PRINT · WRITE · REVIEW
Cornell Notes Template
A clear place for your notes, questions and summary. Download a ready-to-print PDF, or adjust the space for the way you write.
Free PDFs · No account · Half-inch margins · One page per download
Choose lines or a grid, then set your layout
Keep questions on the left, your main notes on the right, and a short summary below. The grid option leaves room for diagrams and worked steps.
Make room for your notes
Percentages use the writing area inside the margins. These are adjustable layout choices, not an official required ratio.
Preview and PDF use the same measurements. Print your downloaded PDF at Actual size / 100%.
Prefer a ready-made grid? Letter grid PDF · A4 grid PDF
See how one topic becomes review notes
This is an original teaching example about changes of state, not a student's submitted work. Your page starts blank.
Cues / questions
What is melting?
How is freezing different?
Does evaporation need boiling?
Notes
Melting: a solid changes into a liquid as it gains energy.
Freezing: a liquid changes into a solid as it loses energy.
Evaporation: particles leave a liquid's surface as gas; it can happen below the boiling point.
Summary
Adding or removing energy can change a substance's state. Melting and freezing are opposite changes; evaporation happens at the surface of a liquid.
- Record the main ideas in the notes area.
- Afterward, turn those ideas into short questions in the cue column.
- Cover the notes and try answering from the cues. Check gaps against your notes.
- Write a brief summary in your own words and return to it when reviewing.
The method is described by Cornell University's Learning Strategies Center. This independently created template is not an official Cornell publication.
Print a page with usable writing space
- Match the PDF paper size to your printer: US Letter or A4.
- Use Actual size or 100%, rather than Fit. The layout leaves ½ inch (12.7 mm) around the page; check your printer's printable area.
- Open the downloaded PDF to print it. Printing this webpage also includes the instructions and controls.
- Use a wider cue column for longer questions or a larger summary area for a short explanation. These settings change available note space.
When should I use regular lined paper?
Choose lined paper for uninterrupted writing across the page. Cornell paper reserves separate spaces for questions and a summary. For graphs without those sections, use graph paper PDF.
Can I type into the PDF?
These PDFs are blank print layouts, not fillable forms or Word documents. You can write by hand or use your PDF app's annotation tools.
Are these exact official proportions?
No. The default gives cues 30% of the writing width and the summary 20% of its height. You can adjust both. The three-part method matters more here than a fixed page ratio.