Study Cards – The What, Why and How – Part II

The previous blog explained what study cards are and why they are an effective learning tool.  This blog will give you some ideas of how to adapt this strategy to your specific courses.

HOW TO USE STUDY CARDS

Foreign Languages:  This is easy – put the English word on one side and the new word on the other.  You can vary your studying by going from new word to English of vice versa.  Also, be sure to mix up the cards so you do not learn the words in just one order.

Psychology (or any course with a lot of content-specific terms):  This course has a lot of vocabulary that is important to understanding.  Put the word on the front and definition on the back.

History: Put people, dates, events, etc. on the front and the explanation on the back. If your professor stresses chronological order, put the events on one side and the date on the other. Shuffle the cards and practice putting them in the correct order by event and then check the date.

Math: Put practice problems on the front and the solution on the back.  Then, choose a card, solve the problem and check yourself.  There may also be vocabulary in your math course where you can use the cards.

Art or Art History: Print pictures on paintings or building or color copy from a book, cut out and write what you need to know about the piece on the back.

Anatomy and Physiology: Make one card for each part of the body you need to know.  Besides using them in the normal process you can lay them out to correspond to the placement of each part in the body.

This is a powerful learning tool with endless possibilities! Be creative!  Good luck and enjoy!

First Semester Success: Study Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is now available at wordassociation.com, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com.