How to Take Notes

THE CORNELL SYSTEM FOR TAKING NOTES

STEP ONE: PREPARING THE SYSTEM

Use a large, loose-leaf notebook. The large size provides ample room for developing meaningful notes, recording examples, and drawing diagrams. The loose-leaf feature enables you to insert mimeographed handouts and assignment sheets in topical or chronological order.

The key to the system is to draw a vertical line about two and a half inches from the left edge of each sheet (or buy law ruled paper that is designed this way). This is the recall column. Text notes will be recorded in the space to the right of the line. Later, key words and phrases will be written to the left of the line for review.

Before taking any notes on your text, review any prior notes and any related class lectures. This brief review will help form a strong chain of association, helping you to see the development of the course.

STEP TWO: USING THE SYSTEM FOR TEXTUAL NOTES

1.	Record your notes on the right side in simple paragraph form. Your object is to make your notes complete, clean, and clear.
2.	It is not necessary to make elaborate outlines until you're ready to make a summary sheet and condense your notes.
3.	Strive to capture general ideas rather than illustrative details. In this way, you will be able to follow the train of the argument or development of an idea. Do, however, get names and dates.
4.	Skip lines to show the end of one idea and the start of another. Indicate the sub-ideas and supporting details with numbers or letters under the major idea (indent them).
5.	Use abbreviations sparingly.
6.	Note the page and text (if there are more than one) at the top of each page of notes in case you need to refer back to the original for clarification.
7.	Write legibly. Do not rewrite your notes. Do it right the first time. Rewriting just wastes your time.

STEP THREE: REVIEWING YOUR NOTES

1.	Use text-marking techniques to underscore and highlight key items.
2.	Use the left column to put down questions and/or key terms for review. In doing so, you will have organized and structured the information both in your notes and in your mind. It works best to use your own words.
3.	Now cover up the right side of the sheet, exposing only the jottings in the recall column on the left side. Use these as cues or flags to help you recall. RECITE aloud the answers as fully as you can. Then uncover the right side and confirm that you were right.
4.	Occasionally condense down the key terms and ideas in outline form. This summary sheet will help you get the big picture. It will also help you organize your information in a usable form for the mid-term and final exams.
5.	Review periodically all semester long and intensely before any exam.

Sample Notes - Bad Example

---

    ---------------------------------------------------------------
    | Bach and Handel--both were German composers                 |
    | Bach 1685-1750, lived in small town, family man--2wives and |
    | 20 children, dealt with small problems, few adventures,     |
    | family had long musical history                             |
    | Handel 1685-1759, lived in many places(Italy, Germany,      |
    | England), not married, had many adventures, no musical      |
    | heritage                                                    |
    | Similarities in music: same historical period (baroque),    |
    | masters of choral music, reflected several nationalities in |
    | music, wrote a variety of music                             |
    | Difference in music: Bach's music mainly church music,      |
    | impersonal, wrote with great drama, wrote utilitarian       |
    | pieces used for special occasions, chorales often used      |
    | Handel's best work operas(wrote 43), revealed his           |
    | personality through music, did not use strong rythms,       |
    | chorales, did not use organs much                           |
    |                                                             |

Sample Notes - Cornell System

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             ---------------------------------------------------------------
             |              |                                        FA1300|
             |              |                                          9/25|
Left third   |              |                                           p.3|
of page    --|--->          |                                              |
left blank   |              | Bach and Handel--German composers            |
for study    |              |                                              |
questions    |              |                                              |
             |Who was Bach? | Bach 1685-1750                               |
Lecture      |              |      Lived in small town                     |
notes taken  |              |      Family man--2 wives and 20 children     |
on right   --|--------------|-->   Dealt with small problems               |
two-thirds   |              |      Few adventures                          |
of sheet     |              |      Family had long musical history         |
             |              |                                              |
             |              |                                              |
             |Who was       | Handel 1685-1759                             |
             |Handel?       |        Lived in many places--Italy, Germany, |
             |              |         England                              |
             |              |        Not married                           |
White space  |              |        Had many adventures                   |
separates    |              |        No musical heritage                   |
key ideas  --|--------------|-->                                           |
             |              |                                              |
             |              | Similarities in music                        |
Study     -->|How was their |    Same historical period (baroque)          |
questions    |music alike?  |    Masters in choral music                   |
written in   |              |    Reflected several nationalities in music  |
when notes   |              |    Wrote a variety of music                  |
are reviewed |              |                                              |
later        |              |                                              |
       Key --|------------> | Difference in music                          |
     ideas   |How did their |    Bach--Mainly church music                 |
underlined   |music differ? |          Impersonal                          |
             |              |          Wrote with great drama              |
             |              |          Wrote utilitarian pieces for special|
             |              |           occasions, chorales often used     |
             |              |                                              |
             |              |    Handel--Best work operas--wrote 43        |
             |              |            Revealed personality through music|
             |              |            Did not use strong rythms,        |
             |              |             chorales                         |
             |              |            Did not use organ very much       |
             |              |                                              |