Cornell Notes

The Cornell method provides a systematic format for condensing and organizing notes. The student divides the paper into two columns: the note-taking column is twice the size of the “cue” column. The student should leave several lines (about two inches) at the bottom of the page for a summary.

Notes from a lecture are written in the note-taking column. Notes consist of the main ideas of the text or lecture, and paraphrasing is encouraged.  Use symbols or abbreviations for brevity.  As soon after class as possible, the student must write questions or keywords (in the cue column) and a brief summary (at the bottom of the page). This helps to increase understanding of the topic.

When reviewing the material, the student can cover the note-taking (right) column while attempting to answer the questions/keywords in the cue (left) column. The student should review the notes regularly. The following link provides a video on the Cornell note-taking system.