The Cornell Note Taking System

Introduction  Few people realize how fast memory fades. Studies on memory have shown that, without review --  47% of what a person has just learned is forgotten in the first twenty minutes  62% is forgotten after the first day.  Having good lecture notes to review can determine how well you are able to perform on exams.

Five Basic Steps to Note Taking Success  Go to class prepared  Improve your listening skills  Develop a note taking method that works for you  Pay close attention to content  Review and edit your notes

Go to class prepared  Use a three-ring binder instead of a spiral or bound book.  Pages can be easily removed for reviewing.  Handouts can be inserted into your notes for cross- referencing.  You can insert your own out-of-class notes in the correct order.  Bring highlighters to class. Instructors will frequently make comments like, "This is an important concept." Or, "Make sure you understand this." These are direct clues that this will more than likely be on an exam. Highlighting these notes will help remind you later that this is definitely something you need to know.  Read assigned material and previous class notes before class. Make notations about material or concepts you don't understand. Look up vocabulary words that are unfamiliar to you. You will have a better understanding about what the instructor is lecturing about and that will allow you to better decipher the more important points of the lecture. "Always have a plan and believe in it. Nothing good happens by accident." -- Chuck Knox, NFL football coach

Improve your listening skills  Enter the classroom with a positive attitude. Going to class thinking, "This is the last place I want to be today" only sets the stage for inattentive listening. Approaching lectures with a positive attitude allows one to be open- minded and enables you to get the most out of the information presented.  Make a conscious effort to pay attention. Concentrate on concentrating. "Without concentration there is no focus, and without focus there is no learning"  Adapt to whatever direction a lecture takes. When a lecture takes an unexpected detour, say a student asks a question you aren't particularly interested in, students have a tendency to "zone out." Before you know it, the lecture got back on track five minutes ago, and you missed crucial information that should have been noted. "Learn how to listen and you will prosper even from those who talk badly." -- Plutarch (A.D ). Greek biographer and philosopher

The Cornell Method  The Cornell method provides a systematic format for condensing and organizing notes without laborious recopying. After writing the notes in the main space, use the left- hand space to label each idea and detail with a key word or "cue."

Preparing to Take Notes  Divide the paper into three sections.  Draw a dark horizontal line about 5 or 6 lines from the bottom. Use a heavy magic marker to draw the line so that it is clear.  Draw a dark vertical line about 2 inches from the left side of the paper from the top to the horizontal line.  Write course name, date, and topic at the top of each page.  Divide the paper into three sections.  Draw a dark horizontal line about 5 or 6 lines from the bottom. Use a heavy magic marker to draw the line so that it is clear.  Draw a dark vertical line about 2 inches from the left side of the paper from the top to the horizontal line.  Write course name, date, and topic at the top of each page.

Six Steps in the Cornell Note Taking System  Record  Reduce (or question)  Recite  Reflect  Review  Recapitulate  Sample  Record  Reduce (or question)  Recite  Reflect  Review  Recapitulate  Sample

RECORD  Record as many facts and ideas as you can in the six- inch column.  Skip a line between ideas and topics  Don’t try to write every word down that the lecturer says or use complete sentences.  Write a streamlined version of the main points by leaving out unnecessary words, using abbreviations and only key words.  Record as many facts and ideas as you can in the six- inch column.  Skip a line between ideas and topics  Don’t try to write every word down that the lecturer says or use complete sentences.  Write a streamlined version of the main points by leaving out unnecessary words, using abbreviations and only key words.

RECORD - After the Lecture  To ensure that your notes make sense weeks later, after the lecture is over, fill in blanks or make incomplete sentences complete.

REDUCE  Reduce important facts and ideas to key words or phrases, or to formulate questions based on the facts and ideas.  Key words, phrases, and questions are written in the narrow column left of the six-inch column.  The words and phrases act as memory cues so that when you review them, you will recall the ideas or facts.  The questions help to clarify the meanings of the facts and ideas.  Reduce important facts and ideas to key words or phrases, or to formulate questions based on the facts and ideas.  Key words, phrases, and questions are written in the narrow column left of the six-inch column.  The words and phrases act as memory cues so that when you review them, you will recall the ideas or facts.  The questions help to clarify the meanings of the facts and ideas.

RECITE  Recitation is a very powerful process in the retention of information.  Reciting is different from rereading in that you state out loud and in your own words the facts and ideas you are trying to learn.  Hearing your thoughts helps you to sharpen your thinking process; and stating ideas and facts in your own words challenges you to think about the meaning of the information.  Recitation is a very powerful process in the retention of information.  Reciting is different from rereading in that you state out loud and in your own words the facts and ideas you are trying to learn.  Hearing your thoughts helps you to sharpen your thinking process; and stating ideas and facts in your own words challenges you to think about the meaning of the information.

