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Class Notes Template

One note per class session, linked to one note per course. The template captures what the lecture was trying to answer, the key points in your words, the questions you still have, and what is due next. Copy it, or start from the example closest to your class.

Updated 2026-10-27

Copy and adapt

The template

Class notesTemplate

[Course code] L[number]: [Topic], {{date}}

Course: [[Course code]] Instructor: [name] | Reading: [chapter and pages] Today's question: [what this class is trying to answer, from the syllabus or the first slide]

Key points

  1. [Main idea, in your own words]
  2. [Main idea]
  3. [Main idea]

Definitions and formulas

  • [Term]: [definition you could say without looking]

Examples from class

  • [Worked problem, case, quote or diagram, described in words]

Questions

  • ?? [What you did not follow, with the slide or page number]

Summary

[Three sentences, written after class: what was argued, how it connects to the last class, what is likely on the exam.]

To do

  • [Reading or problem set] @due(YYYY-MM-DD)
  • Reread and answer the questions above @due(YYYY-MM-DD)

5 examples

Examples for different situations

The same structure, filled in for the situations people actually bring to it. Copy the one closest to yours.

1.Large STEM lecture

When it fits: Use this when 300 people are in the room, the slides go up online afterwards, and your notes only need what the slides will not have: the worked example and the warning about the exam.

Large STEM lectureExample 1

CHEM 121 L18: Gas laws, 2026-10-21

Course: [[CHEM 121]] Instructor: Dr. Okafor | Reading: Chapter 5, pages 188 to 214 Today's question: How do pressure, volume, temperature and amount of gas relate?

Key points

  1. Boyle, Charles and Avogadro are special cases of one equation, PV = nRT.
  2. Temperature must be in kelvin. Celsius gives nonsense, and that is the most common exam error.
  3. Real gases deviate at high pressure and low temperature, when molecules are close together.

Definitions and formulas

  • Ideal gas law: PV = nRT, with R = 0.08206 L·atm/(mol·K).
  • STP: 273.15 K and 1 atm. One mole of ideal gas occupies 22.4 L.

Examples from class

  • 2.00 mol of gas at 300 K in a 10.0 L container. P = (2.00)(0.08206)(300) / 10.0 = 4.92 atm.

Questions

  • ?? Slide 27: why R has two different values in the textbook. Units, probably. Check page 196.

Summary

All the named gas laws come from PV = nRT, and every calculation starts with converting to kelvin and liters. Real gases only matter at extreme conditions. Dr. Okafor said the midterm has "at least one kelvin trap."

To do

  • Problem set 6, questions 1 to 18 @due(2026-10-26)
  • Reread and answer the R question @due(2026-10-22)

2.Discussion seminar

When it fits: Use this when there are 14 people around a table, the content is the argument rather than the facts, and you need to record who said what because your paper will respond to it.

Discussion seminarExample 2

POLS 315 Seminar 8: Federalist No. 10, 2026-10-22

Course: [[POLS 315]] Instructor: Prof. Achterberg | Reading: Federalist No. 10 (Madison, 1787) Today's question: Does a large republic control factions better than a small one?

Key points

  1. Madison: factions are unavoidable because their causes are "sown in the nature of man." You control their effects, not their causes.
  2. A large republic makes it harder for one faction to become a majority and easier to elect representatives who filter local passions.
  3. Disagreement in the room: whether national parties are the very factions Madison feared.

Definitions and formulas

  • Faction: a group, majority or minority, united by an interest adverse to others' rights or the community's interest.

Examples from class

  • Wren: national parties now coordinate across states, so size no longer filters anything.
  • Kofi: the argument still works for local issues; zoning fights do not scale to Congress.
  • Professor asked whether social media changes the size calculation. No one had a good answer.

Questions

  • ?? Does Madison say anything about parties, or is that a later reading? Check Federalist No. 51.

Summary

Madison argues you cannot remove factions without removing liberty, so the cure is scale. The class split on whether modern national parties defeat that cure. My paper can take Wren's side and use Kofi's zoning point as the counterargument.

