What the Cornell method is
The Cornell method is a page layout for notes, developed at Cornell University in the 1950s and taught in schools and colleges since. Its idea is simple: divide each page into sections, each with a job. One section is for notes taken during a class or reading. Another is for cues and questions added later. A third, at the bottom, is for a summary.
The layout builds review into the page itself. Instead of ending up with a pile of notes you must figure out how to study from, you have notes that are already set up for self-testing.
The page layout
Draw or print the following on a page, or use ready-made Cornell paper.
- Header. At the top, write the date, subject and topic.
- Notes area. A wide column on the right side, usually about two-thirds of the page width. This is where you write during the lecture or reading.
- Cue column. A narrower column on the left, often about two to two and a half inches wide. You leave it blank while taking notes and fill it afterward.
- Summary area. A strip across the bottom, perhaps two inches high, for a short summary of the page.
The exact proportions are not important. What matters is leaving enough room in each section.
Step 1: Prepare the page
Before the class or reading, set up the layout and fill in the header. If you know the topic, you might glance at the syllabus or chapter headings to prepare. A few minutes of previewing helps you recognize the structure when it comes.
Step 2: Take notes in the notes area
During the lecture or reading, write in the right-hand column. Some guidelines:
- Record main ideas, key terms, definitions and important examples.
- Use short phrases and abbreviations rather than full sentences.
- Skip a line between ideas so the page does not become a block of text.
- Use indentation or numbering to show how points relate.
- Do not try to write everything. Listen for a complete thought, then note it.
- Leave gaps if you miss something, and fill them in later.
Keep the cue column empty for now.
Step 3: Fill in the cue column
Soon after, ideally the same day, reread your notes and add cues in the left column. Cues are short prompts that match the notes beside them. They can be:
- Questions. For example, “What are the causes of …?” or “How does … differ from …?”
- Keywords. The main term or topic of that section.
- Short labels. Such as “definition,” “example” or “steps.”
Writing cues is a quiet but important step. To make a good question you have to understand the point of the notes next to it. It also gives you ready-made practice questions for later.
Step 4: Write the summary
At the bottom of the page, write a summary of the page in a sentence or two, or a short paragraph. Use your own words and aim to capture the main idea and how the points connect.
Try to do this without staring at the notes. Summarizing from memory reveals gaps, and the whole page is condensed into something you can scan quickly in the future. The idea of building understanding through condensing is explored further under written summaries.
Step 5: Review using the cue column
This is where the format pays off. To study:
- Cover the notes area with a sheet of paper or fold the page so only the cue column shows.
- Read each cue and try to answer it aloud or in writing.
- Uncover the notes and check your answer.
- Mark cues you missed and return to them.
This is a practical form of retrieval practice, which usually serves memory better than rereading notes. Doing it again after a few days and then after a week or more follows the logic of spaced repetition.
You can also read just the summaries across several pages to refresh your memory of a whole topic quickly.
A worked example
Imagine a lecture on how plants make food. In the notes area you might write:
- Photosynthesis: plants convert light energy into chemical energy (sugar)
- Needs: light, water, carbon dioxide
- Makes: sugar and oxygen
- Happens mainly in leaves, in chloroplasts
In the cue column, you might add: “What is photosynthesis?”, “Inputs?”, “Outputs?”, “Where?” In the summary, you might write: “Photosynthesis is how plants use light, water and carbon dioxide to make sugar, releasing oxygen. It happens mainly in the chloroplasts of leaves.”
The next time you study, you cover the notes and try to answer the cues. These are basic, widely taught facts, used here only to show the layout.
Using Cornell notes for reading
The method works for books and articles too. Use the notes area for key points from each section, the cue column for questions derived from headings and the summary for the chapter’s main idea. This pairs nicely with the preview-and-question approach for reading textbooks.
Adapting the method
- On a computer. Use a two-column table with a summary row at the bottom, or a simple template. Some people use headings in place of the cue column.
- For math and diagrams. Put worked problems in the notes area and use the cue column for the type of problem or the key step.
- For short sessions. A shorter page is fine. A single summary line still helps.
- Combine with other tools. Some people add a small mind map or diagram in the notes area where a topic is highly visual.
Common mistakes
Skipping the cue column and summary. Without them it is just ordinary notes in a narrow column. The review steps are the heart of the method.
Writing cues that are too vague. “Chapter 3” does not prompt anything. A specific question does.
Waiting too long. The longer you leave it, the harder it is to remember what your shorthand meant. Aim for the same day.
Never actually testing yourself. Reading the cue column without trying to answer defeats the purpose.
Writing too much. If your notes area is so full that cues cannot be matched, trim.
Is it right for you?
The Cornell method suits learners who like structure and who study for tests that require recall of facts and concepts. It can feel slow or rigid for open-ended discussion, or for subjects where ideas are tangled and nonlinear. As with any method, try it for a few weeks, notice whether you actually do the review steps and change what does not fit. The format is a tool, and its value depends on whether it gets you to think about your notes after class.