How to Take Better Notes in Class (6 Methods Compared)

TL;DR

• There's no single best note-taking method — it depends on the class type, your learning style, and what you do with the notes after
• The Cornell Method works great for lecture-heavy classes; mind mapping excels for conceptual subjects; the outline method is best for structured, hierarchical content
• WHAT you do with notes after class matters more than HOW you take them — review within 24 hours or you'll forget 70% of the material
• Digital vs handwriting: handwriting forces more processing (which helps memory), but digital is more searchable and organized

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Let me guess: you sit in class, try to write down everything the professor says, end up with a mess of half-sentences and abbreviations you can't decode later, and then never look at those notes again until the night before the exam.

Sound familiar? Yeah, that's most students. The good news is that note-taking is a skill you can improve really quickly once you find the method that works for your brain and your classes.

Let's look at six popular methods, when each one works best, and — honestly — when each one fails.

Method 1: The Cornell Method

The Cornell Method is the one your study skills instructor probably showed you freshman year. It looks simple, but it's actually one of the most research-backed approaches.

How It Works

Divide your page into three sections:

• Right column (large, ~6 inches): Your class notes go here
• Left column (narrow, ~2.5 inches): Cue column — keywords, questions, or prompts you add after class
• Bottom section (~2 inches): Summary — a brief summary of the page in your own words

During class, you write notes in the right column normally. After class (ideally within 24 hours), you go back and:

1. Write keywords or questions in the left column that correspond to your notes
2. Write a 2-3 sentence summary at the bottom
3. Use the cue column to quiz yourself — cover the right side and try to explain each cue

When It Works Best

• Lecture-based classes where the professor talks linearly
• Courses with a lot of factual content (history, psychology, biology)
• When you actually do the review step (this is critical)

When It Falls Flat

• Fast-paced lectures where you can barely keep up with the content, let alone divide a page into sections
• Highly visual or mathematical subjects where you need to draw diagrams and write equations
• If you skip the after-class review (which honestly, most people do), it's just regular notes with margins

Honest Assessment

The Cornell Method is great in theory. The problem is that its power comes from the review step, and most students don't follow through on that. If you commit to the full process — notes + cues + summary + self-quizzing — it's probably the single most effective text-based method. If you're just going to divide your page into columns and never look at it again, save yourself the trouble.

Method 2: The Outline Method

This is what most people naturally drift toward: a hierarchical list with main topics, subtopics, and supporting details indented underneath.

How It Works

I. Main Topic
   A. Subtopic
      1. Supporting detail
      2. Another detail
   B. Second subtopic
      1. Detail
II. Next Main Topic

When It Works Best

• Structured lectures that follow a clear outline (many professors literally use one)
• Textbook-heavy courses where content is already organized hierarchically
• STEM subjects where you need to show relationships between concepts
• Digital note-taking (outlining is way easier when you can rearrange things)

When It Falls Flat

• Professors who jump around between topics
• Discussion-based classes where ideas aren't hierarchical
• When you don't know what's a main point vs. a detail (this takes practice)
• Subjects that are more conceptual than factual

Honest Assessment

The outline method is reliable and intuitive. Its biggest weakness is that it can become mindless — you're organizing information without processing it. To combat this, try adding your own notes or questions in brackets [like this] throughout the outline. It forces engagement.

Method 3: Mind Mapping

Mind maps are the artsy cousin of the outline method. Instead of a linear list, you create a visual web of connected ideas radiating from a central concept.

How It Works

1. Write the main topic in the center of the page
2. Draw branches for each subtopic
3. Add smaller branches for supporting details
4. Use colors, symbols, or drawings to make connections visual
5. Draw lines between related concepts across different branches

When It Works Best

• Big-picture, conceptual subjects (philosophy, literature, social sciences)
• Review sessions where you're connecting ideas across lectures
• Visual learners who think spatially
• Brainstorming and essay planning

When It Falls Flat

• Detail-heavy lectures where you need to capture specific facts, dates, or formulas
• Fast-paced classes (mind maps take time to draw well)
• Sequential or procedural content that needs a clear order
• If you're bad at spatial organization, it becomes a mess

Honest Assessment

Mind mapping is excellent for understanding relationships between ideas, which is what most exams actually test. But it's hard to do well in real-time during a fast lecture. The best approach: take linear notes during class, then convert them to a mind map during your review. Yes, that takes extra time, but the act of reorganizing information is incredibly powerful for learning.

Method 4: The Charting Method

Think of this as building a table or spreadsheet during the lecture. It's ideal for comparative content.

How It Works

Create columns for categories and rows for items being compared. Fill in cells as the professor covers each topic.

Example for a history class:

Event	Date	Causes	Effects	Key People
...	...	...	...	...

When It Works Best

• Comparative topics (comparing theories, historical periods, biological systems)
• Classes that cover multiple similar items (types of cells, literary movements, economic systems)
• Review and organization after taking regular notes

When It Falls Flat

• Lectures that don't involve comparison
• Topics that don't fit neatly into categories
• Professors who go deep on one topic rather than covering several in parallel
• The first time you encounter a topic (you might not know the categories yet)

Honest Assessment

This is a powerful but narrow method. When it fits, it's amazing — the act of categorizing information helps you understand it, and the resulting chart is a perfect study tool. But most lectures don't lend themselves to this format. Use it as a secondary method for specific topics, not as your go-to for every class.

