Cornell Note-Taking Method

Taking good notes is a key part of being successful in any college class. One very effective way of note-taking is the Cornell Method. This approach isn't new, but it is still an excellent way to take notes and study using your notes. It was developed by Walter Pauk during the 1950s. The Cornell Method provides a way in which you can write down your full notes from each class, extract out the key points, generate questions, include diagrams or other visual aids, and summarize the topic. The key concept behind the Cornell Method is to divide notes into three areas:

• A narrow (2.5 inch) column on the left to include the main ideas, questions, study prompts, and any figures or diagrams;
• A broader (6 inch) column on the right for your full class notes; and
• A narrow (2 inch) area at the bottom of the page to summarize the topic.

Do an Internet search on Cornell Note-Taking paper, and you will find there are numerous notepads, notebooks, and filler paper already set up for you. There's even a free on-line PDF file by Incomptech that will generate a Cornell-arranged page for you.

For more information about the Cornell Note-Taking Method, you might check out this article by Lifehacker.com.

Using the Cornell Method with Notability

Ready to put a more modern spin on the Cornell Note-Taking Method? How about applying it while using a note-taking app such as Notability? Then you'll want to see this YouTube video on how to do just that. Notability is available for iOS devices through the iTunes app store. It is just one of many available note-taking applications for mobile devices.