Start from the assessment objective
Use a syllabus outcome, past-paper theme, or practice question to decide what belongs in the guide instead of condensing an entire course without a purpose.
Connected study library
Turn your notes into a focused, active study guide
A useful study guide is not every note copied into one longer document. Choose one exam objective, identify the smallest set of lectures, readings, and worked examples that explain it, then use BrainDen to create a clear guide note, connect the originals, and move from continuous review into retrieval practice.
Free to start No card required Your material stays connected
Keep original explanations intact
Link the guide note to lectures, readings, and examples rather than overwriting them, so evidence, exceptions, and attached sources remain available.
Turn the guide into practice
Use its definitions for flashcards, its relationships for Explain It Back, and its likely applications for quiz questions after the structure is clear.
Workflow fit
What this workflow starts with and produces
Supported starting material
- Checked lecture, reading, tutorial, and worked-example notes for one learning objective
- Syllabus statements, exam themes, or practice questions that define what the guide must answer
- BrainDen notes stored across course folders with their original learning material attached
Useful outputs
- An editable guide note organized around definitions, relationships, evidence, and applications
- Links and backlinks connecting the guide to the fuller original notes and source material
- A focused multi-note reading selection that can also be exported as one PDF or Markdown document
From source to active study
Build a guide around one exam objective
- 01
Define the guide's question
Write one outcome the guide must help you explain or apply. Select only the lecture, reading, and example notes that contribute directly to that objective.
- 02
Build a structured guide note
Create an outline with the core idea, required terms, relationships, evidence, worked method, exceptions, and questions you still cannot answer. Link each section to the fuller note behind it.
- 03
Review several notes and retrieve
Read the selected originals continuously when broader context is needed, then close the detail and explain the guide from memory before checking and repairing each gap.
A concrete example
Example: a modern history essay study guide
Six notes covering two lectures, three primary-source readings, and a seminar comparison for an essay objective about competing explanations of a political transition.
A useful result could include
- A guide note organized by argument, supporting evidence, counterargument, and source limitation
- Links from each claim to the lecture or reading note where the detail can be verified
- A multi-note review selection followed by recall prompts for planning an answer without the sources open
Generated material is a study aid. Review important terminology, notation, and claims against your source.
Make the result better
Use AI as the beginning of your study process
BrainDen removes repetitive setup work. Your judgement, course context, and retrieval practice are what turn the result into learning.
Write decisions, not a second transcript
Record what the concept means, why the evidence matters, how ideas relate, and where an exception applies. Leave long explanations in the linked original notes.
Separate certainty from unresolved gaps
Mark missing evidence, unclear terminology, and conflicting explanations explicitly. A guide is more useful when it shows what still needs checking instead of hiding uncertainty.
Practise without reading the guide
Use headings as prompts, reconstruct the explanation or procedure yourself, then compare it with the linked source notes. Familiarity with the outline is not the final objective.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked questions
Can BrainDen make a study guide from notes I already have?
You can paste a focused set into an editable guide note, connect it to existing BrainDen notes, and use selected notes for continuous review. Check the structure and source details before studying.
Does this merge all my original notes into one stored note?
No. BrainDen keeps original notes separate. You can create a guide note, link the originals, and read or export a selected set together without overwriting those notes.
How much material should one study guide cover?
Use one exam objective, essay theme, process, or question type. Several smaller guides are easier to check and practise than one document containing an entire course.
Can I export the notes behind the guide?
Yes. Select the relevant notes, read them together, and export that selection as one PDF or Markdown document while every original remains separate in BrainDen.
Continue in your connected library
BrainDen features for the next step
Review the whole topic
Read several study notes together
Exam topics rarely fit inside one note. Select the lectures, readings, and explanations that belong together, then review them in one continuous view without replacing or rewriting the originals.
Explore this featureConnect related ideasLink notes and follow the backlinks
Folders tell you where a note belongs. Links show how its ideas relate to the rest of what you know. Connect a concept to another lecture, reading, or course and use backlinks to find the relationship from either side.
Explore this featureOrganize your libraryUse nested folders for courses, modules, and topics
A growing study library should match the way your course is actually structured. Build folders inside folders so lectures, readings, assignments, and revision topics stay easy to find.
Explore this featureKeep building your study system
Related study workflows
Lecture and reading notes → Multi-note exam review
Review multiple notes together without losing the originals
View workflowStudy notes → FlashcardsMake flashcards from notes without losing the explanation
View workflowStudy notes → Practice quizTurn your notes into a quiz that reveals study gaps
View workflowUse the material you already have.
Start with a focused set of checked study notes, create a connected note, and choose the study tools that help you understand and remember it.