Stay Organized

Stay Organized

Seven Ways to Organize Your Notes

This resource shows seven note-taking formats: the DIY, Hierarchy, Instruction Manual, Matrix, Mind Map, Outline, and Storyboard. Each one includes a student’s example and a blank template.

The original examples were handwritten and hand-drawn. Here, the handwriting is typed out as text, and each drawing is described in italics inside square brackets.

You can type directly into any blank template, or print this page (Ctrl+P on Windows, Cmd+P on Mac) and fill it in by hand. Each blank template starts on its own page when printed, so you can choose to print only the pages you want.

Note: What you type is not saved or sent anywhere, and it will be cleared if you reload or leave this page. Print the page if you want to keep a copy of your notes.

On This Page

• The DIY
• The Hierarchy
• The Instruction Manual
• The Matrix
• The Mind Map
• The Outline
• The Storyboard

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The DIY

A three-column layout that works from left to right. The first column lists the main ideas, the second adds the details they influence, and the third builds toward a diagram. Arrows connect the columns to show how one idea leads to the next.

Example: Chemistry (CH 232), Bonds & Phase Diagrams

Topic(s): Bonds & Phase Diagrams
Class: CH 232

What are the main concepts in this lecture?

1. Types of Bonding
2. Influences of Vaporization
3. Phase Diagrams

References: Table 11.4 (pg. 466); Lecture 9

Column 1: Each molec. has different types of bonds…

[Drawing: A long arrow runs down the left side of this column, labeled “Bond strength increases.” The bond types below are listed from weakest at the top to strongest at the bottom, each with a small sketch.]

• Dispersion: [all molec.]
  [Drawing: Two oval molecules with a small dot inside each, marked with partial charges (δ+ and δ−) and joined by a dotted line.]
• Dipole-dipole: [polar]
  [Drawing: Two molecules, each with partial charges (δ+ and δ−), joined by a dotted line.]
• Hydrogen bonding: [F, O, N]
  [Drawing: Three water-type molecules (a large oxygen circle with two small hydrogen circles) with partial charges marked and dotted lines showing the hydrogen bonds between them.]
• Ion-dipole: [mix of ionic + polar]
  [Drawing: A positive ion and a negative ion, each surrounded by a ring of water molecules.]

Column 2: …which influences vaporization/fusion…

[Drawing: An arrow leads from Column 1 into this column.]

↑ Vaporization rate:

1. ↑ Temp.
2. ↑ Surface area
3. ↓ Strength of bond

Vocab: volatile — characteristic describing a liquid that vaporizes easily

Heat of vaporization — amount of heat required to vaporize 1 mole of liquid
H₂O H_vap = +40.7 kJ/mol
* Always positive/endothermic

Clausius-Clapeyron equation:
ln P_vap = (−ΔH_vap / R)(1 / T) + ln B

Fusion:
H₂O H_fus = −6.02 kJ/mol
* Always negative/exothermic
* Tends to be smaller than H_vap for same molec.

Column 3: …giving each molec. its own unique phase diagram.

[Drawing: An arrow leads from Column 2 into this column. The phase diagram is a graph with temperature on the horizontal axis and pressure on the vertical axis. It has three labeled regions: solid on the left, liquid in the upper middle, and gas on the lower right. Curves separate the regions. A star marks the triple point where all three curves meet, and a triangle marks the critical point at the upper end of the liquid-gas curve.]

• Sublimation curve: Transition between gas and solid
• Fusion curve: Transition between solid and liquid
• Vaporization curve: Transition between liquid and gas
• ★ Triple point: Exact condition where all three states are stable and in equilibrium. The three states coexist.
• △ Critical point: Condition where gas and liquid coalesce to form supercritical fluid (11.5)

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The Hierarchy

A tree layout that starts with one main topic at the top and branches down into categories and details. Each box has a label that names what kind of information it holds.

Example: Psychology (PSY 202), Personality Theories

Topic(s): Personality Theories
Class: PSY 202

What are the main concepts in this lecture?

1. Focuses of each type of theory and how they relate
2. Where famous exp. studies fall into the broader spectrum

Questions to Ask: What theory has been shown to be the strongest indicator of personality (behavior)?

[Diagram: A tree chart. One box at the top branches into four boxes, and each of those branches into one more box below. Each box has a small label tab at its bottom edge. The tree is shown below as a nested list.]

• Theories of Personalities [not mutually exclusive] (label: Social Psych)
  • Situational Approach
    [Drawing: A stick figure surrounded by arrows pointing at it from every side.]
    Behavior influenced by external factors
    • Cons of theory:
      • Need more than one situation
      • People react differently even with the same external conditions
    • Attribution: inferring process of behavior (connected to the box above by a curved line)
  • Psychoanalytical Theory (Freud)
    Childhood exp. & unconscious drive behavior
    • Key words:
      • Libido energy
      • Psychosexual
      • Conscious v. unconscious; ego & superego, ID/ego
  • Humanistic Theory (Rogers, Maslow)
    Individuals have free will & can reach self-actualization
    * Focuses on conscious
    • Basis of theory:
      • Hierarchy of needs
      • Rogers: growth promoting climate, nurtured, acceptance
  • Biological Theory (Buss)
    Personality is inherited by genes
    → Twin studies
    • Key words:
      • Innate
      • Temperament (Trait theory)
      • Environmental factors

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The Instruction Manual

A two-column layout for problem-solving subjects. The left column works through a sample problem and the right column explains the reasoning behind each step. Boxes at the bottom hold what to check if you get stuck and questions to ask.

