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

Try 30% cues, 70% notes and a summary height of 10%. The columns divide usable width; summary height is a separate measurement, so the three values are not added together. Give notes more space for diagrams, or cues more space for review questions. This is a starting point, not a universal standard. Preview actual column dimensions in the Cornell notes generator.

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

Printing

Print at Actual size. For faint lines, adjust line color and weight and check ink-saving settings; enable background fill when needed. Export JSON to save a valid configuration.