Lydia Drake

University of Missouri

Nursing

Every night I put my laptop to bed. No, I don’t tuck it in and read it a bedtime story, I prepare it to rest after a long day of work. I close out all my browsing tabs, quit my apps and clear my downloads. The only thing I don’t touch is my notes app. 

I discovered the notes app on my laptop by accident. I used to write everything in my planner, but the repetitiveness of taking it in and out of my backpack was tiring. The bulky spiral agenda wasn’t cutting it anymore. I opened up the yellow and white application on my laptop dock and my life changed forever.

What started as a simple to-do list has evolved into much more. It now has eight sub-sections, each of which serve a special purpose. Days of the week are written in uppercase letters in front of each task, indicating when an item should be completed. Each upcoming test or quiz has a unique daily study plan laid out below it.

Though the note is mostly academic, there are a few hidden gems. One of my favorites is the section that holds all the latest gossip my friend group and I must discuss. Randomly reading some of the topics on the list brings me joy throughout my day. 

My notes app has acted as an anchor in my busy and stressful life. It has guided me through the tough weeks, and has kept me motivated to stay on top of work. 

The note gains numerous additions over the course of the week, empty circles eventually filled with a yellow check, but on Sunday night, the entire note resets with new tasks for the upcoming week. While at some times the list can get overwhelming with the amount of items, it’s rewarding to see the gradual spread of yellow on the right side of my screen. 

At the very end of the note is a list with the title “sometime”; things I have to do at some point, but aren’t imminent. Items have been added and taken off since August, but one has remained there until today; “Senior column idea: my love for the notes app.”