Study Techniques: Colour-Coded Notes

Messy notes can make it hard to recall the important points of a lecture. Writing in colour is a dynamic way to organise the information you’re learning. It also helps you review and prioritise the most important ideas.

A recent study found that colour can improve a person’s memory performance. That same study found that warm colours (red and yellow) “can create a learning environment that is positive and motivating that can help learners not only to have a positive perception toward the content but also to engage and interact more with the learning materials.” It also reported that warmer colours “increase attention and elicit excitement and information.”

Writing in colour may seem like a no-brainer, but keep these tips in mind:

Write down key points in red.

Highlight important information in yellow.

Organise topics by colour.

Don’t colour everything—just the most important information.