Description: An introduction to the Cornell method of note-taking.
Many students take linear notes where they write down everything that the professor says. This method is not very effective. We'll go over 4 different note-taking styles that you can use instead.
The Cornell Method
The Cornell method is a note-taking style that actively engages you in understanding the lecture material. In this method, you divide your sheet of paper into 3 parts.
During the lecture, you take notes in the notes column. You can use jot notes, sentences, paragraphs, and drawings.
After the lecture, you will review your notes and create questions in the cue column based on what you've written in the notes column. When you're doing this, ask yourself:
- What are the key ideas from the lecture?
- What are the key words that I need to know?
- How can these ideas be connected to a test or an essay?
At the bottom of your note, you'll also write a summary for every page of notes you've made. Ask yourself:
- What's the point of this part of the lecture
- How does this all connect back to the syllabus?
Here's an example of a note made using the Cornell style. In the notes section, the student has used arrows, symbols, and abbreviations. In the cue column, they've made some practice questions they can use when they're studying. Here, they've summarized the lecture in a few points.
You can also compare this to a handwritten version of the same note made with the Cornell style.
Advantages
- The Cornell method is great because the cue column helps you to create practice questions. This means that you identify what was important in the lecture and how it can tested.
- The summary section helps you to figure out the key ideas from the lecture in a few sentences. This is useful because you won't have to read through all of your notes to understand the point of the lecture.
Disadvantages
- A disadvantage of the Cornell method is that the notes section can appear to be disorganized. However, you can combine different methods of note-taking to assist you in making meaningful notes.
The Cornell method is most effective for note-taking both during and after lecture.