2026-02-03

How to Use Cornell Notes: A Step-by-Step Guide with Free Template

Cornell notes split a page into three jobs: notes on the right, cues on the left, a summary at the bottom. The layout isn’t there to look academic. It forces you to process the lecture twice — once while you listen, once when you study.

What goes in each column

During class, write only on the right. Phrases, arrows, examples, the sentence the instructor repeated. Don’t transcribe.

The same day, translate that into the cue column: keywords, exam-style questions, a prompt you can cover and recite. Short is better. If you can’t answer the cue with the notes hidden, the page is still a transcript.

Finish with two or three sentences that answer “what was this page actually about?” If you stall, you copied instead of thinking.

Column widths

A common split is about 30% cues, 60% notes, 10% summary height. Widen notes if you sketch; widen cues if you’re drilling vocab. The Cornell notes template lets you move those percentages and rename the labels.

If you just need ruling, lined paper is simpler. For a weekly class grid, use a timetable.

Printing

Portrait A4 or Letter both work. Light gray lines are easier on a home inkjet. Turn on print background graphics and choose Actual size. Export the JSON once you like the layout so next semester’s pages match.