Cornell Notes Template
A structured cue / notes / summary template — type, auto-save, and print.
Saved automatically in your browser.
Cornell notes split the page into three zones: a narrow cue column for questions and keywords, a wide notes area for the lecture, and a summary band at the bottom. Write only in the notes area live; fill the cue column and summary afterward, then self-test by covering the notes.
How to take Cornell notes
The Cornell method splits the page into three zones: a narrow cue column on the left for questions and key terms, a wide notes area for the lecture itself, and a summary band at the bottom. The trick is when you fill each part. During the lecture you only write in the notes area — fast, in your own shorthand. The cue column and summary come afterward, and that second pass is where the learning happens.
This template auto-saves to your browser as you type and has a Print button, so you can keep working through a lecture and then print or save a clean copy as PDF when you’re done.
- 1 Divide the page into three areas. Draw a narrow cue column down the left, leave a wide notes area on the right, and rule off a summary strip along the bottom.
- 2 Take notes in the right-hand area during the lecture or reading. Capture the main ideas in your own words — shorthand, examples, and quick diagrams rather than word-for-word transcription.
- 3 Write cue questions and keywords in the left column soon after. Re-read the notes while they’re fresh and add a question or key term beside each chunk that the notes on the right answer.
- 4 Write a short summary in the bottom strip. Compress the whole page into one or two sentences in your own words — this forces you to spot any gaps in your understanding.
- 5 Review by self-testing from the cues. Cover the notes area, read each cue, and answer it from memory; whatever you can’t recall is exactly what to study next.
What goes where, and when
Fill the notes area live; do the cue column and summary afterward.
| Zone | When | What to write |
|---|---|---|
| Notes | During the lecture | Main points, examples, diagrams — your shorthand. |
| Cue | Soon after | Questions and keywords that your notes answer. |
| Summary | Same day | Two or three sentences in your own words. |
Using it to study, not just record
Turn notes into questions. Within a day, read the notes area and write a question or keyword in the cue column for each chunk — “Why does X happen?” next to the explanation. This is what makes the page a study tool rather than a transcript.
Self-test by covering the notes. When revising, hide the notes area and try to answer the cues from memory. Anything you can’t answer is exactly what to review next.
Write the summary in your own words. Forcing yourself to compress a whole lecture into a few sentences is one of the fastest ways to find the gaps in your understanding.
Once the cue column is full, each question makes a ready-made flashcard — turn them into a deck with the flashcards tool, or map a whole topic with the mind map maker to see how the chunks connect.