Maximize Learning with Cornell Notes: Adaptable Strategies for All Environments (Full Transcript)

Speaker 1: Cornell notes are a helpful study tool in class, while reading a textbook, or when using online resources. Writing key information down as you learn will help you retain more. How do you use Cornell notes in a variety of learning environments? You can modify the Cornell note-taking system to match your learning situation and needs. The notes section is where you write down what the professor says and what she puts on the board, but you don't need to write down every word. Useful notes capture both the gist of what's being said and the important details. Using abbreviations and symbols can help you keep up. If you're learning from a video or online text, treat it just like class and write down the information you think you'll need to know. Different online resources have different options for taking notes. Find out what's available and what will work best for you. Students use the Q section for all kinds of questions and comments. Traditionally, the Q column of Cornell notes is used after you take your notes. This is the place where students add questions that will help them remember or organize the material. Using the Q section idea for textbook reading can help you identify what you still need to study more. With many online textbooks, you can use a comments or notes feature that will allow you to do your notes and Q questions online or just use regular paper. One of the best things about using Cornell notes is that it gives you the opportunity to keep your brain active in several different ways. Some students find it helpful to use the Q and note columns simultaneously. Write down what you need to learn while you're thinking analytically at the same time. Some students find the standard Cornell notes setup doesn't give them enough room, so they open their notebook to a new page for each class. They use the whole width of the page for their notes section and the back page of notes from the last class for their Q section. If you're given class slides ahead of time, you can just draw a line to make an area for regular notes and a Q area. Using the Q column for your questions while you were writing more factual notes in the notes section is a powerful learning tool. This kind of thinking can help you stay active during a lecture or class. The summary is the place where if someone asks, what did you learn today? You can tell them in just a few sentences. The summary can be challenging, but don't skip it. The ability to go back and forth from details to the big picture will help you learn and is a great skill to have for school, work, and life. Taking facts and distilling them into main ideas is a powerful learning tool. You're making your brain digest what the professor said and you're transforming it into your own knowledge. Try to get to the summary soon after class while the information is still fresh in your head. Looking back at your summary before the next class is a good way to see connections throughout the semester. You can use any part of the Cornell note-taking system, no matter how you're learning the material. Taking notes on the information helps you remember it better than just listening or reading. Asking yourself questions about what you are learning keeps your brain active and activates higher-level thinking beyond just memorizing. It lets you apply, analyze, and evaluate what you are learning. Summarizing makes you go from details to the big picture. Try out Cornell notes and learn what works for you.