SHORELINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

HUMANITIES DIVISION

Note-Taking using the Cornell System

PRE-LECTURE

Use a large, loose-leaf notebook and use only one side of the paper. Draw a vertical line 2 1/2 inches from the left side of you paper. This is the recall column. Notes will be taken to the right of this margin. Later key words or phrases or missing information can be written in the recall column. Write down any information you already know about the lecture.

LECTURE

Record notes in paragraph form—and write down anything put on the board. Capture general ideas, not illustrative ideas or examples. Skip lines to show end of ideas or thoughts. Write legibly. (Using abbreviations may save time.)

POST- LECTURE

Read through your notes and make clarifications as necessary. Share notes with classmates comparing and adding information you may have missed. Now recopy the notes on a blank piece of paper and use the recall column. Write down ideas or key words that give you the idea(s) of the lecture. Explain confusing information. Look up the definition of words you do not completely understand and write down definitions.

Example

Notes from Sean Rody’s wonderful English class1/10/03