How to use the outline method for notes

Most students already half-use the outline method. They write a heading, a few dashes under it, and then the structure falls apart by the second page. Done on purpose, outlining is one of the fastest ways to take notes that you can actually study from, because the shape of the page shows you how the ideas fit together.

What the outline method is

An outline sorts every idea by how important it is, and shows that with indentation:

• Main topics go flush left. These are the big ideas of the lecture.
• Subtopics go one indent in. These are the parts of a main topic.
• Details go one more indent in: definitions, facts, examples, numbers.

You can label levels with Roman numerals and letters, or just use dashes and indents. The labels don't matter much. The indentation does. A glance down the left edge should give you the skeleton of the whole lecture.

When the outline method fits

Outlining works best when the material has a clear hierarchy and arrives in order:

• Organized lecturers, especially ones who say "there are three reasons" or follow slides with headings.
• Textbook chapters, which already come in sections and subsections.
• Classes heavy on categories, like biology, psychology or history surveys.

It works less well when the structure isn't obvious yet. Free-flowing discussions, lectures that jump back and forth, and material about relationships between ideas are hard to force into levels. For comparisons, try the charting method. For ideas that connect in many directions, a mind map shows the links better.

A worked example

Say your Intro Psychology professor spends a lecture on memory. An outline of the first twenty minutes might look like this, with each line's level noted at the start:

• Level 1: Memory
• Level 2: Three stages: encoding, storage, retrieval
• Level 2: Encoding: getting information in
• Level 3: Effortful (studying vocab) vs. automatic (remembering what you ate for lunch)
• Level 2: Storage
• Level 3: Sensory memory: very brief
• Level 3: Short-term memory: small capacity, fades fast without rehearsal
• Level 3: Long-term memory: large, lasting
• Level 2: Retrieval
• Level 3: Recall (essay question) vs. recognition (multiple choice)

Notice what's missing: full sentences, and anything the professor said twice. Notice what's there: one example per idea, in a few words. Later, when you study, the level 1 and 2 lines are your study questions: "What are the three stages of memory?" and "How is recall different from recognition?"

How to outline a live lecture

1. Write the topic at the top and the date. If slides are posted, skim them first so you know the main sections.
2. Listen for signposts. "First," "another reason," "the second type" and "on the other hand" tell you a new item at the same level is starting.
3. Wait a sentence before choosing the level. You don't have to decide instantly. Hear where the professor is going, then write it at the right indent.
4. Keep each line short. A key word or phrase per line. If you need a sentence, it's probably two details.
5. Leave space under each main topic. Professors often come back to an idea. A few blank lines give you room to add it in the right place.
6. Mark what you missed. A question mark at the end of a line is enough. Keep going. How to keep up with fast lecturers has more on this.

Tip: if a lecture is too fast to sort as you go, write everything flush left and add the structure after class. Sorting the lines into levels is itself a good review.

Common mistakes

• Too many levels. Three is enough for almost any lecture. If you're on level five, you're probably writing details as separate points when they belong on one line.
• Indents that drift. On a long page, level 2 slowly creeps right until you can't tell it from level 3. Pick fixed indent positions and stick to them.
• Copying instead of sorting. An outline of every word the professor said is just a transcript with dashes. The value is in deciding what goes under what.
• Never turning it into questions. An outline read top to bottom feels familiar, which isn't the same as knowing it. Cover the details and try to recall them from the headings.

After class: make the outline study-ready

Review the outline the same day, while the lecture is fresh. Fill the question marks from the slides, the textbook or a classmate. Then go down the left edge and turn each main topic and subtopic into a question you could answer. Writing them in the margin turns your outline into something close to Cornell notes, which is a good thing. Our guide to reviewing notes after class walks through a full routine.

Outlining on iPad with Scribba

Any ruled paper works for outlines. In Scribba, College Ruled or Narrow Ruled gives you lines to write on, and Dot Grid (5 mm dots) gives you something ruled paper doesn't: columns of dots you can use as indent stops, so every level 2 line starts on the same dot.

If you want a page built for lectures, try Lecture Notes paper. It has COURSE, LECTURE #, DATE and TOPIC fields at the top, ruled lines for the outline, and a KEY TAKEAWAYS box at the bottom. Leave that box empty during class and fill it with your three or four main topics afterward. You can change any page's paper from the page sidebar.

A few other things help outlines on an iPad:

• Move lines with the lasso. If a detail ends up under the wrong heading, select it with the lasso tool and move it, instead of erasing and rewriting.
• Bookmark main topics. Named bookmarks in the page sidebar act as a table of contents. Bookmark the page where each big topic starts and the notebook outlines itself.
• Turn it into typed text. Scribba can copy, share or place a page's handwriting as typed text, which is handy if you want your outline in a study document.
• Record the lecture. If you record in Scribba, every line you write is linked to that moment in the recording. Tap a line with a question mark and you'll hear what you missed. See how to record a lecture on iPad, and ask your professor first.

Frequently asked questions

Should I use Roman numerals or bullet points?

Whichever is faster for you. Numerals and letters help if you'll refer back to points by label. Most students take notes faster with simple dashes and consistent indents.

What's the difference between outline notes and Cornell notes?

The outline method is about how you write the notes. The Cornell method is a page layout with a cue column and summary. They combine well: outline in the notes column, then add cues and a summary after class.

What if the professor doesn't follow any structure?

Write short lines flush left during class, then sort them into an outline afterward. If a class never fits an outline, a mind map or chart may suit it better.