Do you find your day too busy for proper studying?
Do you find that memorizing a list of topics, definitions or concepts is not effective after a long day?
Do you need more time to study?
One simple solution will (help) solve all the above problems.
Flashcards
Picture this: you’re preparing for an upcoming history quiz or biology exam. You have a list of 25 names/concepts/definitions, and you devote an hour to cramming as a form of memorization.
Perhaps you remember 50% of the material the following day.
The problem with cramming as a form of memorization, is that you’re hitting your brain with too many new concepts in a very short time. If you don’t give your mind time to process, you will be less likely to remember.
Enter the Flashcards
Keep it simple, cut a sheet of paper into 8 or 10 pieces, or purchase a pack of blank index cards.
DO THIS EARLY! Minimum 2-3 days before your quiz or exam.
Write the concept or vocabulary word on the front of the card, and the explanation on the back. Keep these cards with you at all times. Perhaps in a front pocket, handbag or backpack.
Now picture an average busy day:
- Morning routing
- Travel to school
- Learn / take notes
- Lunch
- More learning and note taking
- Travel home
- After school job or chores
- Homework
- TV
- Bedtime routine
This is a pretty common day for most students. So full of primary duties and responsibilities, where do you have the time to study and memorize?
Actually, I count at least a full hour, hidden between the tasks.
On Your Way to School
As a passenger traveling to school, whether public transportation or carpooling, if you are the passenger, keep 5 flashcards handy and study them over and over on your ride to school.
Even as a driver, you can study enroute. Only AFTER coming to a complete stop at a red light, take out ONE card, read the front and back and replace the card. As you continue driving, you can repeat the information to yourself over and over. Peek at a new card at each red light.
(DISCLAIMER: Distracted driving leads to accidents, please don’t look at cards unless you are at a FULL STOP, and even then, determine if you are capable of studying while driving)
At School
Assuming you are seated well before the lesson starts. Pull out another flashcard and study its contents. Repeat this at the start of each class and maybe even on your lunch break.
After-School Job / Chores
Do you have a minute break here and there? If so, pull out a flashcard and study its contents. As you work, keep repeating the contents in your mind.
While Watching TV
Did you know that the average TV commercial break lasts 2-3 minutes? Multiply that by the 5 or so breaks in a one-hour show, and that’s another 10 flashcards studied.
At the end of the day, you potentially reviewed 25 – 50 cards, without actually taking the time to study!
Do this for 2-3 days, reviewing the same set of flashcards. You are likely to forget the contents initially, but by the third day you should know the material pretty well.
Flashcards alone are not enough. Do take the time to officially sit down and study your notes and the entire list of terms. After reviewing your flashcards for the past 2 days, you will find that not only is it easier to study and memorize, but that your retention rate is higher and faster.
The trick to long term memorization is to consume a small amount of information slowly over time. Flashcards, studied throughout a busy work/school day, allow you to absorb one bit of information at a time and commit it to memory before bombarding your mind with another concept or topic.
Do you have additional tricks for memorizing terms and definitions?
If so I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
I have a Spanish final tomorrow but I still need to study. What’s the best way to study quickly but remember everything?
Hey Sara! I would be happy to answer your question! The best way to memorize them is to not study at all. Scientists actually believe that when you don’t study, the notes come naturally to your mind. About 4 years ago, I had a test on psychology. I found this theory and here I am now, in the major of psychology. I hope that helped!!!
Leah.
Will this work for long answers like one or two pages?
Can we keep a page instead of flashcards?
Please reply.
But great idea!
Love it.
I like to use different colors so I can categorize my cards which makes it easier to understand where I need more and less focus.
My question is what do I put on the cards? Should I just put definitions on the cards? Or can I put any type of question?
Hi Leah! For a multiple choice exam like the MCAT, is it better to read the definition side and then see if you know the word? Or Read the word side and see if you know the definition word for word (i’d imagine this would be more useful for short answer tests). The thing is when I study I try to memorize everything I read and it’s time consuming, so I have to modify my study style a bit.
