Note-taking is not as simple as it sounds. Sometimes you want to organize your notes for easy access per subject but writing down all the lecture concepts and ideas for the day on a Google document will keep you scrolling for quite some time. The lack of customizable features on your Sticky Notes or Notepad apps doesn’t do much help to you either. Perhaps you can consider switching to note-taking apps that can organize not only your academics but also your life much easier.Â
Here are five note-taking apps you should check out that can keep you on track:
Notion
One of the trending note-taking apps today, Notion helps individuals and teams be organized whether it be notes or projects. As a great alternative to Google Docs or Google Sheets, this free app allows you to create to-do lists, bulleted outlines, calendar organizers, papers, and a whole lot more. You get to create sections to divide your subject lecture notes and have separate pages for other responsibilities that you need to track such as org work or your to-watch list on Netflix.Â
Aside from that, Notion is highly-customizable. You can put a personal touch to your pages, use the app’s templates, add links for files and websites, and even include photos. If the bright interface isn’t for you, you can switch between light and dark mode as well. Do note that Notion takes some time to learn because of its complex features. But once you get a hang of it, you’re sure to enjoy creating your Notion pages and customizing them.
Notability
If you’re used to handwritten notes but you’re always on the go with your iPad, Notability should do the trick of keeping you on track at all times. It’s an all-around app that doesn’t just allow you to take handwritten notes but also annotate PDF documents which is great if you have a lot of readings. Another cool feature of Notability is how you can translate written notes to typewritten ones. It helps in converting messy handwriting into easily readable text. If you feel like drifting off with your ideas, the app also allows you to doodle and sketch.Â
Also quite customizable, Notability lets users change the colors of their text, line thickness, and even allows you to combine all the elements you’ve written or sketched into one document. Plus, you can add photos and gifs too.Â
Microsoft OneNote
If you’re not an iPad user, that’s totally fine–Microsoft OneNote is a great recommendation for Windows users and those who want a simpler interface. The app mainly gives you sections of your digital notebook and you can make separate “pages” under those sections. Like other Microsoft Office applications, OneNote features a ribbon for customizations you want to make to the text you’ve typewritten. You can insert files, videos, links, and photos, to your OneNote pages. Though a feature that does stand out in OneNote is how you can integrate your online meeting schedules from Microsoft Outlook to OneNote. That way you can easily keep track of your group projects and org meetings, at the same time take notes.Â
OneNote may not be as customizable as other apps, however, it’s quite beginner-friendly to those who are new to note-taking apps in general. You can still add notebook lines similar to your physical notebooks to simulate the note-taking experience on a digital scale.
EvernoteÂ
ICYDK, Evernote has been around for quite some time, but it makes sure it keeps itself up-to-date in giving users the best note-taking experience. Some important features that Evernote has is its Evernote Home, which combines all your relevant and useful information in a single place. It’s basically a dashboard rundown that will help you navigate across your notes, calendar, tasks, and pinned notes. Aside from that, Evernote has its own widgets. There’s a scratch pad, pinned notes, shortcuts, tags, tasks, and even a calendar that integrates your Google Calendar meetings.Â
More than the Evernote Home and widgets, Evernote has extended functionality similar to Notion wherein it has an extensive toolbar to create different content such as tables, dividers, code blocks, sketches, and Google Drive links. With Evernote’s focus on actual note-taking and organization, you won’t be able to customize much of your interface aside from its templates. But it still does a pretty good job of simplifying note organization as a whole.
Milanote
If you’re a creative then Milanote is for you. Dubbed the “tool for organizing creative projects,” Milanote is great for brainstorming ideas. Besides taking notes and to-do lists, you can upload images and files from your library or from the Internet. You can also use it as a Pinterest alternative to create narrowed-down mood boards for your projects through the drag-and-drop feature for text boxes, shapes, and images.Â
Furthermore, you can organize your content through small card folders that can be customized in colors for easy navigation. At the same time, you can definitely collaborate with your blockmates to brainstorm together and work on your creative projects by not only writing down but also doodling your ideas on Milanote’s “whiteboard.” With its simple and elegant interface, you can’t go wrong with Milanote for creative organization.Â
From The Candy Bulletin Community
