Academic Tips: Cornell Note-Taking System
Many high school students take notes based only on what teachers write on the blackboard. In college, however, some professors will lecture for the entire class without writing a single note on the board. For this reason, you should practice taking legible, efficient notes as early in your academic career as possible. Developing strong note-taking techniques will not only prepare you for your college coursework, but will also ensure that you remain alert and focused while providing you with a record of the most important topics your teacher has covered in class.
The Cornell system of note-taking involves dividing your paper into two sections: a two-inch “cue column” and a six-inch “note-taking column.”
During the lecture, use the six-inch column to record, in shorthand, the facts discussed during the lecture. Use the smaller section as a highlighting system, writing questions or “cues” that will help you recall the main points of the lecture. Write a question for each new idea in your notes. At the bottom of each page, leave an additional two inches blank. After class, you should use this space to summarize the main points on that page.
When you return to your notes to study, cover up the note-taking column and use the questions in the cue column to quiz yourself: can you recall the facts that were discussed during the lecture?
