I use a plugin called Carry-Forward. This allows you to highlight blocks and send them to notes. I use one master sheet with everything, then append the blocks I want into the notes I want. Not sure if this helps you at all, but it has been a great use for me.

In other cases, I create small notes however for most of what I do, I need to still have a master to go back to that is the full living history.

#5

Avoid being systematic or perfectionist with your notes while you in a class/lecture room. focus more with the lecturer, write only brief and short headlines in a raw format, maybe use an outline mode (check outliner plugin for that). Then later at home or in the college library grab a coffee and complete your research about the topic and expand on your notes with good structuring and formating.

Just start now. You’ll figure out your style of note-taking while doing it, you’ll waste your time trying to figure out a good system and structure to write notes.

Personally, I take my iPad with me and write my lecture notes using Good Notes and an Apple pencil. then I finish my reading/search and summarising the topic in Obsidian later when I’m back at home.

good luck.

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#6

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