1/3/23, 11:42 AM The Best Note-Taking Methods & Strategies | Box, Inc.

1. The outline method

The outline method is one of the most intuitive and simplest ways to
take notes. As the name suggests, the outline method turns notes into a
hierarchy of information, providing a logical flow of content on the page
and keeping it highly organized. With the outline method, you can take
notes by hand or digitally.

Here’s some guidance on how to take notes using the outline method:

Title the main lecture topics on the far left of the page
Add subtopics below each topic, indenting them farther toward the
right
Expand on each subtopic with supporting facts, notes, or questions,
indented even farther to the right

When using the outline method on paper, you must gauge how much
space you need below each subtopic heading for all your notes. With a
digital platform, you can always create more or less space as you go.
With practice, you can become highly efficient at taking notes this way
while keeping them neat and professional.

Pros
The advantages of the outline note-taking method include:

Visually clean and organized notes

Helping note-takers naturally draw connections between topics
Outlined notes easily converted into review notes or study questions

Because of how simple and clean the outline method is, it can help note-
takers save time when reviewing and learning later.

Cons
The disadvantages of the outline note-taking method include:

Less conducive to notes that require lots of graphs and diagrams

Requires the lecture content to be highly structured

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May encourage too much note-taking

Since the outline method requires you to leave space for subtopic
notes, you may become more focused on filling up the space rather than
narrowing down the most important content.

2. The Cornell Method

The Cornell Method was designed for students by Cornell professor

Walter Pauk. Here’s how to take Cornell notes:

Divide your page into two equal vertical columns

Leave the lower one-third to one-quarter of the page divided from
the columns, creating an upside-down T on the page
Use the left column to cue keywords or ideas and the right side for
expanded notes
Summarize the material in the space at the bottom of the page

Similar to the outline method, Cornell note-taking encourages note-

takers to keep clean, organized, and condensed notes. It’s an
especially useful method for encouraging note-takers to revisit their
notes, review what they’ve learned, and consolidate their new
knowledge. While the Cornell Method is well-known for being a
handwritten method, it can also be done with digital tools. Cornell
note-taking is also an effective method for self-testing, which is a
proven way to learn and retain new information.

Pros
The advantages of the Cornell note-taking method include:

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Encouraging students to review and summarize information for better

retention
Keeping notes organized and easy to review
Helping students learn the most important ideas and terms

With a heavy focus on summarizing information, the Cornell Method

helps people save time when reviewing in the future.

Cons
The disadvantages of the Cornell note-taking method include:

Not suitable for lectures with heavy terminology and statistics

Requires summarizing information immediately following the lecture
Need to prepare notes pages before the lecture

The Cornell Method is typically geared toward abstract subjects with

central ideas rather than facts and data.

3. The boxing method

The boxing method of note-taking is geared toward those who are

visual-dominant learners. Similar to mind-mapping, boxed notes allow
learners to see how ideas are connected and flow from each other. You
can take boxing notes by hand or digitally with the help of tools like a
lasso tool, which allows you to easily group items together.

The boxing note-taking method uses the following steps:

Divide the page into two columns

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Add topic headers for each core idea and expand with notes directly
below each topic
After completing notes for each header, draw a box around the
entire note section and header

The final page will appear as multiple different-sized boxes neatly

containing each core topic and its notes. From there, you can either
mind map by drawing connecting arrows between ideas or leave the
boxes separate. By grouping topics in clusters, learners can take deeper
dives into each subtopic while still understanding how ideas are related.

Pros
The advantages of the boxing note-taking method include:

Encouraging learners to rewrite notes into boxes, which reinforces

retention
Helping improve recall with visual representations of ideas and how
they connect
Promoting clarity and brevity due to the need to condense notes into
boxes

The boxing note-taking method is suitable for people who like to

prioritize the aesthetic look of their notes and enjoy being creative.

