The

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The Cornell Note-taking System
Presented by the
Academic Resources Center
American Studies Building 206 - Ext. 4024
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Rationale for Taking Notes

• Requires organization on the part of the student.
• Requires critical thinking.
• Develops active listening skills.
• Requires concentration.
• Solidifies understanding.
• Aids student in determining what the instructor
  thinks is important.
• Strengthens some learning styles.
• Reduces information to manageable amount for
  review

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Setting the Stage for Learning
Five Things To Remember!

• Motivation Listening
• Taking Notes
• Questioning
• Review Taking Notes

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• Motivation is tied to goals attitude
• Nurture and develop enthusiasm and motivating
  self-talk
• Be Proactive and not Re-active.
• Set clear and achievable goals
• Use strategies that support your learning efforts
• Get positive!
• Decide that you and your future are worth making
  the investment NOW!
• Realize that every hour wasted today will
  significantly
• decrease your career success and earning
  potential later.

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Listening

• Be an active listener
• 1. Read text before class
• 2. Give speaker your attention
• 3. Be actively engaged with material
• - make connections
• - get the big picture

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Taking Notes

• Capture main ideas
• Dont recopy notes
• Dont use tape recorder
• Review notes immediately after
• lecture
• Dont rely on memorization

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Questioning

• Ask questions of speaker
• - Clarify information
• Ask questions of yourself
• - Have an inquiring mind
• There are no dumb questions
• - Only unasked ones

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Review Taking Notes

• If your system works
• - Dont Change
• If your system doesnt work
• - Try Cornell System

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The most widely used system in the U.S. gives you
a ready-made tool for review!
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Three Important Steps!

• Step 1
• - Preparing the System
• Step 2
• During the Lecture
• Step 3
• - After the Lecture

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Step 1 - Preparing the System

• Use large loose-leaf notebook to
• store notes and handouts
• Take notes on one side of paper only
• Make recall column
• - Draw a vertical line two and one half
• inches from left edge of paper
• - Key words written to left of line

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• Record classroom notes in space to right of line
• Review notes on yesterdays lecture

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Step 2 - During the Lecture

• Record notes in simple paragraph form
• Roman numeral system not necessary
• Capture general ideas Get names, dates
• from text
• Skip lines to show end of one idea/start
• of another

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Speed Writing

• Most students can learn speedwriting in several
  minutes. Just omit all (or most) vowels. For
  example, mst stdnts cn lrn spdwrtng in svrl mnts.
  Jst omt ll or mst vwls.
• Or develop your own shorthand method.

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• Using abbreviations will give extra
• time to listen and write
• Write legibly
• - Do not recopy notes
• - Copying notes is not review
• - Copying notes is a waste of time

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Step 3 - After the Lecture

• Consolidate notes after class
• - Read through notes make more legible
• - Fill in spaces
• - Underline main ideas

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• Summarize main ideas
• - Jot key words and phrases for ideas on the left
• - Gives time for reflection
• - Organizes thoughts in mind and on paper

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• Use jottings as cues or flags to aid
• recall
• - Cover right side of paper
• - Recite facts aloud in your own words
• Uncover notes verify what you said
• - Reciting is the most powerful recall technique

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Recording Column
Course, teacher (date)
Cornell Note-taking System
Key terms/recall

• RECORD FACTS During lecture, record meaningful
  facts, ideas in right column.
  Write legibly. (Use
  abbreviations write in phrases) Skip 2 lines
  between subtopics or key ideas.
• REDUCE Soon after lecture, summarize facts,
  ideas concisely in FACTS left (recall)
  column.
• Clarifies meanings, relationships.
• Reinforces continuity. Strengthens memory.
• Helps review for exams.
• RECITE Cover right column. Recall
  facts, ideas from lecture (in FACTS
  own words).
• Uncover notes - verify what you said. Helps
  transfer
• 
  notes to long-term memory.
• REFLECT Separate opinions from notes. Record,
  organize, file
• ON NOTES opinions of lecture subject.
  Categorize them, review
• 
  occasionally.
• REVIEW Spend 3-5 min. Reviewing right after
  class.
• NOTES (Study daily - 2 hrs. outside class for
  ea. hr. in class)
• Helps retention.

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Seven Tips to Note-Taking Success
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7
Tips

• Include details, facts, or explanations that
  expand or explain the main points that are
  mentioned.
• Include definitions, word for word, especially if
  your professor repeats them several times.
• Include enumerations or lists of things that are
  discussed.

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Seven Tips (contd.)

• Include examples. You dont need to note all of
  the details for each example, but you do need to
  know which general topic each example relates
• Include anything that is written on the
  chalkboard or on a transparency (on an overhead
  projector)

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Seven Tips (contd.)

• Include anything that is repeated or spelled out
• Include drawings, charts, or problems that are
  written on the board

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TUTORING SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION LEARNING
SKILLS ASSESSMENT LEARNING STYLES
ASSESSMENT LEARNING SEMINARS ACADEMIC
COUNSELING TIME MANAGEMENT JOB APPLICATIONS
.
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• If your teacher is giving extra credit for
• attending this workshop
• Fill out an attendance verification form for each
  teacher giving extra credit
• List todays date.
• Sign your name (legibly).
• Write the first last name of each teacher. If
  you do not know the first name, list the course
  name and meeting time.
• Check appropriate items.
• Turn in to ARC personnel after workshop.
• We will validate it and mail it to your teacher.
• Questions? Ask us.
• Academic Resources Center
• AMST 206A Ext. 4024