How To: Organize your Notes

Let me start off by saying that there are many ways of taking notes, however this is the way I do it. A few weeks ago, I got a request to post about my binder system...so here it is!

I have 7 binders I used this semester (it's a lot, I know). I have one for every class I am in (this semester, it was Torts, Criminal Law, Contracts, Civil Procedure, and Legal Research and Writing). I have a finals binder, and I have the binder I use everyday.

I use my finals binder for storing study guides, practice exams, and other relevant worksheets for studying for finals. This way, everything I plan on studying with is in one binder, and I don't have to bring multiple binders with me to study. I use simple dividing tabs to distinguish between my classes, and I order my classes in this binder based on the timing of my finals (first final is first in my binder, and last final is last in my binder).

My everyday binder is also separated by binder tabs for each of my classes. In this binder, I organize my classes by the order in which I have them throughout the day and week. This is the only binder I use everyday, both at home and at school. Like mentioned in my last post, I brief every case. Earlier in the semester, I would print all of my briefs out and bring them to class in my binder. However, to save money and trees, I began to use my laptop to make updates to briefs. All other notes, however, I take by hand. If something is especially important, I will write in both by hand and in my brief/outline that I have open on my laptop.

At the end of every week, I empty all notes, briefs, and other handouts out of that binder. I put the notes into their corresponding class binder. I make sure to keep all papers organized by their date, so my class binder accurately reflects the syllabus of the class.

This system made it very easy to look back on my hand-written and computer notes when I was putting together outlines for finals. On my computer, I titled everything as "(Class Name) Week #." Matching up my handwritten notes to the notes on my laptop was very easy and allowed me to easily make coherent outlines.

Well, that's how I take and organize my notes. How do y'all do it? Leave your methods in the comments!