The start of a new school year brings opportunities and challenges—especially in notetaking, a crucial skill for effective learning and research.
Another school year is underway, and it brings with it new courses, new ideas, new academic adventures, and new challenges. One of those challenges for many people is notetaking. Notetaking is a vital ability for students and anyone else engaged in learning or research, and it takes many different forms.
Different students and scholars will benefit from different methods, and you have to find what works for you. Here are some tips and strategies to try that may advance your notetaking ability and, through it, your absorption of the material and ability to review it later.
Try the Cornell Method
Some of my students use this method, and it seems to work well for them. In this system, you divide your page into three sections: a column for “Cues” on the left, a column for “Notes” on the right, and a small section for a “Summary” at the bottom of the page. In the righthand column, you write facts about the subject (what the teacher writes on the board, key things the teacher says, or key ideas from a reading). Later, you come back and write questions in the left-hand “Cue” column, opposite the facts, in order to help organize and retain the notes. Some students use the “Cue” and “Notes” columns at the same time—the system is flexible.
