How do I use study cards? I have made a pack and memorized 71 out of 140 how do I get

countdown2RN · Jun 20, 2008

It depends on what you are trying to "memorize" ?! I agree with above posts that it is best to try and learn the concept vs. memorizing. However, if it is something like meds, I like to use different colors and group them by classification. For me, an organized approach always is better than say trying to learn 140 cards at random. Also, I hand write everything. It seems to make things "stick". Hope this helps! Best of luck.

Panthyr · Jun 22, 2008

Another thing that may help you is if you take the 71 cards that you are "positive" about and remove them from the deck and continue on from there. Before the test, or exam or whatever, look back over these once, but in my experience there's no need to work with cards that you already have memorized - more time with them in the deck will just confuse the ones you're positive about with the one's you're unsure of. If you're only semi-sure of something, though, don't remove it until you can answer it with no hints and a reasonable amount of time spent thinking!

ThatPoshGirl · Jun 22, 2008

I find the best method is the Leitner system. Here is an article about it. http://flashcarddb.com/leitner

Music in My Heart · Jun 22, 2008

I would pick a few (say 10) out of the pile of "unlearned" and work on 'em over and over for 20-30 minutes. I'd then wait about 15 minutes and do it again. Discard any that you've got down cold. Any struggle or slip and it stays in. Keep at it until you've got them all down. Repeat.

AtomicWoman · Jun 24, 2008

Use multiple senses -- brain research has shown us that the more senses we use in an experience, the more deeply embedded it becomes in memory. So, I read the flash cards, associating them with any illustrations, if possible. I have found writing them out very helpful, too. Those suggestions are the visual and the verbal/digital, of course. But I also say them out loud, so I am both speaking and hearing them. Some people make up little rhymes or songs. (I'm not very good at that!) I also found out, accidentally, that movement helps me remember better. So I review and read and speak my flashcards while I'm on my basement walking path. A treadmill would work fine, too.

Also, there's some good evidence that using lemon essential oil (in a diffuser or nebulizing diffuser or even just sniffing a drop that's on a tissue) helps with concentration and focus. There's been at least one very interesting study using lemon essential oil with students studying for tests! You could try working on your cards while you can smell the lemon oil. Just make sure you get essential oil of lemon (not lemon furniture polish or anything else), and avoid putting it directly on your skin. The sense of smell is the sense most strongly tied to memory, BTW.

I agree with the advice to pull out the 71 cards you've got down "cold" already. Just review them once or twice before the test, but concentrate on what hasn't yet "stuck".

Good luck!

tothepointeLVN, LVN · Jun 24, 2008

Also, there's some good evidence that using lemon essential oil (in a diffuser or nebulizing diffuser or even just sniffing a drop that's on a tissue) helps with concentration and focus. There's been at least one very interesting study using lemon essential oil with students studying for tests! You could try working on your cards while you can smell the lemon oil. Just make sure you get essential oil of lemon (not lemon furniture polish or anything else), and avoid putting it directly on your skin. The sense of smell is the sense most strongly tied to memory, BTW.

They have these great things at Whole Foods market that you plug into your car cigarette outlet you put a few drops of essential oil on the pad and it gently heats it up and scents your car while driving. I use grapefruit to stay alert on the road.