Free Cornell notes template, ready to print

What is the Cornell note-taking method?

The Cornell method was developed in the 1950s by Walter Pauk, an education professor at Cornell University, and later described in his book How to Study in College. It splits one page into three parts, so the same sheet works for taking notes, testing yourself and reviewing.

• Notes (the big right column). Write during the lecture or while you read. Short phrases, not full sentences.
• Cues (the narrow left column). After class, turn each block of notes into a question or a keyword.
• Summary (the bottom). Two or three sentences in your own words about the whole page.

How to take Cornell notes, step by step

Pauk described the method as five steps, often called the five R’s.

• Record. During class, write the main ideas and facts in the notes column. Leave a gap between topics.
• Reduce. Within a day, write a question or cue next to each idea, for example “What does chlorophyll do?”.
• Recite. Cover the notes column and answer the cues out loud. Check what you missed.
• Reflect. Ask yourself how this connects to what you already know, and write the summary.
• Review. Spend a few minutes each week answering the cues again, especially before a test.

An example

Tips that make Cornell notes work

• Write the cues as questions. A question makes you recall the answer, which helps far more than rereading.
• Do the cues and summary the same day. Your memory of the lecture is still fresh, so gaps are easy to fill.
• One topic per page. Start a new page for a new topic. It makes review much faster.
• Use it for reading too. The method works for textbook chapters and online articles, not only lectures.

Questions