Notion: The Productivity App for the Non-Productive

With second semester rolling in, the idea of productivity is a lot more exciting than actually being productive. Luckily for us, there is an app out there that makes getting work done a much easier feat.

An Introduction to Notion

For me, Notion is the holy grail of productivity apps. I’ve tried GoodNotes, I’ve tried Evernote, and I’ve tried having a million unnamed Google documents, but I found with all of them that it took too much effort to keep organized and stay committed to using it on a busy schedule. 

 

Notion is an incredibly intuitive app with many different customizable features. At first glance, it may be overwhelming, but there are hundreds of templates circulating the web that make it easy to build a productive dashboard. 

 

One of the best things about Notion is that class notes can be easily stored in one workspace, along with other information, such as class schedules, Zoom links, to-do lists. You can enter different pages from your main dashboard, operating more as an easily-customizable web page than a Google document.

Best Notion Features for Students

  1. Note-taking

Notion allows you to highlight text, embed pdfs, and create toggle lists, as well as add colour, images, and tables to your notes. Notes can be organized in a simple column or in a table with titles, dates, links, and tags. 

 

  1. Scheduling and Due Dates

Building a master schedule is incredibly easy in Notion. In a large table, you’re able to add due dates for assignments throughout the semester and tag the assignments by class. This is easily convertible into a calendar view, for a more visual representation of the semester. While creating this table, you can also opt to receive notifications for upcoming due dates. 

 

  1. Synchronized across devices

From a single account, you can access your Notion on multiple devices, with all information updated automatically. This makes it easy to quickly add or edit from your phone or tablet. 

 

  1. Easy to make aesthetically pleasing

Looking at a blank white screen for hours on end can be tiring, but Notion makes it easy to spruce up your workspace. You’re able to add cute cover photos, customize colours, add widgets, add photos/gifs, and more. 


Add widgets to your Notion here: https://indify.co/

While it does take some effort to fully set-up your Notion, after the hard part is over, it makes your school week much easier, even if you’re a chronic procrastinator like I am.

Template Links
Posted in Blog.

Jhasna is a first-year Media Production student with a passion for screenwriting and film production. She likes spicy foods, the Criterion Collection, and bad reality TV. One day, she hopes to write for a TV show, produce indie movies, or drop everything and travel the world - Eat Pray Love style.