How to Use Post-it Notes Successfully As a Student

The humble Post-it Note: It’s an easy-to-use, super affordable tool that every student should have. They’re great for organizing ideas, brainstorming for projects, studying and leaving helpful reminders around your dorm room.

So what are the best ways to utilize Post-it Notes as a student?

Grab a few sticky note pads from the office supply store and get ready to hit the books. You’ll need notes in a range of sizes – Large Post-its are great for notetaking, while small notes are perfect bookmarks. Custom Post-its and personalized notes are also great for to-do lists, brainstorming, and organization.

Here are fool-proof ideas for using Post-it Notes as a study aid:

1. As a Bookmark

It probably seems obvious, but Post-it Notes make wonderful bookmarks. You don’t have to worry that they’ll fall out, and you won’t get dinged for folding down pages, when it comes time to return your books.

2. Mark Reading Assignments

Have you ever caught yourself counting how many pages you have left in a reading assignment? Mark off the beginning and end with a Post-it Note. You’ll have a visual marker of where you are and how much you have left to read. Large Post-it Notes work great for this task.

3. Make Notes In Library Books

Whether you’ve rented a book from the library, or you plan to sell them the book back, making notes and writing in the margins can end up costing you. Instead: Use sticky notes to define terms and vocab words, to highlight important passages, and to remember thoughts you had while reading.

4. Remind Yourself of Important Dates

Have a test coming up on Friday? Want to remember when the project is due? Post-it Note reminders are great for helping you never forget those important dates. Stick them on your refrigerator, bathroom mirror, or computer and you’ll never miss a due date again. Get a range of sticky notes – Large Post-Its for longer reminders and small ones for single-line reminders.

5. Daily To-Do Lists with Custom Post-its

Productivity consultants praise the power of to-do lists, and Post-it Notes make the perfect medium for daily lists. A tip: Custom sticky notes can be designed for your daily to-dos. Print them with

4 bullets – these are your four must-do tasks – as well as an area at the bottom for notes and less-important to-dos.

6. Brainstorm Your Next Big Idea

Want to spice up your next brainstorming session? Grab a few sticky notes and get started. Post-it Notes are great for idea maps. Stick a note with a central idea in the centre of a whiteboard, and then tack related ideas in clusters around it.

7. Organize Your Writing Projects

Bringing all your ideas together in your writing projects is difficult. You need Post-its. Here’s how: Use a whiteboard to create an outline for your paper – introduction, topic 1, topic 2, topic 3 and conclusion. Then write facts, quotes, supporting material on individual notes. Stick each piece of supporting material to the corresponding section of your outline.

8. On-the-Fly Flashcards

Don’t have a stack of notecards handy? That’s not a problem. Post-it Notes make great flashcards. Write out each note card – questions on the front, answers on the back – and stick them to a whiteboard. Then quiz yourself to see how you’re doing. Sticky notes you know to one side, and cards that need work to the other.

9. Map Your Progress on Projects

College projects typically have numerous tasks that must be done. It can be hard to keep all these moving parts organized. Here’s one way to do it: Create a flowchart for your progress. Write each individual step of a project on a Post-it Note. Create a chart on a whiteboard, i.e. To-Do, In-Progress, Complete. Then move each individual step through the chart, until each task is complete.

10. Personalize Your Daily Schedule

Having trouble keeping track of your class schedule? Build an interactive whiteboard schedule. Add sticky notes for each individual class, break, activity, etc in your schedule. Then put them up on a whiteboard, so you’ll always know where you have to be.

11. Learn a Language

Taking Spanish this semester? Post-it Notes are a handy language-learning tool. Here’s how: Stick a note with the Spanish word to items in your dorm room, like the phone, TV, or desk. Then add a Post-it Note with the corresponding Spanish word. Custom Post-it Notes can help; get personalized Post-its custom-printed for the language with sections for parts of speech, verb endings, and definitions.

Want to improve your study habits? You don’t need costly tools or the latest, greatest digital planner. You just need a stack of Post-it Notes. They’re one of the most cost-effective study tools, and when used properly, they can help you succeed as a student.