The power of studying with personalised flashcards

Have you ever had to cram in bucket-loads of information before an exam? Or have you ever worried that your memory skills don’t match up to your practical abilities?

Have you ever tried personalised flashcards? It may sound crazy at first, but writing down important pieces of information that you NEED to remember to ace that assessment is an extremely beneficial study exercise.

Psychologists believe that practice testing with flashcards is one of the best ways to study. So, if this method is commonly used and appreciated by students far and wide, how will they help YOU to remember all those vital facts?

Easier to digest

Digest all that data! Source: Giphy

Before we get ahead of ourselves, this doesn’t relate to actually eating flashcards to take in the facts and figures. It relates to the breakdown of information.

In any subject, you’ve probably come across a textbook that’s full to the brim with diagrams, words and quotes. Sometimes, when we read huge chunks of writing, it can be difficult to digest the bits you need.

By noting down key points of a topic and transferring them to a flashcard, you’ll only need to remember short sentences and vital phrases that will help you in the exam. By spacing out the text and tackling it one step at a time, you won’t feel overloaded with data and you will remember more.

There are no style restrictions

Art attack! Source: Giphy

With flashcards, there’s SO much freedom! Like a miniature blank canvas, these tokens allow you to write/draw/scribble down anything you want!

Just remember, every student has a different learning style. What works for you may not work for other people, and you should never bow to pressure to conform.

If you know that drawing an elephant and a few symbols of code will help you remember the enormity of Big Data, then so be it! Also, try to stay away from restrictive study techniques as they will affect your learning in a negative way and will stop you fully understanding crucial concepts.

They can trigger group interaction

Quality time with fellow students. Source: Giphy

You may not be the only one who finds personalised flashcards useful – your peers may also find them effective.

Instead of solo practice, you may want to link up with fellow students and conduct group study sessions. Testing each other is a practical way to learn as you can share your answers and you won’t be able to cheat!

To add some excitement, you might want to convert the session into an engaging quiz with a point system. For instance, every flashcard answer you get right, you get a point for your team. Plus, the competitive environment might motivate you to learn more.

Switch it up with a Quiz show

It’s time to test your knowledge! Source: Giphy

Following on from the quiz idea, there’s also the chance to go further with this idea and host a university edition of Who wants to be a millionaire?

Of course, due to student budget, you and your peers may not have the chance to play with millions. But you may be able to play for quirky prizes or meal vouchers.

The host of the game will use your personalised cards to ask you critical study questions and the prize will be given to the person who remembered the most answers. Not only will learners improve their memory with this method, they’ll also grow to enjoy the exam prep process!

Just remember, the possibilities of personalised flashcards are limitless and always open to your creative approach…

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