You might want to prepare several pages in advance, or you can use a template (you can find them online or use Microsoft Word to create a digital version). Remember to also record the course name, the class topic, and the date of the lesson to keep your notes orderly.īefore class, use a marker or a different color of ink to divide the page into two main columns, with a bit of space at the top and a larger section at the bottom.
The idea is to give yourself space for copying down information (class notes), for identifying key points (study cues), and for summing up the main ideas of the lesson (summary). The Cornell Note-Taking System organizes ideas spatially, so it’s great for visual learners. With this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn the five Rs of the Cornell note-taking system, and you’ll never end up with the nightmarish problem of not understanding your own notes. Aside from saving you the time and angst spent cramming, Cornell notes can actually improve the quality of your learning experience, helping you make connections and get more out of each lesson. Walter Pauk from Cornell University, this note-taking system is both an efficient way to record information and an effective way to absorb it. The solution is easy: learn the Cornell Note-Taking System and start using it before exams start.Ĭreated by Dr.
How can you study effectively when faced with such a note-taking disaster? The incoherent jumble of words and phrases stares up at you from the page like so much tangled spaghetti, defying you to remember exactly what the professor meant or how these ideas connect. Think ahead a few months: exam season has started, and you’re thankful that you’ve attended class faithfully and taken clear, well-organized notes-or so you thought.