Jay Rixon is a Senior Manager in Access, Open and Cross-curricular Innovation and responsible for the MA/MSc Open qualification and is part of the Student Hub Live team.

The idea of a formal essay fills me with dread! I find it difficult to present information that way, it’s like my brain doesn’t work in words, sentences, and paragraphs. My brain does work in lines, squiggles, doodles and colours- so the technique of creative notetaking works for me.

Notetaking is a skill that can help us make sense of material, to digest and critically evaluate; it can help us remember key points for exams or for future use. I find that when I approach certain tasks with a different mindset, it helps me do what it needs to do, which could be an study assignment for an OU module or a report for work.

To help me process information I often use mind-maps so I can just empty my mind of all thoughts on that theme onto a piece of paper, that way I can then order them or process them into an email, report or essay. That mind-map does not have to look perfect or be on perfect paper (in fact it’s often on scrap of paper or literally on the back of an envelope).

When I’m in a meeting I like to make visual notes (it doesn’t mean I’m not paying attention). This often starts like a mind-map but then I add some visual motifs, an arrow here, a box there, an asterix, a dotted line etc… you get the picture (no pun intended) . I find that by adding those symbols I’m creating a visual language just for me, that helps me remember what was being discussed. It helps me join up ideas and themes, so I can take them to the next stage.

If I really want to push this way of working a little further, I start to use a mixture of digital text and visual motifs. In a work environment I do this by using software like PowerPoint. I draw with technology (using my mouse like a pencil or pen) my PowerPoint slides often end up being used in presentations or as a visual in a report. Sometimes the visual is what I end up writing about and producing the visual helps me know what to say because I’ve worked it through in a method that works for me.

My background is in the arts, I did an arts undergraduate degree and then was an art teacher for over 10 years. This means I do have a bit of an advantage in this area, but also a bit of a disadvantage… I’m dyslexic, so perhaps that’s why this approach also works well for me. I like to draw, doodle and design rather than using formal written notes. As a result, I have way too much art stuff at home and I just love highlighters, post-it notes, masking or washi tape and a really good thin tipped sharpie pen!

Hopefully this explains why, for me, processing information through my mind and out in a visual form works well. I do that using paper, pens and my beloved stationery or computer software, there are also some great online tools and apps out there to be explored.

There is no ‘right’ way to take notes, what works for me might not work for someone else, and what works for someone else might not work for me. The fun is in trying things out, “having a go”, and not taking your work too seriously.

Here is short video of me using some of my creative notetaking approaches.

At Student Hub Live we like to explore the topic of creative notetaking – not just because we know so many of our audience like stationery! It’s really because the technique of creative notetaking can be another vital tool in a student’s tool kit.

Creative notetaking might be a new approach to capture notes in a tutorial or make notes when reading a set text or a piece of your module materials. It could be a way to process your ideas for your next TMA or help you revise for an exam. Being a student can be tough and we can sometimes get a bit; stuck in a rut; when studying in the same way all the time, so mixing it up and learning alternative approaches to take and make notes can be very helpful.

I love talking about creative notetaking, especially with the Student Hub Live audience as I learn so such from them as well, it is like crowdsourcing new ways to learn and grow in ideas and boldness in this area.

I also find working like this gives me self-confidence to be a ‘successful’ student, and to do well in my professional role. Technically I know I have a disability but being dyslexic (neurodiverse) means I look at things from an alternative perspective and sometimes that fresh point of view means I can add value. In other words, it’s a positive way of thinking and not a deficit one.

So, what are you waiting for? Why not have a go at some creative notetaking and see if it’s something that might work well for you too. There are so many ideas and easy ways to get started out there. Here is a page I created about sketching, drawing, doodling and note-taking. You can also download a copy of the page for future use and inspiration.

On the Help Centre there is a whole section on Note-taking techniques, from mind maps, to line diagrams and highlighting and annotating.

Another great resource is the following Student Hub Live session, where we discuss creative notetaking, the techniques involved and also the pressure some people feel to make it look perfect (remember: it only has to work for you!).

I hope you find these resources useful. If you produce some creative notes with these techniques, send us some examples via our Student Hub Live Twitter page @StudentHubLive – we would love to see them.