How to Use Highlighters and Coloured Paper for Study Notes
By One Dollar Only | Published: 2026-11-02
Category: How-to Guides
Turn two cheap stationery basics into a working revision system. Learn a highlighter colour coding system and practical A4 coloured paper uses for study notes.
Quick answer
Assign one meaning to each highlighter colour before you start reading, then use A4 coloured paper to separate subjects or revision stages so your notes stay scannable. Keep the system small enough to remember under exam pressure.
Why a fixed colour code beats highlighting as you read
Highlighting while you read feels productive, but without a rule for each colour you end up with pages that are mostly ink and no clearer than the original text. Decide the code first, then highlight only after you have finished a paragraph or section.
A four-colour code is usually enough for school notes: one colour for definitions, one for formulas or dates, one for examples, and one for questions you still need to resolve. If you need a fifth meaning, write it in the margin instead of adding another colour.
Where coloured paper helps and where it does not
Coloured paper is most useful as a divider, not as a background for dense writing. Use it for topic covers, formula sheets, or a one-page summary per subject so you can find them quickly in a folder.
Very dark or saturated sheets can make pencil and some gel inks hard to read. If you plan to write on the sheet itself, test your usual pen on a corner first and keep detailed notes on white paper.
Steps to set up and use your study colour code
- Choose no more than four meanings: Write your code on a small card or the inside cover of your notebook: for example, definitions, formulas or dates, examples, and open questions. Keep the list where you can see it while studying. If you cannot recall the code without checking, it is too complicated.
- Match each meaning to one highlighter: Assign one colour from your set to each meaning and use it consistently across subjects. With a four-highlighter set, every colour has a job and none is left as a spare. Do not swap meanings between subjects; that is the most common reason a code collapses.
- Highlight after reading, not during: Read a full paragraph or section first, then mark only the words that carry the meaning. Aim for a few marks per page rather than whole sentences. If more than about a third of a page is highlighted, you are marking text rather than selecting it.
- Use the narrow tip for terms and the broad tip for phrases: Underline a single key term with the finer tip and mark a short phrase with the wider tip. This keeps the page readable when you revise later. Check that the ink has dried before closing the book or writing over it.
- Give each subject a coloured paper divider: Cut or fold an A4 sheet to make a subject cover or summary card, and write the subject name and your colour code on it. File it at the front of that subject's notes. Keep dense writing on white paper and reserve coloured sheets for covers, summaries, and dividers.
- Review your open-question marks first: Before a revision session, scan for the colour you assigned to open questions and resolve those points before rereading anything else. A code that never produces follow-up questions is probably marking too little.
Two stationery basics that support the system
- Set Of 4 Highlighters With I Love Sg Messages: Set of 4 highlighters, each with two tips in different writing widths, in a clear reusable case. Four colours match a small fixed code, and the two tip widths let you mark a whole phrase or underline a single term without switching tools.
Set Of 4 Highlighters With I Love Sg Messages - A4 160GSM Coloured Paper: Pack of 10 A4 sheets at 160GSM in assorted colours. The heavier sheet holds up as a subject divider or summary card, and the assorted colours let you give each subject its own cover without buying separate packs.
A4 160GSM Coloured Paper
