Note taking in lectures.

Basu · 2009-11-21 17:45:38

I use paper and pencil for all my engineering classes. For my creative writing class, it's Emacs and Org-mode for the win. That in turn goes into a Git repo which is synced across all my machines.

llcawthorne · 2009-11-21 19:28:35

I normally leave my notebook in my backpack in class and just use pen and paper to take notes.

I find that jotting stuff down by hand maybe helps me remember it or something? Beats me. I seldom actually look at the notes later, but I dilligently write them down. They are useful for scanning on quiz and test days, at least. I sometimes have the good intentions of typing up the notes later, but it has yet to ever actually happen.

gogi-goji · 2009-11-21 19:41:56

My main issue with handwriting notes is that my handwriting is atrocious. I virtually never look at my notes if I wrote them by hand, since it's so much work to decipher what I've written.

jceasless · 2009-11-24 14:19:46

LyX FTW (in terms of "flat" documents.)

Life is too short for less-than-TeX text

Why not vim + LaTeX? Because learning ConTeXt makes much more sense than LaTeX ATM. However, the learning curve is daunting and not very easy to deal with in the middle of a masters program.

With LyX, though, you will not only find it very easy to keep things relatively organized, but you will have the sexiest notes in class.

DISCLAIMER: I do not take any math/science/engineering courses. However, ConTeXt is apparently going to get a "TI-input mode" that will allow formulas to be written as if they were being inputted into a calculator.

TjPhysicist · 2009-11-26 14:55:59

ZankerH wrote:

Most of my uni courses are math-related, and I've yet to see any piece of software that's more efficient for writing down math (incl. fractions, integrations, roots, sub/super/over/underscript, symbols and greek letters) than pen and paper. Mathematica comes close, but has extortionist pricing, still isn't quite as fast as just using paper, and has a habit of still not understanding some math functions when entered in traditional notation (notable: summation, limited integration), which forces you to write it down in Mathematica code, which takes even more time and takes your mind off the actual math, forcing you to focus on coding.
Sorry for the derail, but does anyone know a piece of software that allows you to input math in traditional notation about as fast as the pen-and-paper approach? LaTeX compatibility would be a definite plus.
(inb4 someone claims to take math notes in LaTeX, on a terminal text editor, in real time)
EDIT: wow, I wasn't even in before that. Enjoy thinking about LaTex instead of focusing on the lecture, I guess.

I was in physics (switched to philosophy: long story). Even more so in mathematical physics. As a matter of fact LaTeX is more common as a tool for typesetting math than anything else. Of all the fields I have encountered in my uni career none have been more latex friendly and full of people who know latex than mathematics. And well latex format is pretty much close to standard. I mean yea you have to put $$ b4 and after equations some. But the rest is just like programming. ^ mean power _ mean sub (i.e. a_b a and a little b at the bottom) all pretty standard as far as i know. rest is just \<name> as is standard for latex. \int \sigma \gamma and what not. Well technically drawing a little integral sign is much fast than writing \sigma, but the time lost is very little and i type a little faster than i write any ways.

The only thing about latex is when I have to do particle diagrams and whatnot for physics. that is the ONLY reason i have ever needed to take out a pencil and paper during class, physics diagrams. And even that I later transfer into computer.

And yes I take math notes (or did when i took math classes or physics classes) on a terminal text editor (vim) in real time as the lecture was going on. OFC it took a little getting used to at first, but i had already started with MS OneNote prior to this and was no stranger to computer note taking so it wasn't too bad.

I also have a little script and a skeleton file, and depending on what i want to do (say take notes) i do ClassWrk PHYS 111 and hit enter. It copies the appropriate skeleton into the PHYS 111 folder (i arrange my notes according to Semester/Class, I also have a global semester variable that auto adjusts every semester) and names it note_<todaysdate>.tex, starts up vim editing said copied file. Once i exit vim succesfully (save+quit or quit etc) the same script which is still running compiles the latex into pdf and starts up xpdf viewing said file so i can look at the finished result (since the pdf is what others would normally end up seeing as most people ask me to share a pdf not a .tex file).

This set up did not take long to come up with either, and frankly could be MUCH MUCH better, I could auto detect the time of day and check with my calendar what class is happening and thus not have to pass the class variable. If i wanted to create/edit a file not of todays date then i just pass date after the Course/folder name.

