GoodNotes is by far one of my absolute favorite ways to take notes on my iPad. Before classes even begin, I want to make sure that all of my notebooks and folders are set up. All trimester I dump each class’ PowerPoints, study sheets and my own handwritten notes in that notebook. This makes studying for boards really easy because everything for one class is in one place.
Back to the point though! Here’s how I make my journal covers look ever so lovely and coordinated for each trimester!
Each trimester gets its own folder and each folder has a notebook dedicated to each class. Here's how I set up Fourth Tri!
Step #1 - Pick your theme
What ~vibe~ do you want? What do you want to feel when you open GoodNotes? I decided on a cozy fall theme - what else is better fitting for a fall trimeter?
Go to my dear friend Google and search "[insert theme here] aesthetic" or "[insert theme here] color palette." Scroll around until your screen is full of deliciously aesthetic colors and take a screenshot!
Step #2 - Head on over to Procreate
Here's where the fun starts... open Procreate and make a new canvas with 455px x 588px dimensions.
Insert your screenshot onto the canvas. You'll use this to find colors by holding your finger on the screen over the screenshot. Make a new layer with your selected color and hit 'Fill Layer' to make your cover the selected color. Then, simply hide the colors layer by unchecking the layer.
Step #3 - Add some depth
Adding a color is easy, but I wanted it to look a bit less flat and plain. I added a second layer above my color layer. Here, I selected a textured brush - you can choose any you'd like! I made it as large as possible, zoomed out so my canvas was very small and made one stroke across the canvas. This helps it seem like a consistent texture across the whole canvas.
I didn't want it to be super obvious and in your face, so I lowered the layer opacity to 10% and also played around with the different layer options. If you're going for a look similar to mine, I set the layer to 'divide' because I thought it really made the texture pop.
Step #4 - Add text
Time to crack open your student portal and syllabi! I only wanted the class title, but here's a great spot to add course codes if your school uses them heavily. Here it's important to center your text and pick a simple color that will look good in all notebooks. I went for a nice cream color and a bouncy font that I imported from fontspace.
Once you have the course information for one class, export it as a JPEG. Now, click on the layer with your colors, check mark it to show the layer and select a new color. Fill your journal layer, re-hide the colors layer and type the next class name! Because you're saving journal covers as you go, simply erase the previous class title and type the new one.
Be sure to not move your text box! You'll want it to stay in the same spot so that when you have all of your journals they're formatted the same in GoodNotes.
Step #5 - Make your notebooks!
Head straight to GoodNotes! Like I said, I like to have a folder for each trimester, so if that's your jam, go for it. Regardless, you'll need to make a new notebook.
Select the paper you want (I love dotted paper, but I also import all of my class powerpoints too) and select 'No Cover.' Add your class title and hit Create!
Open your new notebook if GoodNotes doesn't already take you there. Hit the little paper with a + in the top right to add a new page. Make sure you change it to before the current page. Choose image and select the correct JPEG you made in Procreate!
Here's the final look! These are the classes I'll be taking for my fourth trimester at chiropractic school... feel free to ask about what classes are like!!
Most importantly, have a great semester!!
I'll be the first to admit that school is tough - all of the assignments, late nights studying and cramming for exams. But I will also tell you that undergrad is a wonderful experience. Take the time to be selfish... focus on YOU! Find your passion, focus on yourself and enjoy as much as you can. There will be tough times, but you won't remember those as much as the fun memories once you've walked the stage at graduation.
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