Taking Effective Notes

Print-Friendly Page
Authors & Contributors

In the next step of the Cornell system, you begin making the lecture material your own knowledge by covering up the Capture column of the notes and looking only at the main ideas and key words you've copied into the Recall column. Use the questions you've also jotted into the Recall column to recreate the main ideas of the lecture. Talk out loud. Become the teacher as you rehease the information.

This step reinforces what you know and helps you see what you don't. To work most effectively, though, you should review your notes right after each lecture and again every weekend.