Do you take notes while coding or learning to code?
I'm guilty. I write down EVERYTHING...of importance of course. I am a note-taking enthusiast. Plus, I am old-school. I love the feeling of pen to paper. I use anything from spiral notebooks, sticky note pad, and even scratch paper. Basically, if my pen's ink will show up on it, then I'm probably going use it to write on. There are plenty of people who may not understand the reason to take notes while learning to code and think its a waste of time. Clearly, I strongly disagree.
Benefits of Note-Taking
Engage your mind. While writing you are actively listening and deciding what to include into your notes. This means that you are alert and you body is active and involved.
Organize the information your way. You are in control. You can choose what information should be highlighted, emphasized, and bold. You are able to create a structure, style, and a method that gives you better understanding.
Did you know that tools for your hands are also tools for your brain? Handwritten notes a very strong tool for encrypting embodied cognition. This supports your brain's capacity for retrieving information. When you are writing, your brain is provided tactile feedback from the contact of pen or pencil to paper.This is the key to creating the neurocircuitry between the hand-brain relationship.
It's fun. You can doodle badly drawn illustrations to express the point being made. Add little shapes and random arrows to point at items on the page. Taking notes is the only time I get to use all the other colored highlighters in the package.
Now, I know I said I like old-school, pen to paper, but I also understand that while learning to code that may not always work out the best. If you are on-the-go or need quick access to a specific topic, it may take a minute to rummage through the pages of your notebook. So, even I have progress from the stone-age and have fallen in love with the benefits of technology.
My Ipad is my BFF, she always holds me down periodt 💅🏾
Note Applications
There are quite few note applications available, but not all are best when writing code in you notes.
Here are a some I suggest, in no particular order:
GoodNotes
Notion
MicroSoft OneNote
Notability
Evernote
Using these various applications, you can easily access, update, share, and even print your notes.
What should you write down?
- Anything that you deem noteworthy and useful. Take note of topics you are learning, keep track of new methods, vocabulary, and various concepts.
This doesn't mean to rewrite all the documention.
Common Commands that you frequently use. This could include project enviroment commands, git commands, and console commands.
Keyboard shortcuts. Sometimes I come across shortcuts I didn't know existed and never realize how helpful they could be. Keeping a list that you can reference will come in handy.
Code snippets / Code Blocks. You can write utility functions, method examples, or things you find yourself looking up often.
How-Tos ...step by step layout on how to perform various tasks you may need.
Your Projects Sometimes before I begin coding a new project, I write a plan down. What does my application do? what functionaliy should I include to do certain things? You could sketch your page layout, components, and wire-framing
Overall, you will have your own ideas of what to write down and how to best organize your notes.
Don't let people fool you into thinking note- taking isn't important or even necessary.
Note-Taking is an important tool and you should definitely utilize it.
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