Note-taking methods compared

Study Methods · updated 2026-09-07

Tested across one term of recorded lectures. Speed and review value pull in opposite directions.

Method	Speed	Review value	Suits
Sentence	fast	low	Fast talkers
Outline	medium	medium	Structured lectures
Cornell	slow	high	Exam subjects
Mind map	slow	medium	Concept-heavy topics

What actually mattered

Writing fewer words. Full sentences never got reread.
Leaving a margin for questions, not summaries.
Revisiting within 24 hours. After a week the notes read like a stranger wrote them.