The flip side: I am trying out taking notes on paper after 4 years this semester, and i have to say "meh". It's cool to have the freedom to draw diagrams and write all over the damned place easily (im a very visually oriented person), but of late im getting used to taking notes on latex so much that its become second nature almost.

ETA: Also, as someone in a major such a philosophy that is HEAVILY dependant on class interaction and discussion i HAVE to be paying attention in class. I mean i've missed classes before and it was hell, even when i knew exactly what prof was going to talk about etc. A lot of marks are given based on classroom interaction and discussion esp. as you can imagine, 4th year and seminar classes.
-Tj

Last edited by TjPhysicist (2009-11-26 15:11:30)

shock · 2009-12-05 10:10:26

I use pen and listing notebook. Later i transfer the notes to abiword. And i have sorted the notes as per subject and file on one folder.

vajorie · 2009-12-14 17:55:34

Basu wrote:

For my creative writing class, it's Emacs and Org-mode for the win.

sorry to wake up an old discussion, but I was wondering if anyone here knew of some tutorial on using org-mode for note taking for classes (ie the ways in which to arrange different notes for different classes, structure of the class notes document that might work best, tips and stuff like that). I will soon read the manual, and I saw the tutorial collection, but I was hoping for a quick intro written specifically for this purpose. thanks.

neoanima · 2010-04-14 11:19:44

http://www.iogear.com/product/GPEN100C/

this tool and software may be useful and meets most needs of many persons. but i don't know if they provide linux surpporting service.

x0rg · 2010-04-14 11:32:03

jceasless wrote:

LyX FTW (in terms of "flat" documents.)
Life is too short for less-than-TeX text
Why not vim + LaTeX? Because learning ConTeXt makes much more sense than LaTeX ATM. However, the learning curve is daunting and not very easy to deal with in the middle of a masters program.
With LyX, though, you will not only find it very easy to keep things relatively organized, but you will have the sexiest notes in class.
DISCLAIMER: I do not take any math/science/engineering courses. However, ConTeXt is apparently going to get a "TI-input mode" that will allow formulas to be written as if they were being inputted into a calculator.

How's the ConText support of LyX? I thought it's latex only...

Vamp898 · 2010-04-14 12:57:14

Nuz wrote:

How do make and organise your notes in classes/lectures ? Any tips, experiences or applications you would like to share?
I've searched for some applications and found NoteCase, which seems to be what I need. Although I worry about drawings, is it possible/needed to do them on a computer?

GNote/KNote

hak5fan · 2010-04-18 19:39:43

All the lecture notes the proffesors use are published to the uni website so i rarely need to take notes, but when i need to i use mostly plain vim.
i use the following folder structure

documents/<cource-code>/exercises
documents/<cource-code>/notes
documents/<cource-code/books

My uni offers ssh access to my documents folder at the uni so I use a combination of sshfs and unison to sync my computer with the uni computers. That way I have access to all my work from any uni computer\

splittercode · 2010-04-18 19:41:00

I don't know anyone who uses anything but pencil and paper for notes in physics/math (which are the only types of courses I take at the moment). I can understand using a computer to take notes for the humanities classes where you only deal with words, but learning to quickly draw graphs/diagrams/equations for physics/math on a computer seems like way more effort than it'd be worth, unless you already know how for some other reason. I also feel like I learn better by using pen/paper for some reason. I guess I feel more connected to what I'm writing and remember it better. I must be old school.

Last edited by splittercode (2010-04-18 19:42:38)

nXqd · 2010-12-07 03:05:54

shock wrote:

I use pen and listing notebook. Later i transfer the notes to abiword. And i have sorted the notes as per subject and file on one folder.

Sorry for digging this old thread. But I really interested in Note taking in class and in your works every day. I think the most important in taking note is it makes you understand and remember what you study better. And they should be kept or backup.
I find myself better understand when I take notes using pen / pencil on papers, but it takes time to write back to computer to back up. Because I don't have any place to keep my papers last, and it will be extreme convenient that you can search, sort and organize your notes on computer. And I also prefer drawing on my note.
Due to the condition, I don't mind building scanner, or tablet here .
And it must be cross-platform, so it looks like latex should be my friend right ? Any suggest for a good latex suite which can draw things [ I also use vim, maybe I'll use vim-latex ].
I will try to take note digitally. If it doesn't work, I'll do 2 times taking note : Handwrite > and transfer to computer.
Any suggest on using latex and good examples will be appreciated.

