Click the drop-down arrow next to "New" and choose "Notebook." This starts a file that offers a free-form canvas where you can type, write or draw notes in the form of text, graphics and images wherever and however you want them, according to Microsoft Office OneNote Help.
Type an appropriate name for your notebook in the Name box. Examples include "Summer 2011 Semester" or "English 205" to reflect then notebook contents.
Choose a Template. As a college student, "Research Notebook" is ideal for project research, "Shared Notebook" is ideal for group projects and "Student Semester Notebook" is ideal for an entire semester's worth of class notes and projects.
Review the template suggestions by clicking on the tabs it provides. For example, after choosing the "Student Semester Notebook" template, OneNote displays several tabs suggesting deadlines, creating tables for better note taking, project organization and even "Student club" for other things you enjoy as a college student.
Explore tools and options. For example, click the "Clip" button near the middle of the main horizontal tool bar. Suppose you have a class PowerPoint presentation on your screen. When you click "Clip," you can box in what you want and copy it into your OneNote page like a screen shot. Also, click on the microphone near the middle of the tool bar to instantly record sound and/or video of lectures, class guest speakers or other live events through your laptop's webcam and microphone.