The convention is over, your bags are unpacked, and your notebook may already be sitting on a desk or shelf. But before you put it away, it's worth spending a little time going back through the notes you took over the weekend.
You don't need to turn it into a big project. A few simple steps can help you organize your notes, fill in anything you missed, and make your notebook something you'll enjoy looking back on later.
1. Fill In Anything You Missed
When you're trying to listen and take notes at the same time, it's easy to leave a sentence unfinished or jot down a few words that made perfect sense at the time, but leave you confused later.
Go back through your notes while the convention is still fresh in your mind. Fill in unfinished thoughts, clarify any shorthand you might forget, and add anything you remember but didn't have time to write down.
This can make a big difference when you return to your notes months later.
2. Highlight the Notes You Want to Find Again
Take a little time to mark the notes you especially want to be able to find again.
You might highlight certain points, add a star beside them, use tabs, or add stickers to important pages. There's no need to mark everything - the goal is simply to make your most useful notes easy to spot when you flip through your notebook later.
3. Complete Your Review Pages
If your convention notebook has review pages or other sections you didn't finish during the program, now is a good time to go back to them.
Look through the notes you took each day and use them to complete any sections you skipped. You may notice things in your notes that you didn't have time to reflect on while you were busy following the program. This is a great opportunity to meditate and do some self-reflection.
4. Add a Few Memories From the Weekend
Your convention notebook doesn't have to contain only notes. It can also become a small keepsake from the weekend.
Consider adding the convention date and location, who you attended with, or a favorite memory from the weekend. You could also tuck in a small memento, add a photo, or write a few lines about something you want to remember. This is the perfect time to jot down experiences, such as how Jehovah helped you that weekend or a conversation you started with someone who asked about your weekend. Even if you think it's an unforgettable memory, that's just all the more reason to write it down.
Years from now, those little details may be just as interesting to look back on as the notes themselves.
5. Compare Notes With Family or Friends
Everyone picks up on different points. Discussing your favorite points with family or friends is encouraging and upbuilding for everyone.
If you find something you want to remember, you can add it to your notes while you still have some space. This is also the perfect time to catch up on a part you missed while you were in the restroom or had an assignment.
6. Give Your Notebook a Home
Once you're finished, decide where to keep your notebook instead of letting it disappear into a random drawer.
You might dedicate a shelf, basket, or storage box to completed convention and assembly notebooks. If you keep them from year to year, you'll gradually build a collection that's easy to find whenever you want to look through your notes.
Tip: make sure your notebook is labeled - convention theme, date, and location. Ministry Ideaz notebooks make this easy, with features made for easy organization.
7. Don't Forget About Digital Notes
If you took your notes on a tablet, a little digital organization can be just as helpful!
Rename your finished file so the year and convention are easy to identify, then move it into a dedicated folder for convention or assembly notes. You may also want to create a backup so you don't lose your notes if you replace your tablet or something happens to the original file.
Have some memories? Why not create a convention folder with your photos from that weekend? This is a good opportunity to organize those too.
If you prefer note-taking on a tablet, our downloadable Convention Notebook provides the same convention-focused layout in a digital format.
Your Convention Notebook Doesn't Have to Be Finished Yet
Once the convention ends, it's tempting to close your notebook and move on. But spending even a few minutes filling in gaps, marking pages, adding memories, and organizing your notes can make your notebook much more useful later.
And then, when it's finally time to put it on the shelf, you'll know it's ready whenever you want to look back through it. When it comes time for the convention review, you will be ready!
Already looking ahead to your next assembly or convention?
Browse our notebooks and workbooks designed to make note-taking easier and help kids stay engaged throughout the program.
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