Note-Taking in Lectures: Cornell Method, Laptop vs Longhand

Reviewed by Prof. Dr. Alexander Holtermann · Updated 16 October 2026 · 5 min read

Take notes in your own words rather than verbatim, use a structure like the Cornell method and review them within a day by testing yourself, on paper or laptop.

Key takeaways

Good notes capture main ideas, connections and examples in your own words. Transcribing the lecture word for word leads to shallow processing.
The Cornell method, developed by Walter Pauk, divides the page into notes, a cue column for questions and a summary, so notes are built for review.
Mueller and Oppenheimer (2014) found that laptop note-takers wrote more verbatim and did worse on conceptual questions than longhand note-takers.
Later replications found smaller or no differences. The safest conclusion: how you take notes (own words, selective) matters more than the device.
Notes only pay off if you use them: review within 24 hours by covering the notes and answering the cue questions from memory.

What good lecture notes do

Notes have two jobs. While you write them, they force you to listen actively, select what matters and put it into your own words. Afterward, they are your material for review and exam preparation. Good notes are therefore neither a transcript of the lecture nor a few scattered keywords, but a structured record of the main ideas, how they connect and examples that illustrate them.

If the slides are available in advance, do not copy them. Download or print them and use your notes for what is not on the slides: explanations, examples, answers to questions, what the lecturer emphasizes or says will be on the exam.

The Cornell method step by step

The Cornell note-taking system was developed in the 1950s by Walter Pauk at Cornell University and is described in his book *How to Study in College*. Its strength is that it builds review into the format of the page.

Area of the page	When	What you write
Notes column (right, about two-thirds)	During the lecture	Main ideas, explanations, examples, diagrams, in short phrases
Cue column (left, about one-third)	Within 24 hours after	Questions and keywords that the notes answer
Summary (bottom, a few lines)	Within 24 hours after	Two or three sentences summarizing the page in your own words

Laptop vs longhand: what the research shows

In 2014, Pam Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer published a widely cited paper titled “The pen is mightier than the keyboard.” In their experiments, students watched lectures and took notes either on a laptop or by hand. Laptop users wrote more and their notes contained more verbatim overlap with the lecture. On factual questions, both groups performed similarly; on conceptual questions, the longhand group did better. The authors argued that writing by hand forces you to summarize and rephrase, which leads to deeper processing.

The study became famous, and several replications followed. A direct replication by Morehead, Dunlosky and Rawson (2019) and a larger multi-site replication published in 2021 by Urry and colleagues confirmed that laptop notes tend to be longer and more verbatim, but did not find a reliable test-performance advantage for longhand. The current picture: the device matters less than many headlines suggested. What matters is whether you process and rephrase the content, and whether you avoid distractions.

	Laptop	Longhand
Speed	Faster, more content	Slower, forces selection
Risk	Verbatim transcription; distractions from messages and browsing	Missing content in fast lectures
Editing and searching	Easy	Harder
Diagrams and formulas	Harder	Easy
Best use	Fast-paced, text-heavy lectures; when you rephrase consciously	Math, science, diagrams; when you are easily distracted

Tips for better notes in any format

Whichever format you use, these principles make your notes more useful. A tablet with a stylus combines some advantages of both: handwriting and diagrams with digital storage.

Prepare: skim the slides or reading before the lecture so you recognize key terms
Write in your own words; use quotation marks only for definitions you must know exactly
Use abbreviations and symbols consistently (→, ≠, ∴, e.g., cf.)
Mark what the lecturer emphasizes, repeats or says will be on the exam
Leave space to add things later
On a laptop, close all other apps, turn off notifications and sit where others’ screens do not distract you
Note your questions immediately and ask them in class, in the lab or in office hours

Turn your notes into a learning tool

Notes you never look at again have only done half their job. The most important step happens after the lecture. Within 24 hours, spend 10 to 15 minutes on your notes: fill in gaps, write cue questions or flashcards, and write a short summary. Then cover the notes and try to answer the cue questions from memory.

That is retrieval practice, rated one of the two most effective learning techniques by Dunlosky et al. (2013). Review the cue questions again a few days later and once more before the exam, and you are combining retrieval with spaced practice, without extra materials.

When	What	Time
During the lecture	Notes in your own words	lecture time
Same day	Fill gaps, write cue questions, summary	10–15 min
2–3 days later	Cover notes, answer cue questions from memory	10 min
Weekly	Review all cue questions of the course so far	20–30 min
Before the exam	Turn missed cue questions into flashcards	as needed

Recorded lectures and accessibility

If lectures are recorded, it is tempting to skip notes and rely on rewatching later. In practice, rewatching takes a lot of time and is a passive activity. A better approach is to take notes live and use the recording only for specific gaps. If you watch recordings, pause regularly and summarize from memory before continuing; watching at higher speed is fine if you still process actively.

If you have a disability that makes note-taking difficult, you may be entitled to support such as a note-taker, permission to record, or access to slides in advance. Contact your university’s disability or accessibility service; what is available depends on your university’s regulations.

Frequently asked questions

Is it better to take notes by hand or on a laptop?

The original 2014 study favored longhand, but later replications found little or no difference in test performance. Rephrasing in your own words and avoiding distractions matter more than the device.

What is the Cornell note-taking method?

A page layout developed by Walter Pauk with a notes column, a cue column for questions and a summary at the bottom, designed for review by self-testing.

Should I write down everything the professor says?

No. Verbatim transcription leads to shallow processing. Capture main ideas, connections, examples and emphasized points in your own words.

How do I review my lecture notes effectively?

Within 24 hours, add cue questions and a summary. Then cover the notes and answer the questions from memory, and repeat that a few days later.

Are recorded lectures a replacement for taking notes?

Not really. Rewatching is time-consuming and passive. Take notes live and use recordings to fill specific gaps.

Sources and further reading

Mueller, P. A., & Oppenheimer, D. M. (2014). The pen is mightier than the keyboard: Advantages of longhand over laptop note taking. Psychological Science, 25(6), 1159–1168.
Pauk, W., & Owens, R. J. Q. How to Study in College. Cengage Learning.
Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4–58.

Your university’s examination regulations and style guide always take precedence.