Master Note-Taking with the Cornell Method: A Step-by-Step Guide (Full Transcript)

Speaker 1: The Cornell Method is a way of taking notes. A professor at Cornell University created this system to help his students keep their notes organized and useful. Here's the technique. On a sheet of lined notepaper, draw a horizontal line above the bottom six lines of the paper. Then draw a vertical line from the top margin down to this horizontal line, about a third of the way from the left edge. Put today's date at the top of the sheet. Write down your notes in the large, note-taking-right column. Your notes should consist of the main ideas of the lecture, video, or textbook you were studying. Keep your notes efficient. Paraphrase longer ideas. No need for complete sentences here. Use phrases that leave out parts of speech such as articles, conjunctions, prepositions, and auxiliaries. Think about how people write Twitter posts or news headlines. Use symbols and abbreviations where possible. Include quick sketches of the material when appropriate. In the left queue column, jot down relevant questions and keywords. Do this during your note-taking or immediately after. Writing questions and prompts helps you clarify meanings, reveal relationships, and establish continuity. This queue column will also assist you with your future reviews of the material. Within 24 hours of taking notes, write a brief summary in the bottom six lines of each page. Condensing your notes down to a couple of sentences helps you make the topic more clear in your mind. When you are studying for a test or quiz, you now have a concise yet detailed record of your previous classes. A method of review is to cover the note-taking column and look only at the left-hand column. Say aloud, in your own words, the answers to the questions and prompts indicated. Spend at least 10 minutes every week reviewing all your previous notes. Regular review of your notes between tests helps you better comprehend new lectures. It also enhances your long-term recall of the material. Try it and see for yourself how helpful this method can be.