Research shows that organized and aesthetic notes can aid in learning. Using colors can increase your memory of the topic by increasing your attention. Color-coded notes also help you to group concepts together, which will help you retain the information. In class, however, if you are more focused on the art and aesthetic of your notes, are you absorbing the information? You may not be actively listening and engaging with the content that is being taught.
A potential drawback to taking aesthetic notes is time. Taking detailed notes is usually very time-consuming and it is a more passive form of learning. You could instead spend your time on more active learning techniques such as making flashcards or practice questions.
A potentially beneficial part of aesthetic note-taking is being able to draw diagrams and pictures for that class. It can help make the subject’s abstract concepts more tangible and easier to understand. Especially in classes such as biology where drawing images of cells or organisms can make it easy for you to grasp the subject matter quicker.
Keeping it simple may be the most effective way of retaining the information. If you are paying more attention to the organization of the notes you may get so hyper-focused on that, and will not pay attention to the content.
When taking notes you need to adapt to the class and what works best for you and your learning style. Note-taking is something that takes time to develop and learn what is best for you. Some people can understand the notes better if they are just in black pen and messy. But some believe that by the aesthetics, they are understanding the subject better.
