Cornell Method
A note-taking system for focus. 1
Note-taking is about more than transcribing. It’s about capturing key information, processing it internally, and presenting it in a way that makes it easy for you or someone else to consume at a glance.
The Cornell Method involves dividing every page of your notebook into three clear sections, each with a specific role: Cues, Notes, Summary.
Notes section
The lined section on the right is where you’ll record your main notes, thoughts, and ideas from the meeting. This is the largest section of the three, but space is limited for a reason — use short sentences, bullets, symbols, and abbreviations to keep your notes as concise as possible.
Different writing tools and stroke thicknesses make your notes easy to review aMter the fact. Try experimenting with ink colors and highlighters to add emphasis to data, ideas, and other important takeaways.
Cue section
The column on the leMt is a space to distill what you’ve wriOten in the notes section. Write down overarching topics that tie your notes together, keywords you want to look up, and “cue” questions to jog your memory — hence the name of the section.
Think of the cue section as a kind of reverse agenda. As you review what you’ve wriOten in your notes and fill in the cue section, you build a list of the most important topics covered in the meeting. This exercise may also be helpful as you decide what tags to create and add to your notes to sort them.
Summary section
The empty space at the boOtom of the page is an opportunity to take a mental step back and capture the big picture. In no more than a sentence or two, write down the main point or takeaway from the meeting. When scanning your notes, reading this summary will save precious time.
Instead of a summary, you can create a small to-do list with the most important tasks to emerge during the meeting, and then check the tasks oMf as you go about the rest of your day.
Summarize the meeting in no more than two sentences.
- Use short sentences, bullets, symbols, and abbreviations to keep your notes concise.
- Add main topics, ideas, and questions to the cue column.
- Summarize the meeting in no more than two sentences.
