The Cornell Note Taking Method
Record notes during class, add cues and questions after, recite from the cues, then write the summary last, not first.
Quick answer
Cornell notes split the page into three jobs. The wide right column is for recording notes during a lecture or reading. The narrow left column is for cues, questions, and key words, added after the session. The bottom section is for a summary written after review, which is what makes the page useful for revision instead of just a transcript.
Reference facts
- Cue column
- About 30 percent of the width, on the left
- Notes column
- The wider right column
- Summary section
- Seven lines tall, at the bottom
- College ruled
- 7.1 mm line spacing
- Wide ruled
- 8.7 mm line spacing
Best for
- Lecture and class notes
- Textbook and reading notes
- Revision from cues instead of rereading
Record, in the right column only
During the lecture, write in the wide right column and leave the left column blank. Capture main ideas, definitions, and examples in your own words where you can, because copying word for word is slower and harder to revise from later.
Reduce, within a day if you can
Soon after the session, go back and fill the left column with short cues: questions the notes answer, key terms, and prompts for the main ideas. This step is the method, not an extra. If you skip it, you have lined paper with a divider, not Cornell notes.
- Turn a heading into a question, for example, what does this term mean, or why does this step matter.
- Keep cues short, one phrase per line, so they work as recall prompts.
- Star cues you could not answer without looking, and revisit those first.
Recite, then summarise
Cover the right column, read a cue, and say the answer out loud before checking. That retrieval step is what builds memory; rereading the notes column without covering it feels easier and teaches less. Only after reciting should you write the summary at the bottom, in a few sentences, in your own words. A summary written before review is usually just a repeat of the first paragraph.
Printing guidance
Print at Actual Size or 100% scale. College ruled fits more lines per page, wide ruled gives more room per line, and the summary section stays seven lines tall at either spacing.
Related questions
When should I write the summary?
After review and reciting, not during the lecture. The summary should capture what you now understand, in your own words.
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Updated 2026-11-01