Back-to-school planning with OneNote

Create notebooks for your classes

Looseleaf paper and physical notebooks can get misplaced and damaged throughout the year. Use Microsoft OneNote to create digital notebooks so you can keep all your notes in one safe location. You can create notebooks for all your classes. If you’ve received a syllabus for your class, you can add sections to separate each class by topic. Navigate to the right-hand side of the window and add pages to the notebook to separate lecture notes by day. For a classic note-taking experience, you can use the Draw feature to handwrite digital notes. Click Draw on the Home ribbon and choose a pen or pencil to jot down notes. If you’re using a Surface device, buy a stylus from the Microsoft Store to take handwritten notes.

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OneNote allows you to come to class prepared to take digital notes, so you don’t have to jumble through your backpack for a notebook and pen.

Create a back-to-school list

Create a back-to-school list so you come to class prepared on your first day. School planners and syllabuses typically include what you may need on your first day. Check through the house to see if you have any leftover supplies. If there are things you need, use One Note to track them. Create a page or section in your notebook to list all the items you need to purchase. Use the to-do tag feature to create checkboxes and mark them off as you buy items. In addition to school supplies, make sure you have enough clothes and necessary items for extracurricular activities.

You can also use to-do tags to help organize your goals. Create custom tags to categorize your goals by class, quarter, or even extra-curricular activities. Under the Home ribbon, view all tagged goals by clicking Find Tags to search or view them by category.

Track assignments and test dates

Tracking assignments and test dates can help you to effectively use your time to prepare to the best of your ability. Poor planning can lead to late-night cramming and forgotten assignments. Use OneNote to track due dates so you don’t run into any schoolwork snafus. If your syllabus lists exam and project due dates, track them before you start your first day. In the appropriate notebook, type a list of scheduled coursework assessments and add Outlook tasks next to each bullet point. To add an Outlook task, navigate to the Home tab, click Outlook Tasks, and specify the due date. Once you’ve added coursework due dates, you can view them in your Outlook calendar.

If you have any doctor’s appointments or extra-curricular activities, you can also add existing events from Microsoft Outlook into your notebook.

Download archived coursework from last year

If you’re in a class that requires information from prior years, archive earlier coursework with Microsoft OneDrive. You can scan documents and upload them using the OneDrive app. In the application, tap Scan and select document so you can save it online. Once you save your scanned documents, you can upload them into your notebook. To add a file to a page in OneNote, click the Insert tab on the ribbon and click File Attachment. If there is a video explanation you used to review a concept, you can also add an online video or link.

Share your notebook

It helps having people in your corner to help you track your academics throughout the year. You can share your OneNote notebook with anyone by sending them an email invitation to help monitor your progress. In your notebook, select File, Share, and then share it with people. Add your family or peers to your notebook and give them permission to view or edit.

Now you can return to school with a gameplan for success.