Example: Calculus (252), U-substitution

Topic(s): U-substitution
Class: 252

What are the main concepts in this lecture?

1. Basic u-subs.
2. Recognizing patterns
3. Chain rule

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The Matrix

A grid layout for comparing several concepts across the same set of characteristics. Each row is a concept and each column is a characteristic, so you can scan across and compare.

Example: Anatomy, Cardiopathologies

Topic(s): Cardiopathologies
Class: Anatomy

What are the main concepts in this lecture?

1. Risk factors of cardiopathologies
2. Symptoms of cardiopathologies
3. Treatment of cardiopathologies

Questions to Ask: Why do β-blockers work for some pathologies but not others?

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The Mind Map

A layout that places each main concept in its own circle, with smaller circles for related examples and ideas. Lines show how the concepts connect.

Example: Topics around evolution (212)

Topic(s): Topics around evolution
Class: 212

What are the main concepts in this lecture?

1. Evolution vs. natural selection
2. Modern day natural selection/variance
3. Intelligent Design controversy

[Diagram: Three large circles, one for each concept, are joined by lines: Concept 1 to Concept 2, and Concept 2 to Concept 3. Smaller circles with related ideas are attached to the large circles. Each concept and its attached ideas are listed below.]

Concept 1: Natural Selection

• In any population, there are variations that end up being more helpful for survival of the species.
• Side note: happens over eons of time
• Small circle: ex. Peppered moths, industrial revolution
• Small circle: Δ in environment, rate of reproduction, success in reproducing

Concept 2: Best application: The Flu

• Body gets better at recognizing before flu attacks. Randomly mutates, newest variants becomes more successful in attacking body.
• Small circle: Antibiotics attack bacteria & attract resistant bacteria
• Small circle, connected to the antibiotics circle by a line: SUPERBUG. New bacteria doesn’t have to fight for ecosystem.

Concept 3: Intelligent Design

• Not everything is created just “randomly” b/c things are so awe-inspiring.
• Small circle: Human eye. But there is variation here (far-sighted v. near sighted).

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The Outline

A layout that lines up your questions and references beside your class notes. A bottom section holds words to define and a short summary that connects the ideas.

Example: Birth of massive stars

Topic(s): Birth of massive stars

What are the main concepts in this lecture?

1. What a massive star is
2. How stars’ radius get bigger
3. Why iron is the last core to form

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The Storyboard

A picture-based layout in which each panel shows one scene or idea, with a caption below it. A strip along the bottom holds questions, a timeline or bigger-picture note, and references.

Example: Origins of agriculture

Topic(s): Origins of agriculture

What are the main concepts in this lecture?

1. How ag. was born
2. Benefits of being born
3. Why then & where

[Diagram: Four picture panels run left to right, joined by arrows. Each panel has a caption box beneath it. A questions, timeline, and references strip runs along the bottom.]

Panel 1: Birth of agriculture

[Drawing: A stick figure, a horned animal, a bird, and a row of small plants.]

• Domesticated animals
• Made animals more robust
• Made plants harvest more predictable

Panel 2: First benefit

[Drawing: A stick figure, a plant, and an animal, with arrows pointing down to larger and larger groups of the same figures, plants, and animals. Labels beneath the groups read “10 mil → 25 mil (Rome) → 78 (now).”]

More robust + predictable food means more reproduction

Panel 3: Why born then

1. End of ice age
2. More evolved cognitive brains
3. More demand for food

Where: Syria, China, Andes, midwest, savannah

Panel 4: Second benefit

[Drawing: A row of crops above a stick figure, with one arrow from the figure to “military” and another to “Technology.”]

Specialization, conflict dominance, property

Questions to Ask

• What was the domestication process like?
• How did ice age affect ag. more specifically?

How the Concepts are Related to the Bigger Picture

[Drawing: A timeline titled “Time line: Homosapiens have been on the Earth,” spanning 200,000 years. The labels, from oldest to newest, are listed below.]

1. Paleo
2. Meso
3. Last ice age ends
4. Neo
5. Agriculture born (marked with a star)
6. Pyramids
7. Roman Emp.
8. 2017

References

Chapter 5, Lecture 7+8

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About This Resource

This resource is from The Learning Corner @ the Academic Success Center, Oregon State University (success.oregonstate.edu/learning). The original document is marked with a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.

If you need this document in an alternative format, contact the Disabled Students Programs & Services (DSPS) office.