To do

  • Response paper, 1,200 words @due(2026-10-30)
  • Read Federalist No. 51 for seminar 9 @due(2026-10-29)

3.Evening class for a working adult

When it fits: Use this when you come to class after a full workday, attention is limited, and the notes have to be short enough to finish on the bus home.

Evening class for a working adultExample 3

STAT 110 L9: Hypothesis testing, 2026-10-20

Course: [[STAT 110]] Instructor: Ms. Varga | Reading: Chapter 9.1 and 9.2 Today's question: How do we decide whether a difference is real or chance?

Key points

  1. Start by assuming nothing changed (the null hypothesis), then ask how surprising the data would be if that were true.
  2. The p-value is that surprise: the probability of data at least this extreme if the null is true.
  3. Below the alpha level (usually 0.05), reject the null. It does not prove the alternative.

Definitions and formulas

  • Type I error: rejecting a true null. Probability equals alpha.
  • Type II error: keeping a false null.

Examples from class

  • Coffee shop claims 12 oz cups; 30 sampled cups average 11.7 oz. Ms. Varga's t-test gave p = 0.03, so reject at 0.05: the cups are short.

Questions

  • ?? Why is it one-tailed here? Ask before the quiz.

Summary

A hypothesis test asks how unlikely the data would be if nothing were going on. Small p-values reject the null; they never prove the alternative. Quiz 4 next week is on this and on picking one- or two-tailed tests.

To do

  • Homework 9, questions 3, 5, 8, 11 @due(2026-10-26)
  • Email Ms. Varga the one-tailed question @due(2026-10-21)

4.Rebuilding a missed class

When it fits: Use this when you missed a lecture for a shift, an illness or a game, and you are building the notes afterwards from slides, the recording and a classmate's notes, not from memory.

Rebuilding a missed classExample 4

NURS 210 L12: Beta blockers, 2026-10-23 (missed, rebuilt)

Course: [[NURS 210]] Instructor: Prof. Delacroix | Reading: Pharmacology text chapter 22 Today's question: What does a beta blocker do, and when do you hold it? Built from: slides 1 to 40, lecture recording to 41:00, Hana's notes

Key points

  1. Beta blockers block epinephrine at beta receptors: slower heart rate, lower blood pressure, less cardiac workload.
  2. Names end in -olol (metoprolol, propranolol, atenolol).
  3. Nonselective ones (propranolol) also block beta-2 receptors in the lungs, so use caution in asthma.

Definitions and formulas

  • Cardioselective: acts mainly on beta-1 receptors in the heart (metoprolol, atenolol).

Examples from class

  • Case on slide 31: patient on metoprolol, apical pulse 54 before the morning dose. Class answer: hold and notify the provider.

Questions

  • ?? Hana wrote "hold below 60" but the recording at 33:10 says "per facility protocol." Ask which one the exam uses.

Summary

Beta blockers slow the heart and lower blood pressure; the nursing priority is checking apical pulse and blood pressure before every dose. Nonselective drugs are the asthma risk. The hold parameter question goes to office hours.

To do

  • Office hours: hold parameter question @due(2026-10-27)
  • Drug cards for the six beta blockers on slide 12 @due(2026-10-28)

5.Unit study notes built from several lectures

When it fits: Use this the week before a unit test, when five lecture notes need to become one page you can study from, and every point should link back to the class it came from.

Unit study notes built from several lecturesExample 5

GOV 101 Unit 2 study notes: Branches of government, 2026-10-26

Course: [[GOV 101]] Covers: [[GOV 101 L5]] to [[GOV 101 L9]] | Test: 2026-11-02 The question for the unit: How does each branch check the other two?

