mikey is love, mikey is life

I get a lot of questions about how I take my lecture notes, and so I thought a quick post might be helpful! I’ve said many a time that I don’t do anything too complex with my notes, nor do a re-write them - but this system really works well for me!

The Basics

First off, I write all my lecture notes in black pen. Sometimes this is a Bic pen, sometimes a Sharpie Fineliner. My highlighters are the Zebra Mildliners. I don’t underline and highlight my notes until after the class, usually the next day. This allows me to focus more in class and gives me an opportunity to review the information at a later date. 

Structure

At the top of the page I’ll always write the date in full and the name of the module that those notes are for, followed by title for that lecture. Underneath, you can see that I’ve devised a colour coding system with highlighters. I usually do ‘citations’, ‘examples’ and ‘important info’, but this may vary depending on the lecture content, so I do this step after I’ve completed the notes. 

Subheadings

Each section of the lecture is given a subheading, which I will underline - again after the class has ended, usually at home. I use the subheadings which feature on the PowerPoint, but rather than writing the information shown on those I base my notes off of what the lecturer is saying.

Indentations

I indent my writing for examples and for the text that follows them, as you can see with ‘the diggers’ and my definitions of the green economy. I find this makes it much easier to identify and follow as you re-read your notes. 

Symbols and Shorthand

I use little right-angle arrows like you can see at the top of the page for my ‘follow through points’, which act as consequences for the point that is mentioned above. I will use three dots {like this ∴ } as a symbol for ‘therefore’. It concludes the points that I have made and is usually based off of how the lecturer has summarised the point they are making. This makes my notes much more coherent.

Spotify, SoundCloud, or Pandora? 

is your room messy or clean?

what color are your eyes?

do you like your name? why?

what is your relationship status? 

describe your personality in 3 words or less

what color hair do you have?

what kind of car do you drive? color?

where do you shop?

how would you describe your style?

favorite social media account

what size bed do you have? 

any siblings?

if you can live anywhere in the world where would it be? why?

favorite snapchat filter? 

favorite makeup brand(s)

how many times a week do you shower?

favorite tv show?

shoe size?

how tall are you?

sandals or sneakers? 

do you go to the gym? 

describe your dream date

how much money do you have in your wallet at the moment?

what color socks are you wearing? 

how many pillows do you sleep with?

do you have a job? what do you do? 

how many friends do you have? 

whats the worst thing you have ever done? 

whats your favorite candle scent? 

3 favorite boy names

3 favorite girl names

favorite actor? 

favorite actress? 

who is your celebrity crush?

favorite movie? 

do you read a lot? whats your favorite book? 

money or brains? 

do you have a nickname? what is it? 

how many times have you been to the hospital?

top 10 favorite songs

do you take any medications daily? 

what is your skin type? (oily, dry, etc)

what is your biggest fear? 

how many kids do you want? 

whats your go to hair style?

what type of house do you live in? (big, small, etc) 

who is your role model? 

what was the last compliment you received?

what was the last text you sent?

how old were you when you found out santa wasn’t real?

what is your dream car? 

opinion on smoking?

do you go to college? 

what is your dream job? 

would you rather live in rural areas or the suburbs? 

do you take shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels? 

do you have freckles? 

do you smile for pictures?

how many pictures do you have on your phone? 

have you ever peed in the woods? 

do you still watch cartoons? 

do you prefer chicken nuggets from Wendy’s or McDonalds?

Favorite dipping sauce? 

what do you wear to bed? 

have you ever won a spelling bee?

 what are your hobbies?

can you draw? 

do you play an instrument?

what was the last concert you saw? 

tea or coffee?

Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts?

do you want to get married?

what is your crush’s first and last initial?

are you going to change your last name when you get married? 

what color looks best on you? 

do you miss anyone right now? 

do you sleep with your door open or closed?

do you believe in ghosts?

what is your biggest pet peeve? 

last person you called`

favorite ice cream flavor? 

regular oreos or golden oreos? 

chocolate or rainbow sprinkles? 

what shirt are you wearing? 

what is your phone background?

are you outgoing or shy?

do you like it when people play with your hair?

do you like your neighbors? 

do you wash your face? at night? in the morning?

have you ever been high? 

have you ever been drunk? 

last thing you ate? 

favorite lyrics right now

summer or winter? 

day or night? 

dark, milk, or white chocolate? 

favorite month? 

what is your zodiac sign