Cornell Note Taking System
(For Lecture or Reading)

Taking good notes is one of several keys to academic success. There are several reasons why developing an effective technique of note taking is important.

Reasons for Developing Effective Note Taking Techniques

1. Prevents forgetting:
Our memory fades quickly. For most students, forgetting occurs very rapidly after listening to a lecture, or reading over informational material even if the material is engaging and interesting. After lectures, for example, research shows that we forget 50% of what we hear within an hour and more than 70% within two days.

2. Encourages concentration:
Taking effective notes requires a student to be mentally active during a lecture or while reading. One has to pay attention, interact with information, make decisions about what to record, and write. Given that the mind is occupied with a demanding task, there is less opportunity for the mind to wander.

3. Records testable material:
Instructors generally expect students to remember and apply facts and ideas presented in lecture or in texts. Tests are based on ke...

1 1/3 2 2/3 3 4 5 50 6 7 70 abbrevi abil abl academ activ agre aid aim along aloud alreadi anchor and/or anoth answer appli around ask attent b back base best better big bigger bottom brief bullet busi c chang check class clear clue column commit complet comprehens concentr concept confus connect cornel cover cram creat day decis defin definit demand detail develop difficulti disagre discuss edit effect emphas encourag engag ensur even exampl expect experi explain facilit fact fade feedback fit five focus fold forget format formul found four frequent general give given good guidelin hand head hear hour howev idea immedi import improv incorrect increas indent indic inform instructor interact interest introduct key last later learn leav lectur left left-hand lefthand legibl less like line listen long long-term look loud main make mani materi mean memori mental method mind new night note notepap notetak number o observ occupi occur one opportun organ page paraphras pay peopl pictur piec possibl power prepar present prevent process psychologist purpos question quick quiz/test rapid read reason recal recapitul recit record reflect relev remain rememb requir reread research restat retriev review say section sens sentenc separ session sever sheet show side silent singl six skip soon space specif speed state step stimul student studi style subtop success suit summar summari support symbol system tabl take task teacher techniqu telegraph tend term test testabl text theme think three time togeth topic trigger two two-column understand use varieti visual wander way week well within word work write written