Cons
The disadvantages of the boxing note-taking method include:

Not suitable for people who want a quick, efficient, and hierarchical
solution
Requires already having an existing understanding of how ideas are
connected
Can distract learners with how notes look rather than focusing on the
content itself

The boxing method doesn’t make sense for lectures or meetings that
aren’t covering multiple core ideas or topics that aren’t easy to assign to
specific boxes.

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4. The charting method

The charting note-taking method is one the most effective methods for
fact- and data-heavy lecture content. When the lecture content is
highly structured and uniform, the charting method provides an
efficient way to keep up with the material. Because this method is
based on facts and keywords, it’s a beneficial way to memorize
information and test yourself with recall exercises. It’s less ideal for
abstract concepts and ideas.

To follow the charting method, take the following steps:

Determine what topics the lecture will cover

Divide the page into multiple columns, each with its own relevant
keyword
Record relevant notes under each applicable keyword

You can take charting notes by hand if you have a ruler or another way
to divide up your page neatly. Or you can take charting notes digitally
using a simple word processor or even a spreadsheet.

Pros
The advantages of the charting note-taking method include:

Relevant for content that requires memorization and keeping track of

facts and statistics
Useful for summarizing and reviewing lecture content in preparation
for exams
Encourages concise, clean, and organized notes

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You can also use the charting method when you need to compare and
contrast similar terms or ideas.

Cons
The disadvantages of the charting note-taking method include:

Not suitable for lectures that don’t provide the structure beforehand
Need to spend time preparing your note pages in advance
Difficult to use during lectures or meetings with heavy discussions

If it’s difficult to categorize the content, then it will be challenging to

apply the charting method.

5. The mapping method

Mapping is a favorite note-taking method in both the education and

business worlds. When learning or covering complex, abstract
information, mapping can help eliminate the fuzziness around highly
involved topics. While visual learners tend to prefer this method, it’s
useful for anyone trying to connect big ideas and themes and discover
how they flow from each other.

Here’s how you can put the map note-taking method to use:

Write the main topic at the top of the page

Create one branch for each subtopic, stemming from the topic
before it
Continue dividing the subtopics downward and outward on the page
Add relevant notes directly under each subtopic

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The final result should be a web or hierarchy of information, similar to a

flow chart. Mapping allows you to be creative, using colors or symbols
to represent how ideas compare or relate. You can map notes by hand
or digitally.

Pros
The advantages of the map note-taking method include:

Effective for reviewing and studying by reorganizing original notes

into a map
Encourages deep learning and understanding of complex topics
Promotes visual learning and memory recall

The mapping method is visually appealing and a great way to rewrite

your original notes during a study or review session.

Cons
The disadvantages of the map note-taking method include:

Need to be conservative with the use of space to ensure all notes fit
within a single map
Requires revising notes to prevent confusion
May be time-consuming if it isn’t clear how ideas branch from each
other

The mapping method is not always ideal for taking your first round of
notes since it can be difficult to gauge how much space you will need.

6. The sentence method

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The sentence note-taking method is the simplest and least structured

method. When the lecture content itself is not outlined, then the
sentence method can help give your notes a slight structure that the
topic is missing. The sentence method is particularly useful for fast-
paced lectures that cover a lot of content. It works for either
handwritten or digital notes.

To practice the sentence note-taking method, follow these steps:

Using lined paper, record content, such as terms, facts, or ideas in

sentences
Move to the next line for each new point
Number each new sentence as you progress through the lecture
content

Learners who have nothing prepared ahead of a lecture tend to

naturally jot down notes in sentence form, making it a note-taking
method that’s straightforward for everyone.

Pros
The advantages of the sentence note-taking method include:

Uncomplicated way of recording information that stands out

Keeps track of content in a chronological order
Can be converted into any other method post-lecture

The sentence method is a spontaneous way to keep notes without the

need for advanced preparation.

Cons
The disadvantages of the sentence note-taking method include:

Doesn’t provide the visual structure that many people need

May be difficult to review later if the material appears disjointed
Not suitable for content with graphs and charts

The sentence method is often a last resort when it’s impossible to

prepare for a lecture, or the content is too all-over-the-place to slot into
any of the above methods.

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