Keeping up with professors and lecturers is tough. They speak faster than you can write, and even if you could match their pace, organizing your notes on the fly would still be impossible. That’s why an efficient note-taking system is your savior—it helps you get the most out of your notes while spending less time and effort.
Why I Needed a Better Note-Taking System
I use Obsidian for all my notes. My trusty Surface Laptop comes with me to every lecture. I type fast (150wpm—no big deal), so I take notes in real-time during class.
For most of my courses, I’m happy with the system I’ve built: bullet lists for quick capture, followed by organizing and expanding them at home. I open my notes on one monitor, the textbook on the other, and format my Obsidian notes until they resemble a well-written textbook. This process is intense, but it pays off when I revisit them.
The beauty of my current system is that it’s searchable, easily referenced, and stays with me forever. I’ve returned to notes from years ago like I’m opening a personal wiki. The Obsidian graph view is proof of the intricate web I’ve built over time (check the image below if you want to nerd out like me; yes, I’m proud of it).
However, my problem wasn’t with courses I cared about—it was with the ones I didn’t. I’m pursuing a PharmD, and there are plenty of general courses that don’t deserve the time and effort I pour into my usual note-taking system—things I know I won’t revisit next year.
But still, I needed some level of organization for those. Enter the Cornell note-taking system, galloping in to save the semester.
What is the Cornell Note-Taking System?
The Cornell note-taking system, developed at Cornell University in the 1950s, gives you a way to organize notes in a structured, easy-to-review format. The setup is straightforward: a title section, two columns, and a summary block at the bottom of the page.
The right column is where the magic happens—that’s where your detailed notes go. The left column is reserved for cues: keywords, key concepts, or questions that prompt the information on the right.
For example, if you’re jotting down a definition of surface tension, you’d write Surface Tension as the cue, and the actual definition would go in the right-hand column. This lets you quickly skim the left column later and instantly see the key points of the lecture.
At the bottom, you have the summary block. This is where you condense the entire note into a brief summary written in your own words. Summarizing right after class ensures the material is fresh in your mind and forces you to really process what you’ve just learned.
How I Set Up the Cornell System in Obsidian
When Professor Walter Pauk of Cornell University invented this system, digital note-taking wasn’t even on the radar. It was built for paper. But hey, who says you can’t have a digital version of the old-school approach?
I’ve probably used a pen only to fill out forms over the past few years, so the idea of physically writing anything feels like a regression (my handwriting has dramatically deteriorated because of this). As I mentioned, Obsidian is my note-taking weapon of choice. However, you can set up the Cornell system in almost any note-taking app.
That said, the Cornell system fits perfectly into a digital format, especially in Obsidian, where you can set up templates that make the process even faster.
1. Make a Template
Obsidian templates are criminally underrated. I’d argue templates are the most overlooked feature in any app, but I digress. If you haven’t used them before, you should check out our guide on Obsidian templates.
Setting up the Cornell system as a template is a breeze. You can skip the top section since Obsidian automatically provides the note’s title and use tables to structure the cue column and notes. Writing Markdown tables can get a little chaotic, but Obsidian’s latest updates make handling tables much smoother. You could also add a dynamic date at the top for tracking when you took the notes.
For me, the format is simple and effective: a table for cues and notes, and an H2 for the summary section. Nothing fancy, just functional. Here’s what the Markdown for my template looks like:
*{{date}}*| Q | Note |
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2. Use the Cornell Template
You’re in class, the professor’s warming up, and you need to get ready. Open a new note, hit Ctrl + Shift + P to bring up the command palette, and type your template’s name (mine is Cornell Notes).
Add the template to your new note, and you’re all set!
3. Start Taking Notes!
Here’s where the real action happens. As the lecture progresses, enter keywords or questions in the left column and jot down the details on the right. The beauty of the table setup in Obsidian is that you can easily navigate between cells using the Tab key. No fussing around—just fast, efficient note-taking.
Once the class is over, take a moment to review your notes for errors or gaps. Then, without looking at them, write a summary at the bottom. The trick is to avoid copying sentences from your notes—just read, reflect, and summarize in your own words. This improves recall later, plus, it’s faster than reorganizing a mountain of text.
Now, take a look at your note. It’s simple, structured, and effective. You get the clarity you need without getting bogged down in perfectionism.
The Cornell system has helped me strike the perfect balance between effort and productivity. And with the power of Obsidian behind it, I’m not going back to my old ways anytime soon—at least not for the general courses.
