Mathematics has always been a pretty difficult subject to understand, better yet to take note of. Unlike the other subjects whose contents comprise most of long texts and pictures, allowing them to be typed with relative ease, mathematics has one special component that can be seen all over it that makes it difficult to type: equations.
Because a lot of the digital note-taking applications that are available to different operating systems such as Google Docs, etc., lack the ability to easily type and display equations, most people who much prefer the digital world over the traditional one rely heavily on using a stylus to write their notes on tablets.
Of all the note-taking applications available to us at the current time, one stands out above the rest because of its multiple unique features that may not even be found anywhere else. Features that heavily give an advantage for students, like me, who study a lot of subjects related to math.
What is Notion?
A brief explanation by Ali Abdaal from a video uploaded in his channel of the same name, ‘My Favourite Productivity App for Students — Notion’:
I would describe it [Notion] as a sort of hybrid between a note-taking app, a database app, and what’s called a content management system. … It’s kind of hard to explain what Notion actually is because it just does so much stuff, but I suppose if we compare it to other note-taking apps so Evernote, OneNote, Notability, all of these have a distinct structure that they force you to use, so for example, notebooks and then notes within notebooks and maybe you can have tags or you’ve got dividers and then notes but the point is that it gives you a very rigid organizational structure. Whereas on Notion, there isn’t really a structure or a hierarchy, you can pretty much create whatever system you want for organization and for productivity.
Notion has been a single application that managed to carry me through my student life since I discovered it back in 2019. Not only does it has the ability to take down notes, but it also has multiple features that will help you maintain an organized and singular working station. Ever since I started using Notion, I stopped using multiple applications altogether.
It’s a fusion of multiple features, it has so many abilities that it’s enough to cover an entire blogpost. It is for this reason that we will stick with Notion’s ability to supply mathematics students with an easy note-taking procedure.
What are the differences between traditional writing, digital writing, and using Notion?
Before I discuss Notion’s ability to assist in mathematical note-taking, I would like to briefly mention why I recommend using Notion instead of actual notebooks or digital writing.
Traditional Writing
Traditional writing is the easiest and most basic form of writing down notes. It’s so easy that it was introduced to us even as little children in school. The procedure is pretty basic; you grab a piece of paper or a notebook and write on it with a pencil or pen, although pencils are more favorable as it has a smaller alteration procedure when mistakes are made.
The traditional writing method’s strengths are also its greatest weakness. Information is written on paper also means that your notes are vulnerable to getting burned, soaked in water, ripped to shreds, crumpled to oblivion, etc. It also takes up space in storage systems; bookshelves, cabinets, and drawers drastically fill up over time.
Answer me this question, do you still have the notes you wrote back in high school? How about back in college? Most of you may have already lost the beloved notes you worked hard on. Some may already be in the trash, or better yet, destroyed.
Ever had a friend borrowed your notes? It’s indeed such a hassle since you won’t be able to read or write in your notebook for the entire duration that your friend has it. Heck, your notebook may even be in danger if your friend is careless of where and how they treat your notes.
Digital Writing
Digital writing is the closest technology-based method of taking notes to the traditional one. The difference is very small, but the drawbacks are pretty massive. In digital writing, instead of writing on a piece of paper with a pencil or pen, you write on a tablet with a stylus.
It solves the problem with traditional writing where the paper you wrote your notes on may be destroyed or lost, and some applications enable its users to utilize a collaboration system where multiple people can see or write on the same page.
Although it solves one of the problems, it creates another one. For instance, the prices of the tablets that have their own stylus are expensive. Some models of some brands do have a few cheap options, but it's in the experience that you may suffer. The stylus isn’t a permanent tool either. Depending on the product, it can get worn out and replacement may be expensive. There is an option where you can use any ordinary tablet and use a third-party stylus, but good luck with that.
So many variables are included in using digital writing that may affect the experience its users may have. This includes the precision a stylus can do with a stroke of the user. A lot of people may even need to buy a paper-like screen protector for their tablets just to make it feel less glass-like when writing.
Pretty expensive.
Typing
Typing your notes is the farthest method from the traditional one. Unlike digital writing, typing your notes can be done with pretty much all kinds of devices (phones, tablets, laptops, you name it!), even for non-touch screens. This makes typing more versatile than digital writing.
For laptops, you don’t have to buy any other product in order to type your notes. The keyboard is already there, the trackpad (flat clicker, get the reference?) is also there. The only reason you may want to buy a separate keyboard and mouse is if you want to have an ergonomic setup or if you want to dock your laptop closed somewhere else and use a separate monitor for your visuals.
