How to Memorize Flashcards Effectively

Co-authored by Emily Listmann, MA

Last Updated: January 24, 2023 Fact Checked

Whether learning new information or preparing for a test, flashcards can be a great way to review lots of information quickly. They are easy to make, and easy to use because you can take them anywhere. There are many good ways to help you memorize your flashcards, and you can help yourself all along the way from learning the information to acing the test. Making your flashcards the right way and practicing good study habits while using them will help you get the most out of your work.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Making Your Cards

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Make your own cards. Writing down the information yourself--rather than borrowing a set-- is more effective. The process itself helps the learning and memorization process. Plus, this will help you summarize the information in a way that makes the most sense to you. It can be tempting to borrow someone else’s flashcards, but this won’t help you nearly as much as making your own.
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Use thick paper. When you make your flashcards, make sure you write them on thick cards or paper. You need to make sure you can’t see through the paper to get the answer on the other side.
- If you are making your own cards, be sure that they are all the same size. You don’t want different sizes of cards giving away the answers. Otherwise, you aren’t memorizing the connection between the terms and explanations, but just what each size card says. That won’t be very helpful when you’re taking the test.
- A package of index cards is usually a great starting point, as they will all be the same size and made of nice, thick paper. Plus, one side usually has lines, helping you write neat sentences to explain concepts.
- Of course, it is better to use regular paper if you must than no flashcards at all!
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Make your cards early. Avoid waiting until the night before the exam to put together your flashcards. Instead, make a nice pile right after class or school. That is when the information will be freshest in your mind, and you won’t have to try and remember everything when you start making the cards.^{[1]
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- This is also a good way to come up with questions to ask your teacher. If while making your cards, you come across a term that you can’t write a good card for, ask your teacher about it in the next class. Write down the answer on the back of your card, and you’ve got a pre-made flash card ready to join the others.
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Keep your cards simple. In general, limit your cards to one word or one sentence. The less you need the remember for each card, the easier it will be the memorize it.^{[2]
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- Make sure you keep your information on each card limited to just a few words of information. For example, if you are studying for a history class, and are making a card for George Washington, you’ll want to limit your information. Using small bullet points like “Commander during the American Revolution,” “First President of the United States,” and “Father of the Country” is better than a paragraph listing every detail you can cram onto it.
- If you are using your flashcards to ask and answer questions, keep to one question per card. For a history card, don’t ask “Who was the first President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, and Chief Justice of the United States?” That is too much information at once. Not only will you have a hard time memorizing each piece of information, but also remembering which one is tied to which.
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Use pictures. In addition to the words on your cards, consider including a picture. Your brain is really good as remembering visual images, and adding them to your cards can help you associate them with words. These don’t need to be detailed drawings, just simple designs to help remind you of what you are looking at.
- This is particularly helpful for flashcards to study a foreign language. In addition to the vocabulary you are trying to use, sketching a small picture can help the word stick in your mind.
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Use electronic flashcards. While handmade flashcards are a common study tool, there are many new technologies out there for creating electronic cards. You can store these cards on a smartphone or laptop and have them accessible wherever you go. There are many different programs available for free that allow you to create a database of cards from your own notes as well as other people’s work. These programs can create games and other study methods to help you with memorization.
- Common software and websites for digital flashcards are Quizlet, Memrise and Anki. Sometimes they also couple with flashcards with spaced repetition.

