Flashcards work because they make you recall an answer instead of just reading it. That effort of pulling an answer from memory is what strengthens it.
What makes a good card
- One idea per card. A card with five facts is really five cards.
- A clear question. “What does the mitochondria do?” beats “Mitochondria”.
- A short answer. If it takes a paragraph, break it up.
- Your own words. Cards you write yourself are easier to remember than copied ones.
Good and weak examples
Weak: “Photosynthesis” on the front, a long paragraph on the back.
Better:
- Front: Where does photosynthesis happen in a plant cell? Back: In the chloroplasts.
- Front: What are the two main inputs of photosynthesis? Back: Carbon dioxide and water.
What to put on cards
- Definitions and terms
- Formulas, with a prompt such as “Formula for kinetic energy”
- Dates and events
- Vocabulary in a new language
- Steps of a process, one step per card
Not everything suits cards. Long explanations and problem-solving are better practised with exercises.
How to study them
- Look at the front and say the answer aloud or in your head before flipping.
- Flip the card and check honestly.
- Mark cards you missed so they come back again.
- Shuffle the deck so you do not learn the order instead of the content.
The flashcard maker does this for you: cards you get wrong return until you know them. You can paste many cards at once, one per line, and download your deck as a CSV for backup.
Build a habit
- Make cards soon after a lesson, while it is fresh.
- Study 10 to 15 minutes a day rather than one long session before the exam.
- Remove cards you know easily so your time goes on the hard ones.
Combine with other tools
Run your sessions with the study timer. If you like to hear information, a text to speech reader can read your notes back to you. To space your reviews over days and weeks, see our guide on spaced repetition.
Your decks are stored in your own browser, not on a server, so keep a downloaded copy if they matter to you.