The Best Way To Take Notes In Class

Note taking is a necessary evil in education. It is also a very personal process. Everyone takes notes in a way that works for them. Have you ever borrowed someone's notes because you missed a class, and you can barely understand anything that was written? Or have you ever looked over your own notes and had no idea what you were writing? An easy technique called Cornell Notes allows you to take notes in your own way and make the notes more effective.

Cornell note taking was developed at Cornell University and is mandatory at most medical schools in the country. The Cornell notes process is simple. All you need to do is Divide your page into approximately one-third and two-thirds by drawing a line down the left side of the paper about one-third of the way in from the edge. The left side of the page is used to write the titles of sections, main ideas or topics and any questions you may have. The right two-thirds of the page is for taking notes the way you normally take notes.

The key to Cornell note taking is the review of the notes. By folding the paper from the right to the line on the left all that is visible are the main ideas, topics and questions. If you look at a topic on the left side of the notes and can not remember the facts just open the notes and look for the answer. This easy review can be done in just a few minutes. While reviewing notes, you can write questions for the teacher or other classmates in the left hand column so you will not forget them later. The questions also make an easy review for quizzes and tests.

At the bottom of the page leave a little room for a summary. After reviewing the notes and quizzing yourself write a two to three sentence summary in your own words at the bottom of the page. This is another quick check of your knowledge of the material and can be used later for review.

Cornell note taking can be used in any subject at almost any level. It is easy and effective and still allows the student the independence of taking notes in ways they understand.