I was looking for a way to integrate them in my study and this helps. Thanks Leah!
You’re welcome Brandy
did gooooood jooooooooooooob
Thanks, Lilly!
What an awesome article. Thanks! A teacher taught me this, very effective.. take 10 flash cards, go through them rapidly. Don’t know it, move on. So spend 3 seconds on each card. Repeat each card 10 times. That’s about 300 seconds… 5 mins! Add that to Leah’s tricks for when to squeeze in that 5 mins and you’ve got a very effective strategy! I finally warmed up to flash cards after the teacher explains: “don’t understand to memorize. MEMORIZE to understand” so true!
Awesome! As a busy working mom this strategy is even more important for someone like yourself. So glad to help
I like the idea of the flash cards will try
Let me know how it works out Glenda
Ive been using flash cards to learn alkene mechanisms. I fold a 3×5 card in half; on the front is the reactant and reagents, on the back is the product and reagents, and when you open the card up, you see the whole mechanism in detail. This has helped me quickly predict a product from a given reactant or a reactant from a product, as well as learn each step of the mechanism (intermediates, etc.).
Great idea, Dana! We each have to find what works for us!
I didn’t realize the usefulness of flashcards/notecards/whatever-you-want- to-call-them when I was in college. Probably one reason I didn’t succeed in getting my degree. My daughter used them extensively in studying for her degree in biology. She used them in all sorts of classes. I only used them in German class since I wasn’t aware how useful they were in other things than foreign language vocabulary/grammar. Even then I had no idea of any systematic way to use them even in thatclass and just went about it haphazardly. In addition to the great pointer that Jennifer mentioned, one method I came across to do initial learning on cards is to use the two, four, eight, sixteen method. In this method you start out by looking at a card. If you don’t know the answer/flip side of the card (which frequently you won’t early on), you look at two more, then look at the first card again. When you know it, you then look at four other cards and then look at it again. If you know it that time, you look at eight cards in between, then look at it again. If you still know it, you look at sixteen cards in between, then look at it again. If you know it that time, you put it aside to look at in a regular review later. (See Leitner method, Supermemo method, etc.). Any time in the series you don’t know the answer, however, you start back at the level of “two cards between” and start the whole 2-4-8-16 process again for that card. If you don’t have “new” cards to look at, just use existing cards in between. This allows you to do extra review on them as well. As Muktar said, mnemonics are useful when you can use them but many things are going to require just plain old fashioned repetition to get them in your head.
I think many students, even back in my day, don’t succeed because they don’t have a good systematic way/method they use to memorize school material. As Leah points out in her work, it is important that you try to understand the material, or as Jennifer said a teacher told her, “Don’t understand to memorize, memorize to understand”. I found, though, that many students do understand what is said, but just need an effective way to get it to “stick” in their heads. Also, the more individual things you can remember, the better you will understand. I think learning anything is sort of like our body, or any other complicated structure, is built. Infinitesimally small atoms join together and can form very large structures. Similarly, small individual pieces of knowledge can form, sort of through neural “hyperlinks”, if you will, to make up structures of knowledge of relatively large subjects. Thanks to Jennifer for a really useful tip!
This is a greayt idea to study my alkene reactions!
Too true Reina
Great article, I totally agree. Studying in small spurts throughout the day has really helped me. I use and app call studyhive that reminds me to study my flashcards
Thank you and I agree, it’s all about the pacing
really helps, also you can use different colours. put a question on one side and answer on the other.
Great idea, color makes things stand out – that’s why I use color in my videos 🙂
I forgot to add my tip…before hitting send!
I like to hole punch the flashcards and use a ring to put them on. You can buy these for around $2.00 for a pack of 5 at scrapbooking or hobby shops.
Moe
Definitely a great idea for keeping track of the flashcards – especially keeping them in order
Pnemonics,, for example, body systems include: nervous, endocrine, circularatory, respiratory, excretory: by using pnemonics N.E.C.R.E , easy to memorize this way
Great idea, its so true we do have time that we just don’t see, Thanks!