Cornell Style Note Page Template

Use this free printable PDF template to easily take Cornell style notes.

What are Cornell Style Notes?

Cornell Style notes are a structured note-taking system developed by Walter Pauk (Professor at Cornell in the 1950s.) Cornell Style notes feature a page divided into three sections: a narrow left-hand cue column for keywords and questions, a wide right-hand column for main notes taken during a lecture or reading, and a summary box at the bottom.

The idea behind this note-taking style is that you fill in the left cue column with question prompts based on your notes. Then, you write a brief summary of the page of notes at the bottom. This structure seeks to turn note-taking from a passive process to an active review process.

The format makes it easy to quiz yourself by covering the notes column and answering from the cues, which research suggests boosts retention far more than simply rereading.