• Cornell note taking stimulates

critical thinking skills.

• Note taking helps students

remember what is said in class.

• A good set of notes can help

students work on assignments

and prepare for tests outside of

the classroom.

• Good notes allow students to help

each other problem solve.

• Good Notes help students organize

and process data and information.

• Helps student recall by

getting them to process

their notes 3 times.

• Writing is a great tool for learning!

• Developed in 1949 at Cornell

University by Walter Pauk.

• Designed in response to frustration

over student test scores.

• Meant to be easily used

as a test study guide.

• Adopted by most major law schools

as the preferred note taking method.

Layout

Question

Column

--2 Inches--

After the lecture,

– write questions in this column for each main point in the record column.

Record Column

--6 Inches--

Record patterns of main idea and

support • in your own words when possible.

Use indentations

• to show the relationships between main ideas and

– support.

Summary

--2 inches--

After the questions,

3 to 4 sentence summary across

the bottom of the last page of the day’s notes

Sample

Blank

Cornell

Note

Paper

Record Column Write main ideas and supporting material in

the right column

– Record notes in paragraphs, skipping lines to

separate ideas.

• Titles & keywords= topics main ideas

• “Transition” words/phrases introduce details

– First, most, some, this is called, there are two types

– Use abbreviations to get the full idea.

– Leave spaces between ideas so you can

• fill in more later.

• see how ideas relate to one another

Develop a code system of note-marking to indicate questions, comments, important points …for example,

Use different colors distinguish between different parts of your notes.

Mark unfamiliar vocabulary & unclear ideas in unique ways

Highlight vocabulary.

Circle ideas that are still unclear

Make sure you can understand what you have written and if needed, make corrections.

Use drawings, arrows or other organizers to help you see concepts and relationships between them

Note taking Tips

Note taking Tips

Use indentations to distinguish

between major and minor points.

Put most notes in your own words,

except

formulas , definitions, and specific facts

Use abbreviations and symbols

wherever possible.

Never use a sentence when you can use a phrase, or a phrase when you

can use a word.

Speaker says: “Hippocrates, a

Greek who is considered to be the

Father of modern medicine, was

Born on the island of Cos in

460 B.C.”

Notes say: “Hippocrates (Gr.)

Father of med. B. Cos 460BC”

Question Column

Write questions in the left column of your notes to

quiz yourself on the material.

– Write questions in the question column on the

same line as the item the question addresses

in the record column

– Write a question for each new

• Topic

• Main idea

• Significant detail

– Write questions for details on which

you think your professor will quiz you.

Quiz

Answer your questions in the left column.

– Cover the Record Column.

– Read your questions in the Question Column

– Using your own words, answer your questions out loud.

– Uncover your notes and check what you have said against the facts.

This will help transfer ideas to your long-term memory!

Summary

• Keep it short!

• Write in your own words.

• Try to remember what your notes were

about – don’t read your notes as you’re

writing your summary!

Review

Review to improve your memory.

– If you spend 10 minutes every week or so in

a quick review of your notes,

• you will retain most of what you have studied

• you won’t have to cram during an “all-nighter”

• you will relate the facts and ideas to

present lectures or readings.

Anthropods

Paul sends

his examples

Paul sends

his examples

Paul sends

his examples

• May reflect headings in

PowerPoint lectures

• Leave room on the left

for questions and

diagrams

• Leave plenty of room

within the outline for

student note-taking

(Diagram copied

during lecture) (Questions

about it ) • How do the

ticks find the

cattle?

• Why don’t the

ticks usually

kill their host?

• How could

tick

infestations in

cattle impact

humans?

Example Here is the text.

In the “Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” there are four

main characters – including one that may not really

exist. The first and most important character is

Ichabod Crane. He is an ambitious schoolteacher,

who hopes to marry the second character, Katrina

Van Tassel. Katrina is the handsome daughter of a

wealthy farmer. The third character is Brom Bones.

He is Ichabod’s rival for Katrinia, and he is also well

known for his practical jokes. The fourth and final

character is the frightening, ghostly figure of the

Headless Horseman, who terrifies Ichabod into

running away. But Irving strongly hints that this might

simply be another of the characters in disguise.

Here are the notes:

1st character?

Job?

Interest?

2nd character?

Description?

3rd character?

Interested in?

Likes what?

4th character

Real or not?

Scares who?

Might be who?

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow – 4 Main Characters

1. Ichabod Crane

• Most important

• School teacher

• Wants to marry Katrina

2. Katrina Van Tassel

• Beautiful daughter of wealthy farmer

3. Brom Bones

• Also wants to marry Katrina

• Well known for practical jokes

4. Headless Horseman

• Scary ghost

• Scares Ichabod away

• Might be another character [Brom?] in disguise

Summary:

Sleepy Hollow has 4 important characters to the story.

Ichabod Crane, a teacher, who wants to marry Katrina

Van Tassel, a daughter of a wealthy farmer. Another

character, Brom Bones, also wants to marry Katrina and

is Ichabod rival. The fourth character is the Headless

Horseman, who frightens Ichabod into running away,

may secretly be another one of the characters.

Your questions should reflect:

• Info you don’t understand or

want to discuss with your

teacher/tutor.

• Info you think would go good

on an essay test.

• Write summaries of the most important

material in the summary/reflection

section

• Write a quiz for others using notes;

exchange and correct

• Write anticipated test questions

beyond those already in the

left-hand column and write

answers

Write!

• Cover the right side of your notes;

review and answer study questions

from the left using the right side as an

answer key

• Quiz yourself out loud

• Cover the right side with blank

paper; write out answers to

the left column study

questions

Make use of the format

• Look over notes frequently to

keep information and questions

still unanswered fresh in mind

• Recite information from notes

Review

• Exchange notes with others to flesh

out information and understanding

• Use notes in study groups to provide a

common ground of material for

reference and review

• Rewrite notes if necessary

Study in a Group