Cornell Notes: Two Free Printable Templates (Standard & with Header)
Cornell Notes: A Smarter Way to Take Notes
If you often feel “I wrote a lot, but nothing sticks,” chances are your notes don’t help you review. The Cornell Note-taking System fixes that with a simple layout: a narrow cue column on the left, a main note area on the right, and a summary section at the bottom. It mirrors the learning cycle: record → question/cues → summarize.
We offer two ready-to-use templates:
- Classic Version: Perfect for general-purpose note-taking.
- Version with Header: Designed for students and researchers to easily log course, title, and other metadata.
Preview and choose your template right here:
Professional Cornell note template with customizable parameters. Perfect for various printing needs.
Generate printable Cornell Notes with a dedicated header for subjects, topics, and dates. Perfect for students, meetings, and academic research. Download your custom PDF instantly.
1) What is Cornell Notes?
In one line: turn your notes into reviewable prompts.
- Right: the note area for key ideas, examples, formulas.
- Left: the cue area for keywords, questions, and testable prompts.
- Bottom: a quick summary for the page—what matters and how it connects.
The method dates back to Cornell University and is still popular today for one reason: it forces you to design your review while you take notes.
2) Why does it work?
- Active recall built in: the cue column is perfect for self-testing. Cover the right side and try to retrieve from cues.
- Clear, scannable structure: one topic per page, with predictable anchor points. Faster to review, less cognitive load.
- Encourages “second pass” processing: the short summary pushes you to convert “I get it” into “I can explain it,” which strengthens memory.
- Easy to maintain long-term: the same layout works across subjects and exam cycles.
And yes, you can do it on plain paper. But adjustable cue width, line spacing and section labels make it even smoother (use the template below).
3) How to use Cornell Notes (quick start)
- Before class/reading, set up the page (or just use our online template):
- Cue column: ~25%–30% of the width; notes: ~70%–75%.
- Leave 3–8 lines at the bottom for the summary.
- During class, write right first:
- Capture main points and examples on the right; keep lines short.
- Ignore the left column for now; stay in flow.
- Within 10 minutes after, fill cues:
- Turn notes into keywords/questions/exam tags.
- One cue per idea so you can test them one by one.
- Within 24 hours, write the summary:
- 3–5 sentences: what’s the main idea? key formulas/conclusions? links to prior knowledge?
- When reviewing, cover the right side and use cues:
- Try to recall/retell; then reveal and check.
- Star the cues you miss; prioritize them next time.
Handy tips
- One topic per page—don’t cram everything into one.
- Start writing at consistent positions so flipping pages feels predictable.
- Put common pitfalls into the cue column—it becomes a micro quiz next time you see it.
- Review rhythm: same day, within 48 hours, and once during exam week.
New: Cornell Notes with a Header for Academic Use
To better serve students, researchers, and academic users, we've introduced an enhanced template: Cornell Note with Header.
It builds on the classic layout by adding a structured header section at the top, allowing you to clearly record:
- Date
- Title
- Subject/Teacher
- Progress/Rating
This template is ideal for scenarios requiring systematic archiving and retrieval, such as classroom notes, literature reviews, and meeting minutes.
Open the Cornell Note with Header Template
What our online template helps with
- Adjustable cue width (20%–40%)
- Customizable summary rows (3–10 lines)
- Standard line spacing and margins
- Clear section labels (toggleable)
Jump in here:
Notes aren’t just for copying; they’re for designing your review. Set up the structure, and the rest gets easier.