One more thing: People seems to use latex > pdf. Are there any way to generate a HTML or familiar filetypes which can produce quick review. I try some latex online compiler, and I must download them instead of quick review [ I still downloading latex IDE ]

Last edited by nXqd (2010-12-07 03:24:05)

nXqd · 2010-12-07 03:46:02

I just download MikTex and after extracting, it's 350 mb o.0 . Are there any lighter alternative out there, it's quite big.

frabjous · 2010-12-07 04:43:57

MikTeX? MikTeX is mainly geared for Windows. While there is a limited linux binary, I don't think you can use it alone on Linux without installing a TeXlive base.

I think a minimal TeXlive installation is around 80 MB. To get full use of it, though, you'll want a good selection of packages. But I don't personally usually think of light weight in terms of file size on the harddrive (unless you're hurting for space), but in terms of processor and memory usage while composing; I have the full TeXlive installation which is well over 2 GB, while comping, typically I'm just using vim (or other text editor).

But what exactly are you aiming for? TeX is a typesetting engine. It generates professional-quality results. It is way overkill for typing up your personal lecture notes, unless perhaps there's a lot of math in it. Even then, while in class, you'll typically just be using your text editor. It's only when you want to typeset it that you'll need to use LaTeX itself.

There are plenty of LaTeX packages for drawing figures: pgf/tikz and pstricks are probably the most powerful. But they're generally used by typing in drawing commands, not by drawing by hand. If you want to draw by hand, I'd use Inkscape, which can export to image formats LaTeX can use, or even to LaTeX codes themselves. Anyway, you can't draw inside vim. Vim is text only. (Even gvim doesn't allow that kind of thing.)

Last edited by frabjous (2010-12-07 04:47:35)

nXqd · 2010-12-07 15:10:22

frabjous wrote:

MikTeX? MikTeX is mainly geared for Windows. While there is a limited linux binary, I don't think you can use it alone on Linux without installing a TeXlive base.
I think a minimal TeXlive installation is around 80 MB. To get full use of it, though, you'll want a good selection of packages. But I don't personally usually think of light weight in terms of file size on the harddrive (unless you're hurting for space), but in terms of processor and memory usage while composing; I have the full TeXlive installation which is well over 2 GB, while comping, typically I'm just using vim (or other text editor).
But what exactly are you aiming for? TeX is a typesetting engine. It generates professional-quality results. It is way overkill for typing up your personal lecture notes, unless perhaps there's a lot of math in it. Even then, while in class, you'll typically just be using your text editor. It's only when you want to typeset it that you'll need to use LaTeX itself.
There are plenty of LaTeX packages for drawing figures: pgf/tikz and pstricks are probably the most powerful. But they're generally used by typing in drawing commands, not by drawing by hand. If you want to draw by hand, I'd use Inkscape, which can export to image formats LaTeX can use, or even to LaTeX codes themselves. Anyway, you can't draw inside vim. Vim is text only. (Even gvim doesn't allow that kind of thing.)

Thanks for a great answer, I just install texlive on my arch and using VIM + latex-suite. It works quite fast and I must admit that latex for typeset, so I will take note using plain text with VIM and if I give a report to my teacher, latex is the best and most professional
I've read about your vim + latex : live preview, I will give it a try when I have free time. Thanks mate

After taking time to find the best way to take notes with my favourite editor - vim, I just find that a syntax highlighting is enough
You can try this one : note makerhttp://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=2382
There's a better one available for vim : txtfmt http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=2208

- Happy linux user

Last edited by nXqd (2010-12-07 15:58:45)

poltak · 2010-12-07 17:30:21

I just ctrl+alt+F1 to a new login screen and just open up nano to take down dot points.

I usually stop my xorg and gnome-session to save power and then run powertop in another login screen to help with the power.

I've been doing this since I started using Linux... it just made the most sense to me since it was distraction free (just a black screen with text) and saved a lot of battery power compared to using a desktop environment/WM.

Although I do get some stares and inquisitive eyes peering at me occasionally...

neoanima · 2011-08-24 11:02:53

neoanima wrote:

http://www.iogear.com/product/GPEN100C/
this tool and software may be useful and meets most needs of many persons. but i don't know if they provide linux surpporting service.

yes, digital pen. that is my preference. but there is not good product and corresponding soft in linux. that't a pity.

pivotraze · 2011-08-29 06:35:44

I'm surprised no one has mentioned basket. It's extremely similar to Microsoft OneNote which is great for notes

jgreen1tc · 2011-08-29 19:14:41

I'm surprised this was necrobumped. But yes, I type my notes on basket after I write them on paper.