For mobile devices such as phones or tablets, there is the option of using the on-screen keyboard, but where’s the fun in that? If you use the on-screen keyboard, you will be limiting the speed at which you type. It is for this reason that I recommend the usage of keyboards. Some tablets out there have their own specific type of keyboard. However, for most of the tablets, they don’t. No need to panic though since there’s the alternative of using Bluetooth keyboards.
Of course, since this method is far from writing, the user may have to be proficient in using the keyboard before they are able to utilize its fullest potential. This may take multiple days, maybe even months to reach. But once reached, the pros outshine the cons.
However, drawing will be heavily limited if you choose to type your notes. This may become a huge difference-maker for math subjects that has charts, graphs, or illustrations. It is for this reason that alternatives to these problems are given further down below.
How is Notion different from other note-taking applications?
Notion stands beyond the rest because of the major features indicated below. Although Notion has a vast number of features, these three are the most notable ones as they are the ones I mostly utilize.
The Toggle feature
The toggle feature enables users to manipulate what information is visible. It works by having a line of text containing a triangle pointing right, and upon clicking the triangle, the hidden contents will be revealed below. It can be accessed through the command:
/toggle
This toggle command helps a lot when trying to maintain a compact and clean user interface, especially for lectures that have a lot of lists, enumerations, or pictures. Basically, any content that you may not always want to see every time you open your notes.
The Headings and Table of Contents function
Your major headings can have a title at the very top with the sub-headings down below having their own subtitles. Headings have a maximum of three variants, Heading 1, Heading 2, and Heading 3, all of which can be accessed with the command:
/heading
All of the text you’ve written in the /heading command will appear on the Table of Contents which can be generated using the command:
/tableofcontents
These two features alone have the ability to assist its users in navigating around the entire document with absolute ease. In an attempt to stay organized, I place numerical tags in front of my titles and subtitles.
The Equations command
The equations feature single-handedly revolutionized and changed the way Notion can be used. It placed the boundary between what Notion can do when compared to the other note-taking applications. Using the equations command, you open up the door to multiple mathematical expressions that can be typed using a keyboard. The equations feature can be activated using Ctrl + Shift + E, or by using the command:
/equations
Another variant of the equations command exists, called Block Equations, in which the mathematical expressions can be enlarged or give emphasis. I personally use it when showcasing formulas. It can be accessed through the command:
/blockequation
When the equation command is opened, multiple features can be used, once that could not be utilized when typing alone. While the equation command is open,
- to use fractions, type \frac{}{}
- to use superscripts, use ^{}
- to use subscripts, use _{}
- to use percentages, use \% (typing in the % symbol alone will trigger a different command)
In order to use certain symbols not ordinarily found on the keyboard, such as Σ, you can use Google and copy-paste them into your notes.
Many more exists, but by far, these are the ones I use a lot when typing my notes. To see more, use this link: https://www.notion.so/Math-equations-b4e9e4e03677413481a4910e8bd328c1
How I use Notion as my mathematics notebook
For the following examples, I will be using the General Chemistry 1 lectures I’ve taken back when I was in Grade 12. Since I lowkey hated my chemistry teacher at the time and I disliked online classes a lot, the majority of my notes are based on Wikipedia, and YouTube, specifically from The Organic Chemistry Tutor.
Organizing my notes
The different lessons are divided by headings using the /heading1 command, the subheadings using the /heading2 command, and the smallest headings using the /heading3 command. These all appeared on the table of contents I’ve constructed and hidden using the toggle command.
A typical lesson on my notes will comprise of:
- A simple explanation of the lesson.
- The origin of the lesson.
- Equations (in a block equation) with a description explaining what the variables mean.
- Acceptable values for the variables.
- Derivation of the formula (if any).
- Other formulas deriving from the original formula.
- Examples.
- Sub-lessons that are heavily tied to the main lesson.
The limitations of Notion and how I surpass these problems
Since Notion relies on the simple act of typing text, it lacks the ability to allow its users to perform any form of drawing to create figures, illustrations, or tables.
One fix to this issue would be is to draw the figure on a piece of paper, take a digital copy of it and insert it on your notes. When trying to create graphs on a cartesian plane, applications such as GeoGebra could be utilized in order to easily construct figures and screenshotted to be inserted on the notes.
Since, as stated above, my notes mostly come from Wikipedia or YouTube, I use the built-in snipping tool of Windows 10 to easily capture the desired pieces of information and pasted them on my notes.
