Make Your Own Flash Card
Lots of people like to share their flash card decks, and there are also plenty of flash card apps and programs out there that will let you download pre-made decks and start studying instantly.
Mix Pictures and Word
Adding pictures to your cards can make them a lot more memorable. In cognitive psychology, there’s a concept called the Picture Superiority Effect, which describes how people tend to remember imagery a lot better than they remember words.
Use Mnemonic Devices to Create Mental Connections
In preparation for writing this article, I decided to start learning and memorizing the Periodic Table of Elements. I thought this would be a fun challenge, since I actually never took chemistry in high school
Write Only One Question Per Card
Let’s imagine for a second that you’re taking a class on the History of Aircraft. I mean, why wouldn’t you? Airplanes are freaking awesome. Anyway, now you’re studying for an exam and you need to know some information about the first airplane
Break Complex Concepts Into Multiple Question
This tip builds off of the previous one, but it’s important enough to have its own spot on the list. See, some concepts or ideas are too complex to be encapsulated in one question.
Say Your Answers Out Loud When Studying
When I’ve studied with flash cards in the past, I’ve always studied them by myself – and I did so silently. As a result, I’d get annoyed when my girlfriend would ask me to run through her art history flash cards with her.
Study Your Flash Cards in Both Direction
When you’re studying your flash cards, make sure you review them from both sides. By doing this, you’re going to build strong neural pathways that can be traced easily in both direction