Note-Taking Systems
Capture ideas in a way your future self can use
Good notes are not a transcript of a lecture. They are a tool for thinking. This lesson compares the Cornell method and the Zettelkasten approach so you can build a system that serves you.
Podcast version
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Transcript
Notes are for thinking, not storage
Many students write notes to remember everything. A better goal is to write notes that help you think later. That means capturing the main idea, the question it answers, and why it matters. If you return to your notes in a month and cannot use them, they are not notes, they are a transcript.
The Cornell method
Divide the page into three zones: a narrow cue column on the left, a wide notes area on the right, and a summary strip at the bottom. During class, write key points in the notes area. After class, write questions in the cue column. Finally, write a one-sentence summary at the bottom. The cue column turns your notes into a self-test, and the summary forces you to find the main idea.
The Zettelkasten idea
The Zettelkasten method treats notes as connected ideas rather than folders. Each note contains one idea, has a clear title, and links to related notes. The goal is to build a network of knowledge you can explore. It is especially useful for long essays, research, and building expertise in a field. You do not need a complex app, you can start with simple links between notes in any tool you already use.
Your 10-minute practice
Reshape one messy page of notes into a system your future self can actually use.
- 10:00 – 2:00
Pick a page
Choose one page of recent notes that feels dense or unclear.
- 22:00 – 5:00
Split the page
Redraw it Cornell-style: cue column left, notes right, summary strip below.
- 35:00 – 7:00
Write cue questions
For each block of notes, write the question it answers in the left column.
- 47:00 – 9:00
One-sentence summary
In the summary strip, write the single main idea of the page in your own words.
- 59:00 – 10:00
Link outwards
Note one other topic this page connects to, the seed of a Zettelkasten link.
Reflection prompt
“Reading only your cue column, could you rebuild the page from memory?”