Key points

  1. Congress: House has 435 members on two-year terms; Senate has 100 on six-year terms. Senate confirms appointments and ratifies treaties. (L5, L6)
  2. President: veto, executive orders, appointments. A veto is overridden by two thirds of both chambers. (L7)
  3. Courts: judicial review, established in Marbury v. Madison (1803), argued for in Federalist No. 78. (L9)

Definitions and formulas

  • Cloture: ending a filibuster, needs 60 senators. (L6)

Examples from class

  • L8 case: agency rulemaking as power Congress delegated, which courts can strike down.

Questions

  • ?? L8: does the Senate confirm every agency head? Unclear in my notes.

Summary

Each branch's main power has a check from another: legislation by veto, vetoes by override, laws by judicial review, judges by Senate confirmation. The test will ask for examples of each check.

To do

  • Practice test, unit 2 @due(2026-10-30)
  • Settle the L8 question with the textbook @due(2026-10-28)

What to put in class notes

Class notes have two readers: you tonight, finishing the homework, and you in five weeks, studying for the exam. The second reader forgot everything. Each section of the template is there for that reader.

  • Course, lecture number and date. A note you cannot place in the course is a note you will not find.
  • The question for today. Lectures argue something. Writing down what they are trying to answer gives every key point something to attach to.
  • Key points in your own words. Three to five. If you can only copy the slide, you have not understood it yet, and that is worth knowing now.
  • Definitions and formulas. Separate from key points, because these are what you will be tested on word for word.
  • Examples from class. The worked problem, the case, the quote. Examples are usually not on the slides and are often on the exam.
  • Questions. Mark them with ?? so you can find them all later.
  • Summary and to do. Written after class, not during.

Before, during and after class

Before (two minutes). Create the note, fill in the header and today's question from the syllabus. Skim the reading's headings if you have time.

During. Fragments under Key points and Examples. Do not try to write full sentences. Do not copy slides that will be posted.

After (ten minutes, same day). Turn fragments into sentences. Write the summary from memory. Move homework into To do with dates. Try to answer your own questions from the textbook; whatever is left goes to office hours.

The after step is the one that decides whether the notes are useful. Lecture notes that were never reread on the day are hard to read a week later, because the context that made the fragments make sense is gone.

One note per class, one note per course

The best way to organize class notes is the simplest: a separate note for every session, each linked to a single course note. The course note holds the syllabus dates, exam dates and grading weights. Because every lecture links to it, the course note also becomes a running list of every class you attended.

Avoid one long document per course. It is hard to search, it grows past the point where you scroll it, and you cannot link to "lecture 9" when writing study notes.

Turning class notes into study notes

A week before a test, write one study note per unit, as in the last example. Work from the questions, not the dates: what is the unit asking, and which lectures answer it? Keep the lecture number next to each point so you can go back for detail. Anything still marked ?? gets resolved now, not the night before.

Common mistakes

  • Transcribing. Typing everything the lecturer says leaves no attention for understanding it.
  • No date or lecture number. By week six you cannot tell which notes go with which reading.
  • Skipping the summary. It takes three minutes and it is your check that you understood the class.
  • Questions with nowhere to go. A question that is not marked and collected is a question that shows up on the exam.

When to use a different template

For courses where tests are mostly recall, the Cornell notes template adds cue questions you can quiz yourself with. To plan homework, exams and review sessions across the term, use the study planner template. For a research paper or thesis rather than a class, the research notes template is organized around sources instead of sessions.

Customization tips

  • Put the lecture number in the title

    CHEM 121 L18: Gas laws, 2026-10-21 sorts correctly, searches correctly and tells you at a glance where you are in the course. Titles like "Thursday notes" are useless by week four.

  • Write the question, not the topic

    "Gas laws" is a topic. "How do pressure, volume and temperature relate?" is a question you can check yourself against. Most lecturers state it on the first slide; if they do not, the syllabus usually does.

  • Skip what the slides already say

    If slides are posted, do not copy them. Write what is not on them: the worked example, the professor's emphasis, the warning about the exam, and your own confusion.

  • Add Cornell cues when the exam is recall-heavy

    For courses with a lot of definitions and facts, add a cue line of questions above each section after class. That turns these notes into Cornell notes without changing anything else.

