What's the Best Note-Taking Technique?

    What's the Best Note-Taking Technique? 

(Here's My Secret Favorite)

Alright, so here's the thing.
There are lots of note-taking methods — mind maps, color coding, highlighters, apps, voice notes. everything. But when I actually want my notes to be useful and retainable, I do something different.This note taking technique is actually called the cornell note taking method.

I section off my page into three areas:

1. The Margin (Left Side)

This is where I put the important words.
Only the principal words — bold words, dates, equations, concepts. Nothing that's too lengthy. It's the "table of contents" for my mind. If I glance at this column, I immediately know what the subject matter is about.

 2. The Main Area (Middle of the Page)

Here I compose the actual content — meaning, explanation, thoughts, even doodles if required. I keep it neat but a bit flowing.
It's not copying all of it. It's just writing what I get, my own way. That's what makes it stick.

 3. The Bottom (Footer Section)

I love this part.
Down here, I create a mini-summary of the page. A couple of lines — what I learned, what it actually ended up being about, perhaps a question to reflect on.
Sometimes I even include a motivational quote if I'm in the mood.

Why This Works

It's pretty to look at, which makes me actually want to re-open my notebook

It's structured — I can locate anything easily

And it’s intentional. I’m not just writing to write. I’m learning while writing.