REFLECT  Reflecting is a step beyond learning note content.  Reinforces deeper learning by the relating of facts and ideas to other learning and knowledge.  Questions like the following enhance reflecting:  How do these facts and ideas fit into what I already know?  How can I apply them?  How is knowing this important?  What is the significance of these facts and ideas?  Reflecting is a step beyond learning note content.  Reinforces deeper learning by the relating of facts and ideas to other learning and knowledge.  Questions like the following enhance reflecting:  How do these facts and ideas fit into what I already know?  How can I apply them?  How is knowing this important?  What is the significance of these facts and ideas? Reflection is pondering or thinking about the information you have learned.

RECITE  Cover up your notes in the six-inch column  Leave the cue words and questions uncovered and readily accessible.  Read each key word or question, then recite and state aloud, in your own words, the information.  If your answer is correct, continue on through the lecture by reciting aloud.  Cover up your notes in the six-inch column  Leave the cue words and questions uncovered and readily accessible.  Read each key word or question, then recite and state aloud, in your own words, the information.  If your answer is correct, continue on through the lecture by reciting aloud.

REVIEW  The way to prevent forgetting is to review and recite your notes frequently.  Review your notes nightly or several times during the week by reciting, not rereading.  Brief review sessions planned throughout the semester, perhaps weekly, will aid more complete comprehension and retention of information than will cramming the day before a test.  It will cut on stress too!  The way to prevent forgetting is to review and recite your notes frequently.  Review your notes nightly or several times during the week by reciting, not rereading.  Brief review sessions planned throughout the semester, perhaps weekly, will aid more complete comprehension and retention of information than will cramming the day before a test.  It will cut on stress too!

RECAPITULATE (Summary)  Goes at the bottom of the note page in the two- inch block column.  After you have reduced, recited, and reflected, summarize the facts and ideas in your notes to help you integrate information.  Write the summary in your own words and reflect the main points you want to remember from your notes.  Reading through your summary(ies) in preparation for an exam is a good way to review.  Goes at the bottom of the note page in the two- inch block column.  After you have reduced, recited, and reflected, summarize the facts and ideas in your notes to help you integrate information.  Write the summary in your own words and reflect the main points you want to remember from your notes.  Reading through your summary(ies) in preparation for an exam is a good way to review.

How to Summarize  There are three ways to go about summarizing: 1. Summarize each page of notes at the bottom of each page. 2. Summarize the whole lecture on the last page. 3. Do both 1 and 2, in combination.  There are three ways to go about summarizing: 1. Summarize each page of notes at the bottom of each page. 2. Summarize the whole lecture on the last page. 3. Do both 1 and 2, in combination.

Example:

Advantages  Organized and systematic for recording and reviewing notes.  Easy format for pulling out major concept and ideas.  Simple and efficient. Saves time and effort. "Do-it-right-in-the-first-place" system.  Organized and systematic for recording and reviewing notes.  Easy format for pulling out major concept and ideas.  Simple and efficient. Saves time and effort. "Do-it-right-in-the-first-place" system.

Play close attention to content "There is a great difference between knowing a thing and understanding it.” Charles Kettering ( ), American electrical engineer and inventor Knowing what and how much to write down is sometimes difficult. Rely on some of the following tips for what to include in your notes.  Details, facts, or explanations that expand or explain the main points that are mentioned. Don't forget examples.  Definitions, word for word.  Enumerations or lists of things that are discussed.  Material written on the chalkboard or on a transparency, including drawings or charts.  Information that is repeated or spelled out.

Review and edit your notes Ideas won't keep; something must be done about them." - Alfred North Whitehead ( ), English mathematician and philosopher  Academic skills centers and other authorities on effective study skills consider reviewing and editing class notes to be the most important part of note-taking and essential to increasing learning capacity.  It is extremely important to review your notes within 24 hours.  Edit for words and phrases that are illegible or don't make sense. Write out abbreviated words that might be unclear later.  Edit with a different colored pen to distinguish between what you wrote in class and what you filled in later.  Fill in key words and questions in the left-hand column.  Note anything you don't understand by underlining or highlighting to remind you to ask the instructor.  Compare your notes with the textbook reading and fill in important details in the blank spaces you left.  Consider rewriting or typing up your notes.

Develop a note-taking method that works for you "Learn, compare, collect the facts." - Ivan Petrovic Pavlov ( ), Russian physiologist. Fine-tune the structure and organization of your notes to increase your note taking speed and comprehension later.  Start each new lecture on a new page, and date and number each page. The sequence of material is important.  Write on one side of the paper only. You can set them out side-by-side for easier reviewing when studying for an exam.  Leave blank spaces. This allows you to add comments or note questions later.  Make your notes as brief as possible. "Never use a sentence when you can use a phrase, or a phrase when you can use a word" (Berkeley).  Develop a system of abbreviations and symbols you can use wherever possible.  Note all unfamiliar vocabulary or concepts you don't understand. This reminds you to look them up later.