  • Seminars need names

    In discussion classes, the argument is the content. Write who said what, in a few words each, because the paper you write next will respond to specific people.

  • Keep a course note as the index

    One note per course with the syllabus dates, exam dates and grading weights. Each lecture links to it, and its backlinks panel becomes the list of every class you have taken notes on.

In the app

How to do this in Scribelet

  1. Open Desk Settings, then Templates, tap Add Template, paste the template above and set the category to Research or General. Keep {{date}} in the title and add the course code as a default tag, such as #chem121.

  2. Link each class to its course note with [[CHEM 121]]. The course note's backlinks panel then lists every lecture, so building unit study notes starts from a list instead of a search.

  3. Write homework as - [ ] Problem set 6 @due(2026-10-26). It appears in the Tasks view and on your daily note until it is done, across every course.

  4. Recorded lecture or office hours? Record a voice note (Pro) and Scribelet transcribes it and structures it into headings and action items you can merge into the class note.

  5. Before a test, ask the AI chat "what did my CHEM 121 notes say about real gases?" It answers from your notes and cites the lectures it used.

Templates, template variables and AI generation are documented in Note templates.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make notes for class?

Prepare the header before class (course, lecture number, the question for today), write fragments under Key points during class, and spend ten minutes the same day turning them into full sentences, a summary and a list of questions. Notes that are never touched after class are usually unreadable by exam week.

What is the best way to organize class notes?

One note per class session and one note per course. Each class note links to its course, titles include the lecture number and date, and a tag carries the course code. At the end of each unit, write one study note that links back to the lectures it covers, as the last example shows.

What is the best notes template for students?

The one you will fill in every class. For most courses that is a simple structure like this one. If your exams are mostly recall of facts and definitions, the Cornell notes template adds cue questions that make self-testing easier.

Does Word have a note-taking template?

Word and OneNote include basic lecture note layouts, and universities often publish their own. They tend to be page designs with lines and boxes. This template is plain Markdown, so it pastes into Word, Google Docs, Notion, Obsidian or Scribelet, and the headings survive.

What is the difference between lecture notes and study notes?

Lecture notes are written during or right after one class. Study notes are written later, from several lectures, to prepare for a test: shorter, organized by question rather than by date, and linked back to the lectures. You need both, and study notes are much easier to write when the lecture notes share one structure.

A semester of class notes you can study from

Save this class notes template in Scribelet, link every lecture to its course, and track homework with due dates across all your classes. Before the exam, ask your notes instead of scrolling through them. Free to start.

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Study

Cornell Notes Template

Cornell notes split a page into three jobs: notes during class, cue questions afterwards, and a short summary at the bottom. This version is plain Markdown, so the cues sit above each section of notes instead of in a margin. Copy it, or start from the example closest to your class.

Study

Study Planner Template

A study planner has two parts: a map of everything due this term, and a short list of what you will actually do this week. This template keeps both in one note, with an assignment tracker, exam dates, weekly sessions and a Sunday check-in. Copy it, or start from the example closest to your term.

Research

Research Notes Template

Research notes go wrong in two ways: you cannot tell where a claim came from, or you cannot tell whether it is still true. This template ties every finding to a source and a confidence level, keeps observation apart from interpretation, and records when you last checked.

Guide

Best Note-Taking App for Students: Setup, Templates and a Weekly Routine

The app matters less than the system. This page tells you which app fits which kind of student in one honest section, then spends the rest on the setup and the weekly routine that keep lecture notes, readings and lab work usable by exam week.

Guide

Lecture Recording to Notes: Transcribe First, Then Structure

A recording becomes notes in two passes. First a transcript: your phone, your meeting tool or a lecture app turns speech into text. Then the part that makes them notes: cutting the transcript down into topics, definitions, examples and open questions, checked against the slides. This page covers both passes, the etiquette of recording people, and what the finished notes should look like.

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