Last edited by jgreen1tc (2011-08-29 19:15:27)

geniuz · 2011-08-30 08:31:27

Pen and paper, nothing can beat it for math/engineering courses IMHO. Lucky for me, I can reference and understand whatever I put on paper years to come such that whenever anything slips my mind I'll know exactly where to find it. Nonetheless, I still plan to eventually compile lecture notes of every course I toke mentionable notes in and organize them on my blog, which is too, still in progress. That way I have them available neatly whenever I would have a network connection, which is always in my case.

Last edited by geniuz (2011-08-30 08:34:41)

Leonid.I · 2011-08-30 22:28:22

geniuz wrote:

Pen and paper, nothing can beat it for math/engineering courses IMHO. Lucky for me, I can reference and understand whatever I put on paper years to come such that whenever anything slips my mind I'll know exactly where to find it. Nonetheless, I still plan to eventually compile lecture notes of every course I toke mentionable notes in and organize them on my blog, which is too, still in progress. That way I have them available neatly whenever I would have a network connection, which is always in my case.

Agreed I usually photograph hard copies and then do a convert file.jpg file.pdf... You can use imagemagick to clean the images if space is an issue.

Last edited by Leonid.I (2011-08-30 22:29:06)

dnyrgr · 2011-09-04 21:22:08

I use emacs and org-mode for everything except Calc (doesn't seem worth it to be honest).
Also, for those using freemind org-mode supports freemind import and export.

nathan28 · 2011-09-07 22:34:08

When I was in classes I used Gnote/Tomboy if I had my laptop open, and more often than not for searching, not note-taking. Occasionally I'd populate entries with links to files like articles I needed or used frequently. Generally I prefer handwritten notes. If they were important, I'd flag the pages and transcribe them to text, and redraft any diagrams (I'm not in a math/science field so these were never too exacting) into a diagraming prgram like OO/LO Draw. I found and still find this helpful if I get stuck on something.

When I was working at my machine, either writing or researching with the thing on, I'd take notes into a text file, or into Gnote. My system was that if the notes were topical they'd go on Gnote. If they were just me citing useful data and theory out of book linearly so I'd be able to take it back to the library, it'd go into text. I also tend to use Gnote as an idea scratchpad, since it's smart enough to keep everything in one place while I have at least six different directories in which to hide files from myself.

OTOH, I'd use Mendeley to take notes via its PDF viewer if a specific article or book was under discussion and I had it on my disk. Maybe the next version of Okular will have some annotation keybinds and defaults that Just Don't Suck or can be modified without recompiling, but until then, Mendeley does double-duty as my heavyweight PDF viewer and organizer.

krisoijn · 2011-09-08 00:29:54

nathan28 wrote:

OTOH, I'd use Mendeley to take notes via its PDF viewer if a specific article or book was under discussion and I had it on my disk. Maybe the next version of Okular will have some annotation keybinds and defaults that Just Don't Suck or can be modified without recompiling, but until then, Mendeley does double-duty as my heavyweight PDF viewer and organizer.

thanks for introducing Mendeley, I like it especially that notes are store separate from pdf files itself.

Arch Linux

#76 2009-11-21 17:45:38

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#77 2009-11-21 19:28:35

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#78 2009-11-21 19:41:56

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#79 2009-11-24 14:19:46

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#80 2009-11-26 14:55:59

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#81 2009-12-05 10:10:26

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#82 2009-12-14 17:55:34

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#83 2010-04-14 11:19:44

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#84 2010-04-14 11:32:03

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#85 2010-04-14 12:57:14

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#86 2010-04-18 19:39:43

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#87 2010-04-18 19:41:00

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#88 2010-12-07 03:05:54

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#89 2010-12-07 03:46:02

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#90 2010-12-07 04:43:57

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#91 2010-12-07 15:10:22

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#92 2010-12-07 17:30:21

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#93 2011-08-24 11:02:53

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#94 2011-08-29 06:35:44

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#95 2011-08-29 19:14:41

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#96 2011-08-30 08:31:27

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#97 2011-08-30 22:28:22

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#98 2011-09-04 21:22:08

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#99 2011-09-07 22:34:08

Re: Note taking in lectures.

#100 2011-09-08 00:29:54

Re: Note taking in lectures.

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