The Cornell Note Taking System

When I study, I like to take notes and write summaries about what I’ve learned. This helps me rethink what I’ve read and provides a short description of useful ideas that I can revisit from time to time.

Recently, I discovered the Cornell Note-Taking System. It was developed by Walter Pauk, a professor at Cornell University, in the 1950s. The system was initially designed to improve the efficiency of college-level students (I wish someone had shown it to me when I was a student!).

The Cornell Note-Taking System is very simple and consists of three parts: notes, keywords/questions, and summary. Here’s how it works:

📍Divide the paper into two columns: the questions column (1/3 of the width of the page) and the notes column (2/3 of the width of the page). Leave 5-7 lines at the bottom of the page for the summary.
📍During study, make notes in the notes section. It’s recommended to keep one line between different statements and two lines between different chapters. This is how you should work during lectures and readings.
📍Add key terms and relevant questions to the questions column. This helps emphasize important points.
📍Write a summary in your own words to describe what you’ve learned. A good tip is to imagine you’re explaining it to one of your friends.

Various studies show that the Cornell Note-Taking System is more effective than other styles when students need to apply learned knowledge in practice. I’ve tested this approach and can confirm that it works much better than standard note-taking. It requires to rework the material, which improves the level of retention and understanding. Now it’s my primary method for taking notes.

#softskills #productivity