Cornell Note Taking System by Walter Pauk a secret technique to improve Test Scores

Secret Technique to improve your Test Scores using Cornell Notes by Walter Pauk!

Cornell Note Taking Method or Cornell Notes  is developed in the 1950s by Walter Pauk, an education professor at Cornell University. Walter Pauk advocated its use in his best-selling book "How to Study in College".

The Cornell note taking method helps in providing a systematic format to organize and take effective Notes. Cornell Note Taking System has got several advantages over other note taking methods. 

Generally Cornell Notes is easy to use and make it easy to remember the stuff, further it is highly efficient, helps in improving concentration and  recommended for high school, college-level education and University Students to improve test scores. According to studies, taking handwritten notes is more effective than typing on a laptop.

It is designed to help students take, organize, and summarize notes more effectively. The method involves dividing a page into two columns, with the larger column for taking notes and the smaller column for writing questions or cues to help with reviewing the material.

How to set up Cornell Notes?

The Process starts by dividing the paper into two columns:

1. The note taking column usually on the right side of the paper which is twice the size of the  left column.  Generally  lecture notes which consists of ideas are written in this space by make use of headings,keywords, symbols and abbreviations, etc,. Follow the below figure for better understanding.

2. Keyword/Question column should be on the left side of the paper.

For Summary Purpose, You should leave some lines of space at the bottom of the page appropriately seven lines or 2 inches. It is crucial to regularly check Cornell Notes because they are made to be simple to review.

Hope one got the idea regarding what is Cornell Notes, how to take Cornell Notes and how simple and effective it is for note taking. Numerous examples are available online for your further reference. 

What are the benefits of using Cornell Notes: 

The Cornell Notes system has several benefits for students. It helps students to organize their thoughts and information as they absorb it, which can lead to better overall comprehension. 

The method encourages mindfulness and focus when taking notes, which can help students to better understand the material. Cornell Notes also promote active summarizing, which requires a certain level of understanding of the topic. 

The method is easy to use for reviewing, as the notes are designed to be easy to review and summarize. Research has shown that taking notes by hand is more effective than typing on a laptop, and Cornell Notes are designed to be taken by hand. Overall, Cornell Notes are a popular and effective note-taking method that can help students to better understand and retain information

Are there any apps or templates available for Cornell notes?

Yes. Depending on the website or app, the template may be available in Word, Excel, PDF, or Google Docs format. There are several templates available for free download online, including on TemplateLab and GoodNotes. There is also a Cornell Notes Template app available on Google Play and the App Store. Evernote also offers a Cornell Notes template for users. These apps and templates provide a pre-formatted layout for taking Cornell Notes, making it easy for students to get started with the method. Some apps also offer additional features, such as the ability to organize and review notes more easily. Overall, these apps and templates can be useful tools for students looking to improve their note-taking and studying skills using the Cornell Notes method.

What is Note taking?

Note taking is a skill that plays a crucial role in student's life as it helps in increasing his concentration, fetch good score in competitive exams. Desperately one  requires Good Listening Skills and need to be active throughout the session with good presence of mind to achieve maximum success.

Note Taking plays an important role in a academic context as it contains summary of "main ideas" and helps in remembering what you have heard or read apart from focussing on your subject because your mind may tend to wander off.

You need to Take Notes while listening to your teacher in class room, or while reading a textbook, a news paper,an article, a poem or a novel, watching News in Television, etc,.

The information present in the Notes should be  easy to remember, must be a processed one and  contain only important points or ideas by eliminating unnecessary information and quite different from what you find in Textbooks., Organise your notes using mind mapping tool.

You need to develop your own style of writing Notes to present information in your own words for better understanding at the later stages like during exams except for definitions and formulas. . Also include Headings (should be in Capital Letters),make use of Key words which are easily stored in memory, phrases, symbols and abbreviations like Mr, Mrs, w/o,+, =, &, @, etc,. in this note making process. Review your Notes at the end. 

Don't forget to mention Date and Subject at the Top of the Page and give Numbering to all pages.

Some of the Physical Factors that plays key role in Note making are Seating in your Room, class room, hall, Meeting,etc,. So you should be seated in a comfortable position while writing to avoid distractions.

One can make use of Notebooks (for paper methods), Digital Recorder, PC's, Laptops, etc,.

Note taking can be done in two methods namely linear and nonlinear.

1. Linear Method of Note Taking:

This method makes use of using headings and bullets to present information and it  tends to proceed down to the page.
    I. First main topic
        A. Subtopic
            1. Detail
            2. Detail
        B. Subtopic
    II. Second main topic
        A. Subtopic

2. Non Linear Method of Note Taking: 

Some of the Examples are  Concept mapping,Idea mapping, Knowledge maps, Pyramid principle,
Clustering, Cornell note taking system, Instant replays, Ishikawa diagrams, Learning maps, Mind mapping, Model maps, Semantic networks, and Smart Wisdom.

SQ3R or SQRRR (Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review) reading method:

Francis Pleasant Robinson introduced this SQ3R method in the year 1946.

This SQ3R method is useful for both college and elementary school students.

1. Survey: In this first step before you need to read the book, survey the chapter for title, headings, subheadings, charts, maps, etc,. to identify ideas, what the book is about.
2. Question: In this step ask yourself some questions like what is this chapter about? and how it  going to be useful to you, etc,.
3. Read: Go back to the S and Q and read the chapters normally and try to answer the questions for yourself before taking the Notes.
4. Recite: Summarize and Takes Notes in your own words after performing the steps 1,2 and 3. Highlight the important Points or ideas.
5. Review: Review Your Notes for any missing text. Try to work out and complete.

Follow above those steps involved in SQ3R to take effective Notes. Compare your SQ3R with Cornell Notes.

Also read some of the useful resources:

1. BrainStorming Techniques and rules 

2. How to take Notes using Mind Map Technique

3. Exam Preparation Tips for Success and to improve Test scores.

4. What is a Resume and steps involved in Resume Preparation?

5. Success Tips for Job Interview

Image Source:
1. http://www.library.dmu.ac.uk/Images/sq3r350.gif
2. https://aimhigherscotland.wikispaces.com/file/view/CornellNotes.png/405470190/445x332/CornellNotes.png