Select the most important information within that category.

Instead of turning every piece of information from the class into a card, consider making a deck of related terms, facts, or formulas.

Choose the category of information for your вЂњdeckвЂќ of flashcards.

You also can print off cards from a template. A set of index cards is usually inexpensive to purchase. We encourage you, however, to readВ all of the information below. If you're looking for more information on one specific strategy, click on the name below to jump to that portion of the page.

Below are the steps to create your flashcards, along with approaches to test memory and make meaning of the information as you go along. While there is some value to remembering key terms and other information, itвЂ™s important to remember that in college there is far less memorization than in high school, as learners need to be able to apply and make meaning of information. (Essentially, this means you will remember the information long term!) The вЂњforgetting curveвЂќ levels out, and the learning becomes вЂњdurableвЂќ. HereвЂ™s the good news: with repetition, you will remember more and more, therefore forgetting less and less. Just like the first time you review any relatively new information, the first time you use the flashcards may be a bit overwhelming or frustrating because of the вЂњforgettingвЂќ that has occurred. It is important to use the flashcards multiple times. Traditional use of flashcards is for memorization only. From a time management perspective, flashcards allow you to take advantage of short amounts of time that become available throughout the day or week, in addition to during planned study sessions. Flashcards are often part of spaced practice, and repetition helps you figure out what information you can remember easily and what needs additional effort. This also frees up some memory, since you will have a physical stack of cards with the information instead of trying to store individual facts, names, or terms in your mind. Even the act of making flashcards is a way to вЂњworkвЂќ the information, challenging you to think about which information to have on one side and the related description on the other.

Using flashcards can be a very effective self-testing approach. Usually there are several flashcards that, as a group, represent a category of information youвЂ™re trying to remember, learn, and master. For example, one side of the card may say, вЂњAugustaвЂќ, and the other side, вЂњThe capital of MaineвЂќ. This may include names, vocabulary, concepts, or procedures. Flashcards are typically two-sided, with the prompt on one side and the information about the prompt on the other. What are flashcards?ДЇlashcards are small note cards used for testing and improving memory through practiced information retrieval. We encourage you to read all of the information below, but if you're short on time and want to get started, a downloadable Quick Guide that contains an outline of the information belowВ is availableВ here.

Flashcard hero transfer deck