Cornell Note Taking System Area "A" -- The Cue Column The space to the left of the vertical

margin should be reserved for a cue column. You should not write in this area during the lecture, while you are taking notes. The cue column is not created until you review your notes (which, ideally, you do as soon after the lecture as possible, and certainly before the next lecture). As you study the material in your notes, you should devise questions which the notes answer. These questions are the "cues" that should be written in the cue column. By writing questions, you are forced to think about the lecture material in a way that clarifies meaning, reveals relationships, establishes continuity, and, most importantly, strengthens memory. Area "B" -- The Summary Space The area below the horizontal margin near the bottom of the page should be reserved for a summary of the notes on that page. Your summary should be brief -at most, only a few sentences. The page summary provides a concise review of the important material on the page, useful for later reference. More importantly, in writing a summary, you are forced to view the material in a way that allows you to see how it all fits together, in a general sense. The summary should be helpful in allowing you to see how specific facts fit into the broader landscape. Area "C" -- The Note-Taking Area The space to the right of the vertical margin is where you actually record your notes during the lecture. You should not attempt to transcribe verbatim every word spoken by the instructor. It is usually not difficult to separate the essential material from the non-essential. For instance, if information is written on the blackboard, it is probably important enough to include in your notes. To avoid missing information during the lecture, you should develop a system of abbreviations you understand, and you should write in telegraphic sentences (where you only include enough words to carry the essential meaning). As you take notes, realize that your emphasis should be on the key ideas, rather than the actual words used to convey those ideas.

CUE WORDS or QUESTIONS Why should I?

NOTES WRITTEN Cornell Note Taking System Reasons for taking notes: helps memory can review anytime can ask questions later keeps attention during class lectures good for hands-on and visual learners Always! Problems and Solutions: 1. cant understand/hear the professor sit near the front ask questions out loud 1. lecture is boring/too many distractions avoid sitting near loud groups of students keep eye-contact bring a water bottle and drink water anticipate the next point 1. cant determine what to write down review textbook look at the handout or powerpoint ask professor to repeat a certain topic 1. cant keep up with lecture when writing use abbreviations leave out unimportant words compare with friends notes forget about spelling and grammar

When should I? What are the Solutions?

SUMMARY

Taking notes is important for many reasons. You When attending class. Although there are You can always come up with a solution for Skills gets you one step close to getting a good

The Cornell Note-Taking System: 1. Use 8 1/2 by 11 paper to create note sheet. Down the left side, draw a vertical line 2 1/2 inch from the edge of the paper. End this line 2-inches above the bottom of the paper. Draw a horizontal line across the bottom of the paper, 2-inches above the paper's edge. 2. In the narrow (2 1/2") column on the left, you will write cue words or questions. In the wide (6") column on the right, you will write lecture notes. 3. In the space at the bottom of the sheet, you will summarize your notes. There are two versions of the Cornell System: First Version is the Six R Version: Step 1: Record
In the wide column, record as many facts and ideas. Use telegraphic sentences by leaving out unnecessary words. Use the key words only. Grammar rules are ignored. Write down a streamlined version of the lecturer's key points.

Step 2: Reduce
Reread your notes and rethink the entire lecture. Reduce each fact and idea in your notes to key words and phrases. Column on the left write down cue words: the word or phrase that you extracted from the fact or idea. The key words or phrases will act as memory cues. Column on the left write down cue words. Cue Words: are key words or phrases written in the 2 1/2" column that act as cues to help you recall a full fact or idea. Cover up the wide column of your note sheet, exposing only the cue words or questions in the narrow column. Read each cue word or question out loud. Then, in your own words, the answers to questions, facts, or ideas indicated by the cue words.

Step 3: Recite

Step 4: Reflect
Reflection is thinking about and applying the facts and ideas that you have learned. Reflect on the material by asking yourself questions, such as these: What is significance of these facts? What principles are they based on? How can I apply them? How do they fit in with what I already know? What is beyond these facts and principles?

Step 5: Review North York ESL Academy

The best way to prepare for examinations is to keep reviewing and keep reciting the set of notes that you will be held responsible for. Every evening, before you settle down to study, quickly review your notes. Pick up a designated set of notes and recite them. Short, fast, frequent reviews will produce far better understanding and far better remembering than long, all-day or all-night sessions can.

Step 6: Recapitulate
Recapitulate is a sure fire way to gain a deep understanding of facts and ideas in your notes, and reviewing summaries makes studying for exams a breeze. Take the time to summarize your notes, your understanding deepens - you have the whole picture instead of an assortment of facts. Write your summary in the space below the horizontal line at the bottom of the note sheet. Summarize according to one of these plans: 1. Summarize the content of each note sheet. 2. Summarize the content of the entire lecture on the last note sheet for that lecture. 3. Do

Second Version is the one Q/Five R Version: Step 1: Record

In the wide column, record as many facts and ideas. Use telegraphic sentences by leaving out unnecessary words. Use the key words only. Grammar rules are ignored. Write down a streamlined version of the lecturer's key points.

Step 2: Question
Reread your notes and rethink the entire lecture. Then formulate questions based on your notes. Column on the left write down - opposite the fact or ideas in your notes - write a brief question that can be answered with the information in your notes. Writing questions helps to clarify meanings, reveal relationships, establish continuity, and strengthen memory. It also sets the stage for studying for exams.

Step 3: Recite
Cover up the wide column of your note sheet, exposing only the cue words or questions in the narrow column. Read each cue word or question out loud. Then, in your own words, the answers to questions, facts, or ideas indicated by the cue words. Cue Words: are key words or phrases written in the 2 1/2" column that act as cues to help you recall a full fact or idea.

Step 4: Reflect
Reflection is thinking about and applying the facts and ideas that you have learned. Reflect on the material by asking yourself questions, such as these: What is significance of these facts? What principles are they based on? How can I apply them? How do they fit in with Step 5: already know? What is beyond these facts and principles? Review what I The best way to prepare for examinations is to keep reviewing and keep reciting the set of notes that you will be held responsible for. Every evening, before you settle down to study, quickly review your notes. Pick up a designated set of notes and recite them. Short, fast, frequent reviews will produce far better understanding and far better remembering than North York ESL long, all-day or all-night sessions can.

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Step 6: Recapitulate
Recapitulate is a sure fire way to gain a deep understanding of facts and ideas in your notes, and reviewing summaries makes studying for exams a breeze. Take the time to summarize your notes, your understanding deepens - you have the whole picture instead of an assortment of facts. Write your summary in the space below the horizontal line at the bottom of the note sheet. Summarize according to one of these plans: 1. Summarize the content of each note sheet. 2. Summarize the content of the entire lecture on the last note sheet for that lecture. 3. Do both 1 and 2. The third option yields the greatest reward. When you review your notes for exams, you'll

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