The Cornell Notes system (also Cornell note-taking system or Cornell method) is a note-taking system devised in the 1950s by Walter Pauk, an education professor at Cornell University.
The Cornell Note-taking System
1. Record:
During the lecture/video/lesson, use the note-taking column to record the lecture using telegraphic sentences.
2. Questions:
As soon after class as possible, formulate questions based on the notes in the right-hand column. Writing questions helps to clarify meanings, reveal relationships, establish continuity, and strengthen memory. Also, the writing of questions sets up a perfect stage for exam-studying later.
3. Recite:
Cover the note-taking column with a sheet of paper. Then, looking at the questions or cue-words in the question and cue column only, say aloud, in your own words, the answers to the questions, facts, or ideas indicated by the cue-words.
4. Reflect:
Reflect on the material by asking yourself questions, for example: “What’s the significance of these facts? What principle are they based on? How can I apply them? How do they fit in with what I already know? What’s beyond them?
5. Review:
Spend at least ten minutes every week reviewing all your previous notes. If you do, you’ll retain a great deal for current use, as well as, for the exam.