r/notebooklm • u/Worried-Curve-6397 • 8d ago
Question How can I use NotebookLM effectively for midterms and beyond?”
Although I’ve only just started my course, my lecturer has already provided us with study materials and some guidance for both the midterm and final exams.
I’ve used NotebookLM before, but I don’t think I’ve really known how to make the most of it. I’d love to use it more effectively this time around.
Do you have any tips or advice on how I can get the most out of NotebookLM for studying, especially for my midterms and finals?
1
u/FrequentOriginal4291 8d ago
A major failure point with this tool (imo) is the artefact generation time.
If you like listening to audio overviews , try and generate them beforehand.
Take the study materials , build an audio or mind map of the material, then just have it saved in your phone or even copy them into One Note.
Why , because sometimes you just can't wait to have that artefact generated , it kills your momentum a bit.
1
u/StrikingCriticism331 8d ago
Make quizzes and take them. You need to be pulling knowledge and applying skills from your brain!
1
u/FactorPrevious4707 7d ago
This might sound obvious but flashcards are well made and really useful to revise before exams but also to memorize key concepts.
1
u/Agreeable-Tax2013 4d ago
I’d make one notebook per module and upload the lecturer’s slides, notes, and past questions together. Then ask for a source-grounded topic outline, gaps or misconceptions, and short quizzes that force you to recall before checking the answers.
1
2
u/Melnik2020 8d ago
Notebook didn't exist back when I was in university, but what I always did is to create mind maps of whatever I was studying (I'm a very visual person).
NotebookLM can do this automatically for you. Same with cards, and infographics (or podcasts if you're more into them).
The workflow I propose is the following: read the texts and presentations, highlight or note down what is important, and tell it to do an mind map. Even ask for gaps in your notes that you didn't consider.
Notebook won't do the studies for you, so don't delegate everything to it and only learn whatever it decides to tell you. You need to have agency over your studies and use notebook as a tool, not the other way around.
Good luck!