Notion in 10 seconds

• All-in-one workspace: notes, tasks, databases, wikis in one place
• Replaces Google Docs + Trello + Excel + Sticky Notes
• Free plan does 90% of what you need

▶The Cheatsheet

Everything in Notion starts with one key.

The / Command

• Type / anywhere and the menu appears
• This is your remote control.

⚡ Essential Commands

• /page — create a new page
• /h1, /h2, /h3 — headings
• /todo — checklist
• /toggle — collapsible sections
• /table — table
• /calendar — calendar view
• /code — code block
• /callout — info box
• /divider — separator line

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✍️ Formatting

• Cmd/Ctrl + B — bold
• Cmd/Ctrl + I — italic
• Cmd/Ctrl + U — underline
• Cmd/Ctrl + K — add link

🎨 Styling

• Cover image — hover top of any page, click "Add cover"
• Icon — click the emoji area above the title, pick emoji or upload custom
• Text color — select text, click A in the toolbar, pick color or background highlight
• Block color — click ⋮⋮ on any block (or type /color), change text or background color

▶The Concepts

Now you've seen the pieces. Here's how they fit together.

1. 🏠 Workspace

• Your Notion account. The building.
• Everything you create lives inside it
• Think of it as your phone's home screen. One place, everything accessible.

2. 📄 Pages

• A page is a document. But pages can hold pages.
• Infinite nesting: page inside page inside page
• Think of it as folders inside folders. But every folder is also a document.

3. 🧱 Blocks

• Everything on a page is a block: text, image, checkbox, table, embed
• Every block is independent. Move it, delete it, convert it.
• Think of them as LEGO bricks. Each one snaps in, snaps out, works anywhere.

4. 🗂️ Databases

• A table that thinks. Not just rows and columns but structured data.
• Each row is its own page. Click it and it opens.
• Think of it as Excel met a filing cabinet. Every row has a drawer you can open.

5. 🏷️ Properties

• Columns in your database: text, date, select, checkbox, URL
• They describe each entry: status, category, deadline, priority
• Think of them as stickers on your folders. "Urgent." "In Progress." "Due Friday."

6. 👀 Views

• Same database, different lens: table, kanban, gallery, calendar, list
• You don't duplicate data. You reshape how you see it.
• Think of it as the same wardrobe, different mirrors. One shows color, one shows season, one shows occasion.

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One Picture:

Problem 1: Meet Aboosto

Aboosto

• Masters student. AI Research.
• Smart but disorganized
• Notes are screenshots in his camera roll
• Schedule is a photo from orientation week
• 23 Chrome tabs. Four note apps. Uses none.
• "Where do I even start?"

Concepts used: Workspace + Pages + Blocks

What we build: A Personal Dashboard

• Welcome callout
• Weekly schedule
• Today's tasks
• 4 course pages in a 2x2 grid
• Quick links

Problem 2: Meet Jamiila

Jamiila

• Second-year bachelor student
• Organized. Color-codes everything.
• Stole Aboosto's dashboard. Worked for two weeks.
• Then it broke. Too many toggles. Too much scrolling.
• "Your system is cute but it doesn't scale."

Concepts used: Databases + Properties + Views

What we build: A Notes Database

• Properties: Note, Course, Status, Due Date
• Table view — full overview
• Board view — grouped by Course
• Calendar view — deadlines on a timeline
• Gallery view — visual cards

One database. Four views. Zero duplication.

❓ Q&A (5 min)

⚡ Bonus Tips

1. Let AI Write Your Notes

• Open any database entry
• Go to Claude or ChatGPT
• Ask: "Give me a [topic] cheatsheet with examples in markdown"
• Copy the response
• Paste into your Notion page
• Formatted perfectly. Done.

2. Start With a Template

• Go to notion.so/templates
• Find one you like
• Click "Duplicate"
• It's in your workspace. Ready to use.

Recommended templates:

• 🎓 Uni Hub — student dashboard with assignments, notes, and schedule
• 👨‍🏫 Course Creation Hub — plan courses, track students, organize content

6 concepts you can use today

1. 🏠 Workspace — your Notion account, everything lives here
2. 📄 Pages — documents that hold other pages
3. 🧱 Blocks — every piece of content: text, table, checklist, toggle
4. 🗂️ Databases — tables that think, every row is a page
5. 🏷️ Properties — labels that describe each entry
6. 👀 Views — same data, different lens

The Promise, Delivered

Aboosto went from chaos to a clean dashboard.

Jamiila went from scrolling to a system that scales.

You now know how to:

• Build a workspace from zero
• Organize anything with pages and blocks
• Track anything with databases and properties
• See anything from any angle with views