Method 5: The Sentence Method

This is the "write everything down" approach, but with a twist: each new piece of information gets its own numbered line.

How It Works

Write every new fact, concept, or idea as a separate numbered sentence. Don't worry about organizing or connecting them during the lecture. Just capture everything.

1. Mitosis has four main phases.
2. Prophase: chromosomes condense and become visible.
3. Metaphase: chromosomes line up at the cell's equator.
4. Anaphase: sister chromatids separate and move to opposite poles.
5. The spindle fibers are responsible for pulling chromosomes apart.
6. Telophase: nuclear envelope reforms around each set of chromosomes.

When It Works Best

• Extremely fast-paced lectures where you can't think about structure
• New subjects where you don't know enough to organize in real-time
• Classes where the professor jumps between topics unpredictably
• When you plan to reorganize your notes after class

When It Falls Flat

• If you never go back to organize (you end up with a giant list)
• Long lectures (the list gets overwhelming)
• When you need to see relationships between ideas

Honest Assessment

The sentence method is basically "survival mode" note-taking. It's great when you're drowning in information, but it only works if you follow up by organizing those sentences into something more structured. Think of it as capturing raw material that you'll process later.

Method 6: Digital Note-Taking

This isn't a single method — it's about using apps and devices to take notes. You can apply any of the above methods digitally, but digital tools add unique capabilities.

Popular Tools

• Notion: Flexible, great for organizing across classes, supports databases
• Obsidian: Links between notes create a knowledge graph, great for connecting ideas
• OneNote: Free, flexible canvas layout, works with stylus
• GoodNotes/Notability: iPad + Apple Pencil, best for handwriting digitally
• Google Docs: Simple, shareable, great version history

When It Works Best

• You type faster than you write
• You want searchable, organized, shareable notes
• You need to include images, links, or multimedia
• You take classes where collaboration is useful
• You want to combine notes with AI review tools

When It Falls Flat

• The laptop becomes a distraction (we all know what happens when you "just check one thing")
• You type mindlessly without processing information
• Classes that ban laptops (increasingly common)
• Math and science courses where you need to draw diagrams and equations

The Handwriting vs. Typing Debate

Research consistently shows that handwriting leads to better retention than typing, primarily because you can't write fast enough to transcribe everything — so you're forced to process and condense information in real-time. That processing is learning.

But typing has its own advantages: speed, organization, searchability, and integration with other tools.

The compromise: take handwritten notes in class for the memory benefits, then digitize and reorganize them after class. It's extra work, but that second pass is actually one of the most effective study techniques.

Picking Your Method: A Decision Framework

Not sure which method to use? Ask yourself:

What type of class is it?

• Structured lecture → Outline or Cornell
• Conceptual/discussion → Mind map
• Comparative content → Charting
• Fast and chaotic → Sentence method

What's your learning style?

• Visual → Mind map or charting
• Sequential → Outline
• Mixed → Cornell

Will you review your notes?

• Yes, regularly → Cornell (built-in review system)
• Sometimes → Outline or digital (easy to skim)
• Honestly, probably not → Write by hand (forces processing during class)

What does the exam look like?

• Multiple choice → You need details → Outline or sentence method
• Essay → You need big-picture connections → Mind map
• Problem-solving → You need worked examples → Whatever captures steps clearly

The One Rule That Matters More Than Method

Here it is: review your notes within 24 hours.

The method you choose matters less than whether you actually look at your notes again. The Ebbinghaus forgetting curve shows that you lose about 70% of new information within 24 hours if you don't review it. One quick 15-minute review session the same day can dramatically improve retention.

During that review:

• Fill in gaps while you still remember what the professor said
• Highlight or star the most important points
• Write questions about anything confusing
• Connect today's material to previous lectures

If you only take one thing from this entire article: pick any note-taking method you want, but review your notes the same day. That single habit will improve your grades more than any fancy system.

Using AI to Supercharge Your Notes

Here's a modern twist: after class, you can use tools like Gradily to fill in gaps in your understanding. Confused about a concept from the lecture? Ask Gradily to explain it in simple terms. Then add that explanation to your notes.

You can also use AI to:

• Generate practice questions from your notes (great for active recall)
• Summarize a long lecture into key points you might have missed
• Explain connections between topics that weren't obvious during class
• Create flashcards from your notes for later review

The key is using AI as a supplement to your notes, not a replacement. Your notes capture what happened in YOUR class, with YOUR professor's emphasis and YOUR classmates' questions. AI can help you understand and expand on that, but it can't replicate it.

Quick Start Guide

Don't overthink this. Here's what to do:

1. This week: Try the Cornell Method for one class and the Outline Method for another
2. After each class: Spend 10-15 minutes reviewing and filling in gaps
3. After one week: Notice which method felt more natural and useful
4. Stick with what works — but stay flexible. Different classes might need different approaches

Note-taking is personal. The "best" method is the one you'll actually use consistently. Start somewhere, adjust as you go, and whatever you do — come back to those notes before the exam, not the night before.