Method · Cornell notes
The Cornell note taking method: cues, notes and a summary on every page
The Cornell note taking method splits each page into a cue column, a note-taking column and a summary. Walter Pauk devised it at Cornell University, and its five steps run from Record to Review. Here is how it works and how to take Cornell notes in Barside.
The Cornell note taking method divides each page of notes into three parts: a narrow cue column on the left, a wide column for notes on the right, and a summary across the bottom. You take notes during the lecture, write questions in the cue column afterward, and then use those questions to test yourself. The layout turns a page of notes into a study tool.
This guide explains where the method comes from, the page layout, the five steps as Cornell names them, the common mistakes, and how to take Cornell notes on your computer in Barside, a free desktop app for Windows, Linux and Mac.
Where the Cornell method comes from
The method was developed by Walter Pauk, an education professor at Cornell University. Cornell's alumni magazine, Cornellians, reports that he devised it in the 1950s while he was a teaching assistant at Cornell. His book How to Study in College, first published in 1962, describes the system and is now in its 11th edition.
Cornell's Learning Strategies Center still teaches the method. Its page cites the 10th edition of How to Study in College, by Pauk and Owens (2010), where chapter 10 is called "The Cornell System: Take Effective Notes". Its printable handout is adapted from the 7th edition (2001).
The Cornell notes page layout
Cornell's handout gives exact sizes for a paper page:
| Part | Where | Size | What goes in it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cue column | Left side | 2½ inches wide | Questions and key words, written after class |
| Note-taking column | Right side | 6 inches wide | Your notes from the lecture |
| Summary | Across the bottom | 2 inches tall | A summary of the page, written after class |
The handout's instruction for the bottom area is plain: "After class, use this space at the bottom of each page to summarize the notes on that page."
The five steps of the Cornell note taking method
Cornell's Learning Strategies Center names five steps. Other websites rename them; these are Cornell's own names.
1. Record
During the lecture, write notes in the note-taking column. Use short "telegraphic sentences": enough words to understand later, no more.
2. Questions
As soon as possible after class, read your notes and write questions about them in the cue column. Each question should point at something in the notes beside it. Writing questions makes you decide what the notes are really about.
3. Recite
Cover the note-taking column. Look only at the cues, and answer each question out loud in your own words. Then uncover the notes and check. This is where you find out what you actually know.
4. Reflect
Ask what the facts mean. How do they fit with what you already know? How could you apply them? Reflecting is how separate facts start to fit together.
5. Review
Cornell's advice: "Spend at least ten minutes every week reviewing all your previous notes." A short weekly review keeps the whole course fresh, so exams become a refresher rather than a rescue.
Common Cornell notes mistakes
- Writing everything down. The Record step asks for short, telegraphic sentences. A transcript leaves no time to listen and no room to add later.
- Filling the cue column during class. The questions come after class, when you read your notes with fresh eyes. During the lecture, your attention belongs on the speaker.
- Waiting days to write the cues. "As soon as possible after class" matters. A week later, half the notes no longer make sense.
- Rereading instead of reciting. Reading your notes feels like studying, but covering them and answering from the cues is the actual test.
- Skipping the summary. A page with no summary is slow to review. Two or three sentences at the bottom save minutes every week.
- Saving review for exam week. Ten minutes every week beats a long night before the exam.
How to take Cornell notes in Barside
Barside notes hold text, tables, checklists, pictures, recordings and links, and every change is saved on your computer as you type. You can rebuild the Cornell page in a few minutes and reuse it for every lecture.
Set up your course
- Create a workspace for each course with + next to Workspaces in the sidebar, like BIO 101, each in its own color.
- Put the course's links (the syllabus, the reading list, the course site) in the workspace's bookmark bar, above its notes.
- Add each deadline as a checklist item with a due date in a Deadlines note. It shows on the task board under Today, Tomorrow or Next 7 days as it gets close.
Build your Cornell template once
- Make a new note with
Ctrl+Nand title it Cornell notes. - Under More formatting in the note toolbar, choose Insert table. With the row and column actions that appear inside the table, keep two columns, and type Cues and Notes in the top row. A plain table's cells hold formatted text, links and lists.
- Under the table, add a heading called Summary.