Part 2

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Studying with Your Cards

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Review at least three times a day. Practice makes perfect. The more you go through your stack of cards, the more you’ll be able to remember. You can set slightly different goals depending on how fast you get the information, but the more times you are able to go through them, the more you will remember.^{[4]
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- Space out your study sessions. Your goal shouldn’t be to get through your flashcards three times as quickly as possible to skip doing it later. Taking a break between sessions will help you know what information you are having trouble remember. That way, you can focus on that more to make sure you get it right.^{[5]
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Study in short bursts. The best way to help yourself memorize flashcards is to review them in small groups rather than push through the whole pile at once. This will keep you focused on smaller chunks of information, which is easier to memorize. This will also encourage you to pick the cards up for a quick study session between classes or while waiting for your friends to show up, knowing you don’t need to rush so you can get through the whole thing.^{[6]
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- Take impromptu opportunities to use flashcards. Use odd moments of downtime to review. Waiting for the bus? On hold with customer service? Dinner cooking? Time to use the flashcards!
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Engage yourself. Don’t let yourself zone out, or mindlessly flip through the cards. Instead, find ways to keep your attention up. When you read each card, say the words out loud, or say things like “I know this,” or “I don’t know this.” Staying engaged with the material will help you stay focused on what you are doing.
- Try rewarding yourself: Every correctly memorized card gets you a small candy, for instance.
- Try some movement. Try wandering around the house with the cards. Do a squat each time you do a flashcard. Try doing it while doing wall sits. You may help your strength as well as wake up your mind!
Before you begin to go through and review your cards, mix them up a bit. If you just keep repeating the pile, you won’t be memorizing the answers, just the order they appear in. Unless you know that’s how the information will appear on your test, it won’t be very helpful when you sit down to take it.
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Make separate piles as you read. As you go through the cards, separate them into different piles. These can be one for those you know or got right, one for the ones you definitely got wrong, and maybe a third of things you “sort of” know. Once you have finished, go through the “wrong” pile until you can get them all into the “right” pile, then do the same if you have a “sort of” pile. This will help you put extra emphasis on the information you don’t know as well. Just remember which pile is which!
- If you are squeezing in a quick study session, you may want to skip the piles. That way, you won’t accidentally forget some of your cards when you need to move and do something else quickly.
Flashcards are quick and easy to use, so if you have a five-minute break between classes or on the bus, you can always pull them out for a quick study session. Cards are nice and small too, especially compared to your notebook or textbook, so they are much easier to carry. You never know when you’ll get a few minutes to get in some quick studying, so always be prepared.^{[7]
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Part 3

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Practicing Good Study Habits

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Memorizing things can be hard if you aren’t awake and focused when reading your cards. Make sure you find a time during the day when you will be wide awake and won’t be interrupted. This time will be different for every person, so you’ll have to find the situation that works best for you.^{[8]
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Listen to music. Having music on in the background when you study can help you remember things. Your brain will be able to connect information to the music by “playing” the song mentally in your mind.^{[9]
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- Avoid music with lyrics. The best music for studying is instrumental or classical music, or just ambient noise. When you hear music with lyrics, like rap or country, your mind will focus on the words, meaning you aren’t paying as much attention to the cards you are supposed to be studying.
It can be hard to study effectively when your mind is somewhere else. If you are trying to study, you should put down your phone, get off the computer and turn off the TV. It might even be helpful to set a timer, knowing that you should only be memorizing flashcards until that alarm goes off.^{[10]
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If you can, try to move around a bit while reviewing your flashcards. It doesn’t have to be very far, just pacing a bit can help get your blood flowing. A quick walk around your bedroom or office should be enough. Even just standing in line at the coffee shop, or leaning against a wall can helpful, just something to get you up from your desk.^{[11]
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Sometimes asking another person to help you is most effective, and a good way to keep you accountable. It can even be a person who has no idea about the subject, as long as he or she can read...a great job for younger siblings or your own kids!^{[12]
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Focus on 1 topic at a time when you're studying. When you're studying with your flashcards, it's best to focus on 1 topic, test, or subject at a time so you can fully learn the material. If you have multiple tests or classes to study for, do it over the course of multiple study sessions so you can devote each session to 1 specific topic or test.
- For example, if you have 2 tests to study for, you could spend an hour studying for your first test, and then spend an hour studying for your second test the next day.

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What if someone is borrowing my flashcards?

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If you really need them, ask for them back, or ask the person to meet up and quiz each other using the cards. If you can't get them right away, just try to study the material without your flashcards for the time being.

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What should I write in the flash card?

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Once side should have a term or question about a concept. The other side should have the definition or answer. For example, one side of the card will ask: Where is the U.S. capital? The other side will have the answer: Washington, D.C.

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What happens if I made my flashcards too late? Is there a way I can revise them quickly?

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Revise them card by card. Once you have fully memorized one card, move onto the next card. You can also get a friend or a family member to test you over and over again until you answer all of your palm cards' topics / questions correctly.

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Flashcards are great for understanding individual ideas and concepts. They are less useful, though, when preparing for something like an essay, which requires you to connect ideas rather than just identify them. Flashcards can still be helpful for learning concepts, but you’ll need to combine it with other kinds of studying to prepare properly.

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