When it comes to studying for a class, there are many methods you could use. One of the most popular on college campuses is making flash cards! It is an easy way to see where you are at when you’re studying and it can help you section off ideas that you have nailed down or need to become more familiar with. There are many ways to make flash cards to help you study effectively. Here are my tips and tricks for making and effectively studying flash cards!
Designate colors for a class
One thing I will do when adding assignments to a planner or calendar is section them into colors. Every class will have a different color and will help me remember information and help me study more effectively! If you designate a color for a class, be sure to use the same color (or similar) on your flash cards. You’ll be surprised how well you remember the material and can apply it on your next assignment, quiz or exam.
Draw out some ideas
If you’re having trouble remembering a key term or concept, try sketching it out on your flash cards! Even if it is something extremely basic such as squiggles, this will help you remember the term by what the card looks like. You’ll see the squiggles you drew on a specific card and it will trigger your memory!
Keep it simple
Drawing on a flash card should be fun–it shouldn’t seem like rocket science. When you’re making your flash cards, you want to make sure it’s something that will help you remember the term and something that you can have fun with, but make sure it’s not taking more time to make them than studying them. You’re ultimately making them in order to study them, so keep your drawings and designs simple in order to make sure you allow yourself enough time to truly study.
Write them as you read
Writing flash cards as you read can be extremely helpful, especially if you have never really used them to study before. When you stop and make a flash card for a term, you’re allowing yourself enough time to make sure that you have all of the information you need on your flash card while still taking the time to learn as you go! This can help tremendously when you go to study your flash card set as a whole when you’re done!
Don’t be afraid to set some aside
When you’re going through your flash card set, you’re bound to come across some terms and ideas that you’re not familiar with or need to brush up on. Don’t be afraid to set these cards aside! You’re still learning, and that’s okay. Setting them aside in their own pile and coming back to them later can be super beneficial and really allows you to make sure you’re learning everything you possibly can, and it will show on your next quiz or exam!
Create a system that works for you
Creating a system can be one of the best ways to truly see how you study the best. If you have to read through terms and ideas before you start really studying your flash cards, do it. No one is here to grade you on how you use your flash cards. Everyone learns differently and making flash cards is the best way to ensure you can adapt your study habits to your learning style!
Have someone quiz you
When it comes to studying, one of my favorite ways to use flash cards is to study them a little, and then have someone quiz me. You can have someone read the definition to you and ask you what the term is. It’s really effective, especially when it comes to quizzes and tests that may not fully be multiple choice. You’ll know the answer AND you’ll rock that next quiz or exam!
Time to study
Once you’ve made your flash cards, it’s time to get studying! There are a few different ways I like to study flash cards, but this method works the best for me.
Round One: The first time through I quiz myself on every single notecard. Don’t set any aside yet. This round gives you time to get familiar with the terms and see what all is on the cards.
Round Two: This round is where you start taking cards out. As you find yourself becoming unfamiliar with the terms, set those cards aside and come back to them later.
Round Three: After you’re finished going through all your cards, make your way back to the unfamiliar pile. Start going through just these cards and leave the ones you already know out.
Round Four: As you’re understanding the difficult cards, start to gradually add these back into the original pile.
Round Five: Repeat this method until you’re satisfied with what you know!
What do you think of these methods? Leave a comment below!
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