Note-Taking Done Right - GPT's Approach Explained

Note-Taking Done Right - GPT’s Approach Explained

Finding ideas and information for note-taking can be quite time-consuming. The good thing, you can use ChatGPT to help you in this process.

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In this article, we’ll show you how to use ChatGPT to prepare detailed and informative notes easily. Besides, we’ll guide you to create your personalized prompt for note-taking.

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How to Use ChatGPT for Note-Taking

Undoubtedly, traditional note-taking is still good, but what if you take a more futuristic approach by using AI for note-taking?

By now, you may have heard of ChatGPT due to the buzz it has created in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry. There are many things to do with ChatGPT ; for this article, we’ll stick to using it for systematic note-taking.

Step 1. Create a Prompt for Your Topic

Firstly, you should have the right prompt to feed into ChatGPT. A prompt is a statement or query that guides ChatGPT to produce the desired information. Remember that the more specific your prompt, the more tailored the ChatGPT’s response.

For example, if your topic for note-taking is Income Tax Law, a basic prompt could be, “Please provide an in-depth overview of Income Tax Law, the main provisions, and kinds of taxes.“

As you can see above, ChatGPT provided us with a complex paragraph. However, it might not be the most systematic and reader-friendly format for note-taking. After all, if we all wanted a wall of text, we could use Google, right? So, to get the best possible output, you must improve the prompt for your needs.

Now that you have a basic understanding, here’s our custom prompt that can help ChatGPT to generate neat and detailed notes:

As a [ABC Course Student], I’m preparing notes on the subject/topic [YOUR TOPIC]. I need you to act as an expert professor and provide me with comprehensive and well-structured notes.

Here are the guidelines for the notes:

1. Key Terms and Concepts: Include definitions of key terms and insights about main ideas. Use appropriate examples for a better understanding of the topic.

2. Styling: Use H2 for the main headings and questions and H3 for all the sub-headings. You must include related emojis to make the notes engaging. Use bold and italic formatting for emphasis and clarity.

3. Questions and Answers: Generate a list of potential questions and detailed answers that someone studying this subject might need to know.

4. Structure: Summarize the information logically using bulleted or numbered points.

Condition: Please ensure the notes cover the following topics: [ALL THE TOPICS].

You must adjust the above prompt to suit your needs. So, if you are preparing notes for a different subject or topic, change the words in square brackets accordingly.

Step 2. Ask ChatGPT to Prepare the Notes

Now that you have the prompt, type it into the ChatGPT interface and press Enter.

Based on your prompt, ChatGPT will construct a detailed set of notes. The best part is that ChatGPT can generate notes far faster than a human, saving you time.

For this guide, we’re using the free version of ChatGPT. If you have the Plus subscription, you might find the WebPilot or Metaphor Search plugins to be useful.

Step 3. Review and Refine the Generated Notes

As discussed above, ChatGPT is just an AI language model , which may occasionally produce errors or inaccuracies in the generated notes. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully go through the notes and make any necessary corrections or additions.

To refine the generated notes, you can always ask ChatGPT to organize them into subcategories, or you can even ask it to summarize the key points.

Now suppose the output is not enough for your needs; in this case, you can prompt, “The [TOPIC] section is not well-explained in the notes. Please expand it and explain it in a better manner.“.

Prompting is indeed a skill, and if you want to master it, read our prompt crafting guide for beginners once. Once you master prompting, you can quickly improve your notes. For example, you can prompt ChatGPT to include bucket brigades, more examples, and context-based questions in your notes.

Step 4. Format the Notes in a Note-Taking App

Once satisfied with the output, click the copy button and paste the copied output into your preferred note-taking app. This can vary from Microsoft OneNote to Google Keep. To help you better, we’ve shared our views on some useful note-taking apps for different platforms .

Once you’ve transferred the notes into your note-taking app, it’s entirely up to you how you choose to present them. Also, you can check some of the most effective strategies to master note-taking quickly .

Now, if you’re excited about formatting your draft notes, there are plenty of ways. For example, you can color grade the main points, use font styling, and add images for better context. We already have a guide on some free AI image generation tools and websites for copyright-free images to give your notes an eye-catchy look.

How Can You Improve Your Notes Using ChatGPT?

So you have the notes ready, but now what? Do you want to improve them and make them easy to remember? Here are two ways by which you can improve your notes when using ChatGPT:

1. Layered Note-Taking Method

Layered note-taking is a great way to organize and structure your notes. With this method, you create different layers or levels of information, starting with the most critical points at the top and adding more detailed information as you go down.

This lets you quickly look through your notes and easily locate the critical information you need. This method is beneficial when you have much information to cover and want to ensure you effectively capture the essential points.

2. Question and Answer Method

The question-and-answer method is another effective way to enrich your notes. This method involves creating questions based on your notes and then using ChatGPT to answer them. This makes your notes more interactive and deepens your understanding of the material.

For this, our prompt already includes a condition. Here’s a tip: While using ChatGPT, you can use CONDITIONS to emphasize things you don’t want ChatGPT to miss.

Tips on Using ChatGPT for Note-Taking

Using ChatGPT for note-taking can be a game-changer, but there are a few tips you should keep in mind:

Be specific with your prompts: Instead of asking general questions, try to provide specific details or ask for clarification in your prompts. If you’re not a professional, you must avoid these mistakes while prompting for better output.
Set a context: Providing more information about your needs and what you want to include in your notes will refine the final output from ChatGPT.
Give ChatGPT a role to play: Whenever you need a detailed and tailored response, ask ChatGPT to play a role. For example, you can ask it to act as a professor, a student, a friend, or anything else.
Avoid grammatical errors in your prompt: While ChatGPT can understand your query, if it has minor errors, if the grammar mistakes are too much, it’ll be hard to generate the desired response.
Assign yourself a role: If you find it hard to understand a topic, you can prompt, “I’m a [Role]. Now, explain [TOPIC] to me in the best possible manner.“.

Create Your Notes From Scratch Using ChatGPT

With the acquired skills, you can craft prompts for ChatGPT perfectly. Besides, remember the principle: the level of detail in your prompts determines the depth of your notes.

Our custom prompt covers all the fundamental aspects for note-taking enthusiasts. So, use our prompts wisely and tailor them to your needs. Once you have the content, remember to format it correctly.