The Cornell method was devised in the 1950s by Walter Pauk, an education professor at Cornell University, and described in his long-running guide How to Study in College. It has lasted because it solves a common problem: notes that are written once and never looked at again.
Set up the page
Draw two lines on a sheet of paper:
- A horizontal line about 5 cm (2 inches) from the bottom. The space below it is the summary area.
- A vertical line about 6 cm (2.5 inches) from the left edge, running down to the summary area. The narrow left column is the cue column. The wide right column is for your notes.
Write the course, date and topic at the top. The same layout works in a paper notebook, a tablet app or a document on your laptop — use a two-column table.
During class: take notes
Use the wide right-hand column. Don’t try to write down everything:
- Record main ideas, key terms, definitions, examples and anything the lecturer repeats or emphasizes.
- Use short phrases, abbreviations and symbols rather than full sentences.
- Leave space between topics so you can add to them later.
- If you miss something, mark it with a “?” and keep going. Fill the gap afterward from the slides, the textbook or a classmate.
After class: questions and a summary
This is the step that makes the method work. It’s best done the same day, while the lecture is fresh.
- Tidy up. Fill in gaps and fix anything you can’t read.
- Write cues. In the left-hand column, next to each section of notes, write a question that the notes answer. “What are the three branches of government?” works better than just “government”.
- Summarize. In the bottom box, write two to four sentences summing up the page in your own words. If you can’t, that’s a sign there’s something you didn’t understand yet.
When you study: test yourself
Cover the notes column with a sheet of paper. Read each question in the cue column and answer it out loud or in writing, then uncover the notes and check. Mark the questions you got wrong, and start with those next time.
This turns rereading — one of the least effective ways to study — into active recall, one of the most effective. Our guide to active recall and spaced repetition explains why.
The five Rs
Pauk summed up the method as five steps, often called the five Rs:
| Step | What you do |
|---|---|
| Record | Take notes in the main column during class |
| Reduce | Afterward, condense them into questions and key words in the cue column |
| Recite | Cover the notes and answer the cues from memory |
| Reflect | Think about how the ideas connect to each other and to what you already know |
| Review | Go back over your notes regularly, not just before the exam |
Tips
- Don’t worry about neatness during the lecture. The after-class step is where your notes become useful.
- Start a new page for each topic when you can, so each summary covers one idea.
- Handwrite or type — whichever you’ll actually review. Research comparing handwritten and laptop notes has produced mixed results. What matters more is putting ideas in your own words rather than transcribing the lecture word for word.
- Review a little, often. Ten minutes with your cue questions a few times a week does more than a long session the night before the exam.
Frequently asked questions
What are the three sections of Cornell notes?
A wide notes column on the right for notes taken during class, a narrow cue column on the left for questions and key words added afterward, and a summary area at the bottom for a few sentences that sum up the page.
Who created the Cornell note-taking method?
Walter Pauk, an education professor at Cornell University, devised the method in the 1950s and described it in his book How to Study in College.
Why is the Cornell method good for studying?
It builds self-testing into your notes. You cover the notes column and answer the questions in the cue column from memory, which turns rereading into active recall, one of the most effective study techniques researchers have found.
Can I use the Cornell method on a laptop or tablet?
Yes. Use a two-column table for the cue and notes columns with a summary box underneath, or a note-taking app template with the same layout.
