The Cornell Method of Note Taking

[Kris]

The Cornell Method of Note Taking isn't new, but I just "discovered" it yesterday and it looks great -- making the notes useful without having to re-do them. Anyone else using it? Pros? Cons? Better systems?

 

Layout Example

 

More Info

 

Even More Info

[TraceyS/FL]

I haven't read about it - but i love the paper!

 

You can print your own here: http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/

 

Now i'll have to go read about the actual system to use it.

[Kris]

I haven't read about it - but i love the paper!

 

You can print your own here: http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/

 

Now i'll have to go read about the actual system to use it.

 

We've just started using it this morning -- and I'm *very* encouraged. And once I told him, "It's just like playing Jeopardy! You've got the answers -- now you have to come up with the questions" it was an "Ah HA!" moment.

[Kris]

Ah -- here it is:

 

Cornell Method PDF Generator

 

I also made up a spreadsheet last night for the "form" if anyone wants it.

[mcconnellboys]

My son is required to use this method at the private school he is attending. I believe that many high schools and colleges have adopted this method over the past couple of decades.

[KAR120C]

I made my own paper in Word (as a template) and I notice two things about my notes now compared to the old way.

 

First, I am WAY more organized in my note taking, even before I go through the second time. I don't know exactly why... maybe because I'm using a smaller space, or thinking even a little bit about how I'm going to summarize on my second go-round, but I'm much better at writing just what I need.

 

Second, I've found my notes much better for studying from. I use the left column kind of like an index (the "cues") which means when I have ten minutes before a test I can run down that column reminding myself of everything that was covered and checking it all off in my mind (or reviewing it if necessary) and I know when I've gone through my notes that I've gone through everything. Similarly, if I've come across something while I'm reading that reminds me of something I read several months ago, it's easy to find.

 

I do wish I could just buy a spiral-bound notebook that was already laid out for this... but for now I'm printing and 3-hole-punching and keeping everything in a binder. One of these days I'll take one sheet to Staples, xerox it a gazillion times and have them spiral-bind it in 100-page books for me. And then I'll shut up about finding them ready-made. ;)

[Bev in B'ville]

Levenger prints the Cornell Note Taking paper in different colors that goes with their Circa Notebooks. You can see it here.

 

I just received my first Circa notebook yesterday and really like the ability to make it "mine" so to speak. I like that I can add and remove paper (unlike a spiral notebook) and reuse the covers and rings again and again.

 

HTH.

[TraceyS/FL]

That was where i first saw the paper - then at the site i posted they have a variety of ones you can customize. I made DD some to use - printed on 28lb paper and circa punch!

 

I like that I can change the line color too, i have stuff for me in different colors depending on what i am doing. You can also make "un-Cornell" like and move the big box to the top.... or get rid of it.... i had fun playing around one day! LOL!!

 

But most of all.... i love my Circa punch :D

[Laurie4b]

http://www.usu.edu/arc/idea_sheets/cornell.cfm

 

This one has a sample done if anyone is interested. It helped me understand the system better.

 

Thanks Kris! I'd never seen this before.

[Sharon in MD]

Thanks for the great link! I just sent it to my son. He learned to use this years ago in a study skills class, but we'd both forgotten all about it.

[Hoggirl]

If so, how?

[Sharon in MD]

I just downloaded a freeware Cornell note system that I'm interested in playing around with. I like to take notes on the computer and this formats it into a pdf in cornell style.

 

 

I thought I would share the link incase anyone else wants to go play with it.

 

I can't vouch for it, but it looks interesting.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/notalon

[KAR120C]

If so, how?

I think it's really about the same either way... You take regular notes in the large block, then when you're all done you go back and put "cue" words or phrases in the left column (I think of it kind of like an index to your main notes), and then you go back and summarize each page at the bottom.

 

So for instance from a math text one might write out formulas, describe their relationships, notes about what they're derived from and what they apply to in the main block. Then you can go down the left column writing in just the names of the formulas (so you can find your notes about them and so you know when you're studying that you've covered that formula) and then at the bottom of each page you could summarize all the relationships and applications.

[Catherine]

Very helpful, he was taught by his excellent bio teacher and now that he's at home we are using it for other subjects.

[Lori D.]

I used a simple version of this method back when I went to college in the early '80s -- they taught this method at a "study skills" class.

 

Basically, you used a regular spiral bound notebook, and then used the edge of a book or another notebook to draw a line down the paper to create a narrower left column and a wider right column; take notes during class in the right hand column (I'm a visual learner, so I write a lot, and write it in a pretty traditional organized fashion already). Then IMMEDIATELY after the class, take 5 minutes to go over the notes while your memory is still fresh and fill in any forgotten info. Then take 10 minutes to summarize key points in the left column. Then for studying, take 10-15 minutes to review the key word info in the left column, stopping to read the expanded info in the right column as needed.

 

By taking an extra 10 minutes RIGHT AFTER class to fill in and do a key word summary, I don't think I ever had to study my notes for a class test for more than 10 minutes.

 

 

The other great tip I learned in that class was for speeding up your study time of textbooks. IMMEDIATELY after you read a section, go back over it with a pencil, pen or highlighter and underline/highlight the stuff you feel is important (usually topic sentences, concluding sentences, bullet points, etc.) -- and here's the key to this tip: only underline/highlight KEY WORDS -- NOT entire sentences! This greatly reduces your review reading time, as your eyes only look at the key words and your brain automatically make sense of it as an abbreviated sentence.

 

So, looking back at the first sentence of that last paragraph, I would have only highlighted: ".... speeding up ... study ... of textbooks"

 

I could usually then go back and read the outlined key words in about 20 minutes. So my total combined time for study of notes and textbook for any test back in college was no more than 30 minutes. No "all-nighters" here! :D

 

Hope those tips help! Warmest regards, Lori D.