Hey y’all! This week, I am taking my first classes at Asmbly, and I’m super excited!
Usually, when I learn new skills, I like taking handwritten notes to document the most important ideas I come across. I think there’s some research that’s been done about the importance of hand-written notes, but I really just enjoy the note-taking process and I like having an artifact to represent the classes I’ve taken.
Would you say that note-taking is a valuable thing to do for classes at Asmbly? If so, do you have any tips for how to best take notes for these classes? Do you use a notebook (what kind?) or a device? What kind of information do you focus on recording?
It’s a great question and I have a feeling you will get more than one great answers from folks here.
Something I can offer up is that most if not all of the classes offered here are very Hands-On and practical.
For example, in the bandsaw class this weekend, it will be a guided session on parts of the bandsaw and how they can help or hurt your cuts, and then Hands-On practice of cutting with different types of blades. I wouldn’t worry about bringing a notepad for that one.
For some other classes, some instructors have handouts prepared that can give you cheat sheet guidance in the future on proper tool operation or expectations.
Mikey Huff runs pretty awesome classes on leather working, and I recall wishing I would have pulled out my notepad to write a couple of things down for myself. I could still make a leather belt on my own now, but I did reach out to be reminded of where to buy the materials. But the nice thing about this place is that if you ever feel like you need a refresher or some clarification on something that was talked about in class, you can always reach out to that instructor or any of our other members on Discord or in the workshop.
We also have a wiki site that has details and instructions on all the tools. This is a tremendous resource that is available to everyone and can be edited by anyone.
When I first joined, I took notes at the wood shop safety class, and a few others, but as Robert pointed out, the classes are hands on and many have a handout.
We are glad to have you! Some classes are set up in ways that make note-taking easier - 3D Printing, Leatherworking, and Sublimation are all classes I have taken notes in on my laptop (just out of preference), but pen and paper would certainly work well for these.
For classes in the woodshop and metal shop, I have found note-taking doesn’t work as well, much for the reasons Robert listed above. I think if you wanted to take notes in a class like this, I would recommend a notebook that is small, maybe even pocket-sized. since you will be moving around the shop a lot and won’t often be stationary.
I’d love to share more if you have any class-specific questions. Happy making!
I am also a note-taker. I discovered in college that if I took notes, I remembered everything much better. I often didn’t even read my notes later. Just the act of writing things down helped my memory. Pencil and paper is my go-to. I like a clipboard and blank (unlined) paper, particularly when I might sketch something. I haven’t taken any classes at Asmbly where a clipboard and pencil would have gotten in the way (and I’ve taken a lot of them). Even with hands-on classes, there’s usually downtime where the instructor is explaining something or another student is using the machine, which gives you time to write or elaborate on your notes.
I will say that there was one class where I found the handout so well structured that it was better than my notes (CNC), but usually the things I personally need to remember aren’t necessarily the things in the course materials, but comments that were made offhand, maybe in response to questions.
Thank you all for the super helpful and insightful feedback!! I ended up settling on the Bloc Rhodia No 13 Staplebound Grid Notepad, shown in these photos. I have really big hands so it’s easy for me to hold, but there’s a piece of cardboard in the back that makes it more stable for writing off surface. The pages are perforated too and super easy to tear out.
I jotted down some notes for the Woodshop Safety class I took this week, and it worked great!! I picked mine up at Kinokuniya in Highland if you’re looking for one too…
