My Workflow + Note Taking as a CS Undergrad

Note-Taking System

Obsidian Setup

• Daily notes for tracking progress and thoughts
• Linked notes for connecting concepts across subjects
• Templates for consistent formatting
• Graph view to visualize knowledge connections

DSA Template Structure

# Problem Name

## Problem Statement
Your own words (1-2 lines)

## Brute Force Approach
Short pseudocode or logic

## Optimized Solution
- Steps (bullet points)
- Time + space complexity

## Pattern
#twopointer #greedy etc.

## Revisit?
yes / no

Workflow for CS Topics

Django Development

• Keep a running log of common patterns
• Document middleware and settings configurations
• Track database migration strategies

React Development

• Component patterns and hooks usage
• State management approaches
• Performance optimization notes

General Development

• Bug tracking and solutions
• Code snippets and utilities
• Learning resources and references

Why This System Works

1. Searchable - Obsidian's search is powerful
2. Interconnected - Links between related concepts
3. Template-driven - Consistent structure saves time
4. Portable - Markdown files work everywhere

The key is consistency and actually using the system daily, not just setting it up perfectly once.