Irene Okpanachi is a Features writer, covering mobile and PC guides that help you understand your devices.
She has five years' experience in the Tech, E-commerce, and Food niches. Particularly, the Tech space allows her to geek out and share knowledge.
Irene is a couch potato who loves gaming, singing, listening to music, and eating when she's not typing furiously on her laptop.
Neurodivergence is such a trip. Where it leads to is what I still haven't figured out.
There are multiple trains of thought leaving at the same time to different destinations. Sometimes, it's interesting. Other times, it's not so good.
Growing up, I was slow to learn and needed more attention in school. I concluded there was something wrong with me. But like personalities, our brains are wired differently.
Mine simply worked in clusters of information rather than a straight line. I developed a habit of simplification to compensate.
It's the origin story of why I can simplify complex ideas for others. Although I still have second thoughts about artificial intelligence, it has assisted me in my journey from point A to B.
In particular, these two tools help me filter through the noise and learn at my own pace.
NotebookLM and Gemini are great together, but unstoppable with this app
The final layer in my productivity setup
Posts 6
By Anu Joy
My brain is a multicore CPU
But every core is lagging under the weight of multiple processes
The average person learns through mild repetition. You may see a concept several times, and it eventually sticks. A neurodivergent brain takes longer to reach the same level of understanding.
Any information it receives must connect to numerous contexts and patterns before it can recall them. Even when I understand a complex concept at the moment, I'll struggle to retrieve it later.
Many internal distractions can break the learning loop. I could be having racing thoughts and experiencing multiple emotional signals simultaneously.
These factors break my concentration. It's ironic because I'm drawn to topics built around theories and heavy abstraction requiring that skill.
I've since built self-care systems that work for me, rather than struggling with conventional methods. It's best to listen, watch, and interact with each concept within the content, rather than everything at once.
NotebookLM and Gemini have contributed to it with a suite of tools that I like to bend towards this rule.
I take baby steps to knowledge
I'm not in a rush to master everything
I never dive into any learning process immediately. My attention is fragile, and the first five minutes decide everything.
Besides creating a relaxing environment, I perform some digital pre-rituals to condition myself and make the experience anticipatory. After all, learning isn't fun until you make it so.
A large PDF or long YouTube explainer looks like a threat until I upload it to the NotebookLM app. The Audio Overview feature neutralizes it in minutes.
It turns any topic into a discussion in which two voices dissect the subject in a podcast style. The experimental interactive beta mode made it more interesting as you could interrupt with real-time questions. I hope it returns in a wider release.
The conversational banter made it less boring to absorb the material, compared to actively pressuring myself to focus. I usually played them in the background while doing small chores.
I remembered the lessons better as I attributed the memories to physical and emotional cues. For example, reading "The Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus has an AMOLED display" forces me to imagine the fact and its importance. It feels flat.
But hearing it from an animated voice that says, "The Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus has an AMOLED display, and scrolling through it feels like the colors are jumping off the screen!" fuels understanding through tone and more context.
I'm able to visualize, as well as empathize and remember the story more naturally. It also helps to have an in-app chat about content, especially about multiple sources.
You might not have enough time in real life. You'll procrastinate because you're unsure what to do first.
NotebookLM allows me to add multiple related sources into one notebook. Then I prompt it via chat to make a list of steps to follow when approaching them. It externalizes the mental load of organizing and prioritizing. Then I can skip to the action part.
Example prompt: I just dumped multiple confusing sources here. Can you organize them into a linear, step-by-step project plan? Tell me exactly what I need to do first.
Studying is no longer a bore-fest
Who says it has to feel like a punishment?
My mind functions best in shorter bursts of intense focus, so learning in hour-long study sessions doesn't do any good. I use flashcards to create breaks after 10 to 15 minutes of reading.
It's a way to check that I'm retaining information. I always set a 15-second timer on Google for each question, which pushes me to think harder.
I may even reward myself for correct answers or do a personal challenge, like exercise, for the wrong ones. Both pathways encourage a balance of dopamine and blood flow.
I would mentally register success and want to repeat it, or increase concentration through body movement. The added visual cues on the app provide concrete reference points to latch onto.
Although there's an infographic feature on NotebookLM, I prefer to use the Slide Deck. It creates a compilation of multiple images and key points. I scan the deck and immediately see the structure of an argument or process.
A quiz is always the final step in my routine to connect all the pieces. When I choose an answer, the app instantly shows me why it's right or wrong. I'm able to correct myself accordingly and save time by not referring to the main copy repeatedly.
Gemini is my discussion partner
It never gets tired of my questions
Until NotebookLM's interactive beta mode returns, Gemini Live is a temporary replacement. It's great that both apps are integrated now, and I don't have to reinsert documents.
Simply tap + in the lower-right corner of the text box, select NotebookLM, and choose from existing notebooks to begin discussions through chat or Live mode. I always choose the latter.
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It's my standby tutor. I can ask tireless questions about anything while cross-referencing on another device or using split-screen.
Outside the mode, chatting with Gemini provides simulated experiences. The right prompts fix you inside scenarios. If you can imagine yourself in relation to contexts, you'll understand them better.
I once asked Gemini to create a random scenario. It was related to my course on sustainability under International Relations.
I asked it to present me with a conflicting dilemma and leave me with an open-ended question. Then we would review my answer afterward.
I made my decisions, and the app showed me its strengths and flaws.
Example prompt: Create a scenario in [topic] with multiple goals that conflict. Make it realistic and unpredictable. Present me with choices and throw in unexpected complications or curveballs. After I respond, let's break down the consequences and hidden factors. Don't make the answer obvious. I want to be challenged. Force me to weigh every trade-off.
I can't stop thinking about how much easier college would've been with NotebookLM
NotebookLM is the best study partner you could have
Posts 106
By Jon Gilbert
Build your magical library
Usually, responsibilities feel too serious. Gamifying some parts of them with intelligence has helped me overlook pressure and stress.
Like studying, general tasks are more engaging when they're transformed into mini-challenges and backed by reward systems.
Tools like NotebookLM and Gemini make it possible, while also highlighting priorities and stopping decision fatigue.
You'll have a library that's alive in some sense, and you can ask what's worth knowing first before anything else.
Plus, you're not limited by the patience or time of a human assistant.
