NOTETAKING: THE CORNELL SYSTEM
Over the years a special system of notetaking has been developed at Cornell University.
It can be applied to almost all lecture situations. Its key-note is simple efficiency; every step is
designed to save time and effort. Each step prepares the way for taking the next material and
logical step in the leaning process.
Remember that the kind of notes taken for each class will depend partly on the subject
matter, partly on the way a professor customarily does his thinking, and partly on the particular
lecture on a particular day. However, use the following system to maximize the utilization of
notetaking as a learning tool.
1. RECORD. During the lecture, record in the main column as many meaningful facts as
ideas you can. Write legibly.
2. REDUCE. As soon after the lecture as possible, summarize (reduce) these ideas and
facts concisely in the recall column. Summarizing clarifies meanings and relationships,
reinforces continuity, and strengthens memory. Also, it is a way of preparing for
examinations gradually and well ahead of time.
3. RECITE. Now cover the main column. Using only your jotting in the recall column as
cues, state the facts and ideas of the lecture as fully as you can, not mechanically, but in
you own words and with as much appreciation of the meaning as you can. Then,
uncovering the notes, verify what you have said. This procedure helps transfer the facts
and ideas to your long-memory.
4. REFLECT. A reflective student separates his own opinions and musing from his notes.
Such musings help him make relationships among them. A reflective student may write
his ideas, opinions, and experiences on cards or in a separate section of his notebook. He
labels and indexes them, puts them into structures, outlines, summaries, and categories.
He files them and rearranges them from time to time. It is most important that the
essential ideas be placed in categories and reviewed from time to time. In this way a
student’s own best thoughts can be kept fresh and ready for use in many different
contexts.
5. REVIEW. If you will spend ten minutes every week or so in a quick review of your
notes, you will retain most of what you have learned, and you will be able to use your
knowledge more and more effectively.
_______________2 1/2_______________
_______________6”_______________
REDUCE ideas and facts to concise
jotting and summaries as cues for
RECITING, REVIEWING, and
REFLECTING.
RECORD the lecture as fully and as
meaningfully as possible.
Saved: CRLA Notetaking (Microsoft Word)
ELEVEN SUGGESTIONS FOR GOOD NOTETAKING
1. Take complete notes. Take 5-7 pages of notes on a one-hour lecture.
2. Label and outline your notes. At the top of your page, write your professor’s name, course,
and the date. This helps you tune in; it reminds your where you are and what you are about to
do. Furthermore, if you ever have to remove a set of notes from your notebook, it is easy to
put them back in the right place. Outlines your notes as much as possible and underline
subject and main headings.
3. Make your notes legible. Notes taken in ink on one side of the paper can be read more
easily and for a longer period of time than pencil notes.
4. Be an aggressive note-taker. Regard note-taking as hard work. Sit as close as you can to
your professor. Before the class begins, put all your books on the floor, get out paper and
pen, and be ready to write when the professor begins to speak. If your professor is going to
lecture on chapter I, do your reading for chapter I before your attend class. This makes it
much easier for you to keep up with your professor as you take notes.
5. Start taking notes when the professor starts talking. Don’t sit back during a lecture and
wait for something to strike you.
6. Ignore all distractions that might interfere with your concentration. Put your head down
and concentrate on getting as many notes as possible during the class. If needed, after class,
rewrite your notes so that they are neat and organized.
7. Isolate the specialized vocabulary for each course as early as possible and learn it.
Lectures will make more sense be easier to follow, and much more understandable, once you
understand the terminology and vocabulary for the particular course.
8. Learn to differentiate fact from opinion in lectures. Label your professor’s opinions and
personal experiences, so that you don’t confuse them with factual material. Separate your
ideas from the material presented by your professor by placing them in square brackets, thus:
9. Develop your own set of symbols to identify or emphasize various items in your notes.
For example, a circled “A” in the margin can identify as assignment slipped in without
warning at the end of a lecture.
10. Always take notes on discussion. It is your responsibility in a discussion to try to discover
what points are being made and to record them so that you will not forget them.
11. Get in the habit of always attending lectures. You will be less tempted to cut classes if you
think of each class as a chapter in a book you are reading. If you cut a class, you miss a
chapter.
Saved: CRLA Notetaking (Microsoft Word)