Lecture Notes

Geek to Live: Take study-worthy lecture notes

Geek to Live: Take study-worthy lecture notes

by Gina Trapani

Copying class notes after the fact is a time-consuming way to study for an exam, but it was the only thing that truly worked for me back in college. But next week I'll be in a classroom again for the first time in 8 years, pen poised over notebook, and this time I'm going to perfect a strategy that gets my notes right the first time: the Cornell Note-taking method.

We've mentioned the Cornell method in passing here and there, but today we'll dive deep into how to transcribe a lecture in a way that makes studying and cross-references a breeze throughout the semester - no copying involved.
Lay out your page for the Cornell Method

Using the Cornell method, you split your notes page into three sections, as shown below.

cornell-layout.jpg

* Notes column (right) Record the lecture here during class using short sentences and fragments that transcribe the facts you'll need. Eliminate all unnecessary words. Use bulleted lists for easy skimming, and as much shorthand as possible (without sacrificing readability.) Develop a vocabulary of abbreviations you always use, like "ex" for "for example," "v." for "very," "tho" for "though," "1st" and "2nd" for "first and second." Finally, leave lots of whitespace between points and paragraphs so you can go back and fill in sections later.
* Cues column (left) After class, review your notes and jot questions and memory joggers in this narrow column that help connect ideas listed in the notes section. When you're studying, you will look at these cues to help you recall the salient facts in your notes, so keep that in mind when you create your cues.
* Summary area (bottom) After class while you create your cues, sum up the notes on each page in one or two sentences that encapsulate the main ideas in the bottom area. You'll use the summary section to skim through your notes and find information later.