Tips & more

Notion app takes a while to get used to but in the end it’s extremely rewarding

1. With formatting reduced to the minimum, the app it lets you focus on what matters most – the content.
2. It’s free for students. All you have to do is sign up with a school email address.

Whenever I was about to start making notes during a lecture, first thing I’d focus on was the formatting. Should I use Helvetica? Times New Roman? Arial? Smaller? Bigger? In Italics? In Bold?

But just after I’d think I was satisfied with the way my notes look, the lecture would be halfway through, and I’d have absolutely no clue what was going on, and so I’d spent the latter half playing free online games or watching dog videos on mute. But that was before I was introduced to Notion.

Notion’s strength lies in the fact that it does all the formatting for you – with font customization reduced to the absolute minimum, it lets you focus on what matters most – the content.

It’s also an “all-in-one workspace”: what means you can make calendars, task lists, notes, financials, pages and subpages (that you can personalize with emoji icons!), toggle lists, and plenty more – all without having to open multiple tabs or switch windows every time.

So if, for example, you were to make notes for a particular course, you can make separate subpages for each covered topic or lecture under one collective page, add a list of deadlines, and even your timetable. Notion also has some great collaboration features.

And it’s actually free for students – all you have to do is sign up with a school email address.

Notion’s only downside is that it might take a while to get used to, but once you do – it’ll be extremely rewarding and change the way you think about note-taking forever. Oh, and this article was written in Notion, too.

Looking for the best student apps for iPhone and iPad? Check out the complete overview.

The good: A decluttered and distraction-free all-in-one workspace perfect for note-taking, project management, collaboration and staying organized.
The bad: Takes a while to get used to.
Compatibility: iPad, iPhone.
Price: Personal – with sharing limited to up to 5 guests (free); Personal Pro – with unlimited guests and file uploads (free for students, educators, as well as first responders, researchers, and non-profits fighting COVID-19, and for everyone else – $4 per month billed annually or $5 per month billed monthly); Team – made for teams ($8 per member per month billed annually or $10 per member per month billed monthly); Enterprise – made to control and support your company (for pricing, you need to contact sales).

⇢ Notion

Recommendation box

Top gifts for geeks to get in 2023

Based on recommendations from top tech sites and customer reviews.

• • •

Vintage composition book iPhone case

Vintage composition notebook iPhone case

This unique, intensive, pseudo-marbling composition notebook pattern with a preworn label is available on the latest iPhone cases in several colors, including green, brown, and purple.

Zazzle

• • •

Innovative 5-in-1 power bank with AC plug

Innovative 5-in-1 power bank with AC plug

This 10000mAh smartphone-size power bank comes with USB-C port, LED display with a battery capacity, three built-in cables, and a foldable AC plug. You can plug the power bank directly to the wall socket for fast charging.

Amazon

• • •

Military-grade portfolio tablet case bag

Portfolio tablet case with accessories compartment

This customer favorited case bag from Tomtoc is compatible with all tablets up to 11 inches. It has passed the Military Standard Drop Test, and comes with an internal mesh pocket for accessories. Available in over ten colors.

Amazon

More gifts for geeks