4 Principles of (taking) smart notes as a PhD student

As a PhD student, I did not set up my system/repository of smart notes.

In the 4th year of my PhD program, I realized I was repeatedly spending time finding the articles that I already found as I did not have a reliable storage system. I scrambled around my folders for the notes I took, as I usually always forgot where I stored them. It made me feel miserable and lagging behind in my research pursuits.

I realized that I needed a better system that would empower me.

Efficient systems look inefficient in the initial stages when setting them up.

This inefficiency should not deter one from taking that first step. It’s a worthy investment that will bear dividends in the future.

Suppose one does not take time to set up the system and the necessary organization; redundant efforts are the only way to get the desired result. It is both a waste of time and resources. In addition, as a PhD student, this also puts one behind on their timeline for the dissertation output. This situation is disastrous that is bound to impact both the output and mental health.

Based on a book that I am reading, “How to take smart notes”, these four principles are vital in designing an effective note-taking system:

1. Writing notes in one’s own words is mandatory
2. The notes should be brief and straightforward
3. With a reliable storage system for the notes, one will never have to start from scratch.
4. Focusing on the actual work becomes a joyful process with a reliable storage/retrieval system in place.

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