By Jayson Chaw. Tue Jul 28.
A comparison of popular note-taking systems and how to choose the one that suits how you actually revise.
There is no single "correct" way to take notes, despite how confidently some systems are marketed. The right method depends on the subject, the type of information being recorded, and what the notes are eventually going to be used for. A method built for capturing a fast-moving lecture will not necessarily suit revising a topic in maths, and a method suited to essay subjects may not translate well to the sciences.
Linear notes
Linear notes, written top to bottom in the order information is presented, remain the most common approach, largely because they require no planning and can be produced quickly during a lesson. Their main weakness is structure: it can be difficult to see how ideas relate to one another once a page is filled with continuous text, and reviewing them later often means rereading rather than testing understanding.
Linear notes work best as a first record taken during a lesson, with the understanding that they will likely be reorganised into a different format before being used for serious revision.
Cornell notes
The Cornell method divides a page into a narrow column for cues or questions, a wider column for main notes, and a summary section at the bottom. This structure is useful because it builds active recall directly into the note-taking process: the cue column can later be covered while trying to recall the corresponding notes, turning the page itself into a self-testing tool rather than just a record.
When it works well
Cornell notes suit subjects with a clear question-and-answer structure, such as history or biology, where content can naturally be phrased as "what caused this" or "what is the function of this". They require slightly more setup than linear notes but pay that back at revision time.
Mind maps
Mind maps organise information around a central idea, with branches connecting related concepts. They are particularly useful for subjects where the relationships between ideas matter as much as the ideas themselves, such as understanding how different systems in biology interact, or how themes connect across a novel. Their main drawback is that they can become cluttered for large or highly detailed topics, and they are less suited to information that needs to be memorised precisely, such as formulae or exact definitions.
The outline method
Outlines use headings, subheadings, and indentation to show a clear hierarchy between main topics and supporting details. This structure suits subjects that are naturally organised i…