Revision Made Easy: The Cornell Note-Taking Method
Exam season is here and it can seem overwhelming to know where to begin when you’re faced with stacks of textbooks and class notes.
This is where the Cornell Note-Taking Method comes in.
You can use this note-taking method in class or it can be a valuable revision tool when you’re trying to compile and revise lots of key information. Here’s how it works:
Write your topic / module / class in the first box. Be specific so you can easily file your notes and find them later.
Write down key information and notes in the main section of the worksheet. If you’d like to challenge yourself try writing in as much information as you can from memory and then filling in any gaps later in another colour. Don’t just copy from the textbook or your class slides and ensure you’re only noting down key information.
Once you’ve finished writing down the bulk of information, use the left-hand column to write in prompts, key questions, diagrams, or key terminology that link to your detailed notes. These will act as reminders and help you think of potential questions that may come up in your assessments.
Write a brief summary in the last box to help you compile the information into a couple of sentences. This will force you to focus on the key aspects.
You can use multiple worksheets for one module or topic but the key with the Cornell method is to focus on the most important information. By going over this multiple times and summarising concepts, this information will be easier to retrieve from memory when it comes to your exams.
Download your own worksheet or see an example below:
