In preparation for another hybrid semester, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out a better way to take notes for my classes. During this venture of mine, I became quite enamored with Microsoft 365 OneNote and how easy it is to use and customize to fit your needs.
Completely customizable formatting options
I am a very picky person when it comes to how my notes look, so OneNote’s vast customization options are so perfect for me. You can choose to organize your notes any way you want – with separate notebooks, sections within a notebook, sections within sections – the options are endless to mold. However it works for you. You can change the color of the sections to color code them; you can even change the paper’s color to match that if you want. You can leave the pages without lines or add ruled lines or grid lines and change those lines’ color. I like that there’s a button to add the date that makes a section for you to type in for that day’s notes.
Easy-to-use tags
Microsoft 365 OneDrive comes with built-in tags for to-do items, important items, questions, and a bunch more. While this itself isn’t a rarity in note–taking software, OneNote also has the option to make customizable tags that you can save for later use. I like this because I can set up a system in OneNote similar to the one that I would use when taking notes by hand without having to change a lot about the system I’ve worked out for myself.
Drawing tool
This is one of my favorite tools, even within this list of favorites, because I can draw on my notes. Whether it’s doodling while my professor answers a student’s questions or little diagram drawings, being able to add these things to my notes has been one of the things holding me back from using electronic notes. You can also use this to highlight essential things on handouts or screenshots that you insert into your notes.
Easy collaboration with classmates
Last semester one of my classmates decided it would be a good idea to make a Google Doc to share notes. Long story short, it was a disaster trying to keep it secure between classmates while using personal emails. However, since OneDrive is part of the Microsoft 365 suite that is free to all Texas State students, you can use your Texas State email to collaborate.
On top of all of these awesome features, OneNote’s inclusion in the Microsoft 365 suite means it links through OneDrive. If you want to take notes on your tablet one day, as long as you’re set up with your Texas State account, your notes will sync to your computer the next time you open them. You can also open them anywhere online using OneDrive online.
Of course, this isn’t everything that OneNote offers so I encourage you to play with it yourself and see if it’s a good fit for you.
Faith Francke is a senior majoring in photography and a student employee in the IT Assistance Center.
