How Cornell Notes Make Your Revision 5x Faster - LIVE Demonstration by Dr. Shivin Chaudhary, by Clarity for UPSC by Dr.Shivin on YouTube. 13 min 5 s.
- Video length
- 13 min 5 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Rule your page before you start. Draw a vertical line about 6 cm from the left edge and a horizontal line about 5 cm from the bottom, so the sheet has three zones.
Write the topic, chapter name and date in a header at the top of the page so you can find the notes later.
Take your notes in the wide right-hand column as you read or listen. Use short phrases, bullet points and your own words rather than sentences copied from the book.
Add cues in the narrow left column once a section is done. Write key words, dates, formulas or questions that the notes on the right answer.
Cover the right column and try to answer each cue out loud from memory. This recall step is what makes revision faster later.
Write a summary of two or three sentences in the bottom band. Say what the whole page was about, in your own words.
Review the sheet after a day and again after a week. Cover the notes, answer each cue from memory and check the summary for gaps.
Avoid copying whole paragraphs and avoid leaving the cue or summary zones empty. Those two zones are what make the method work.
Start with one chapter today. Make a full set of Cornell notes for it, then repeat the same format for every new topic.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep the cue column narrow, around 6 cm, so you write questions there instead of extra notes.
Write cues as questions such as What is a pressure group so you can test yourself without help.
Use one page per topic so the summary stays short and easy to scan before an exam.
Leave a blank line between points so you can add details when you review.
Questions
How are Cornell notes different from normal notes?
A normal page only holds information. Cornell notes add a cue column for questions and a summary band, so the same page can be used to test yourself later.
Do I need special paper or a printed template?
No. A ruler and any ruled sheet work fine. Some notebooks come with the three zones already printed if you prefer not to rule lines each time.
How long should the summary be?
Two or three sentences. It should say what the page covers in your own words, not repeat every point you already wrote.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