- Open Note options and choose Save as template, name it, and choose Save template.
Now every lecture starts with From template above your notes. Pick your Cornell notes template, and the layout is ready. You can also start from our Cornell notes template.
During the lecture: Record
- Type short sentences in the Notes column, one row per topic, so each cue sits next to its notes later.
- For slides in an online lecture, press
Alt+Shift+Sand drag across the slide. Barside reads the text on your computer and can add it to the note. - On Windows, a screenshot copied with
Win+Shift+Spastes straight into the note withCtrl+V. - Where your school allows it, the video icon in the note toolbar records audio into the note, so you can replay a passage you missed.
After class: Questions and Summary
- Before the lecture ends, press the bell at the end of a checklist item such as Write cues for lecture 4 and choose This evening. Barside reminds you while the lecture is still fresh.
- Read your notes and type a question in the Cues cell next to each row.
- Write two or three sentences under Summary.
Recite and Reflect
- Recite. Cover the right column with your hand or a sheet of paper, as you would on paper, and answer each cue out loud. If you connected an AI in Settings → AI, you can also ask the assistant to quiz you from the note's cues. Barside has no AI of its own; it uses the Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini or OpenRouter account you connect.
- Reflect. Link the lecture to earlier ones by typing
[[and a title. The Linked from list under each lecture then shows where its ideas came back. See linked notes and backlinks.
Review every week
Make a short template called Weekly study review, with a checklist line per course. In Settings, under Templates & repeating notes, set it as a repeating note, Weekly on Sunday at a time you choose. Each week a fresh note appears, and you spend your ten minutes going through each course's lecture notes, reciting from the cues. See note templates and repeating notes. A study planner template can hold the bigger plan for the term.
Who the Cornell method suits
- University and high school students in lecture courses, who need notes they can study from.
- Professionals in training, like people studying for certifications.
- Anyone in talks and workshops who wants to remember more than the slides.
It suits people less when there is no lecture to follow, such as reading a long book at your own pace. There, Progressive Summarization or the Zettelkasten method usually fits better.
Related methods
- Progressive Summarization, distill notes in layers each time you return to them.
- The Zettelkasten method, turn what you learn into small linked notes in your own words.
- Time blocking, plan study sessions into your days.
- The Pomodoro Technique, work in focused intervals with short breaks.
FAQ
Questions and answers
What is the Cornell note taking method?
It is a way of taking and studying notes on a page split into three parts: a narrow cue column on the left, a wide note-taking column on the right, and a summary across the bottom. You take notes in class, write questions in the cue column afterward, then use the cues to recite, reflect and review.
Who invented Cornell notes?
Walter Pauk, an education professor at Cornell University. According to Cornell's alumni magazine, he devised the system in the 1950s while he was a teaching assistant at Cornell. His book How to Study in College, first published in 1962, describes it and is now in its 11th edition.
What are the five steps of the Cornell method?
Cornell's Learning Strategies Center names them Record, Questions, Recite, Reflect and Review. Record notes during the lecture, write Questions in the cue column after class, Recite by answering from the cues alone, Reflect on what the ideas mean, and Review all your notes every week. Other sites use different names.
How big is each section of a Cornell notes page?
Cornell's handout gives a cue column 2½ inches wide on the left, a note-taking column 6 inches wide on the right, and a summary area 2 inches tall across the bottom of the page. On a computer, the exact sizes matter less than keeping the three parts.
When should I write the cues?
As soon as possible after class, not during it. During the lecture you only record notes. Afterward, you read them and write questions in the cue column. Writing them soon, while the lecture is fresh, is what makes the cues useful for reciting later.
Can I take Cornell notes on a computer?
Yes. In Barside, add a two-column table with Cues and Notes to a lecture note and a Summary heading below it, then save the note as a template. You can paste slides, record audio into the note and link related lectures. Barside is free for Windows, Linux and Mac.
Sources
Where the facts come from
Checked on October 2, 2026. Products change: if something here is out of date, tell us at support@barside.space.
- Cornell University Learning Strategies Center: The Cornell note taking system
- Cornell University Learning Strategies Center: Cornell note taking system handout (PDF)
- Cornellians: Cornell notes, by Joe Wilensky
Product names are trademarks of their owners. Barside is not affiliated with them.