You will need index cards, which are 3 by 5 inches (7. 6 by 12. 7 cm) cards on which you’ll be writing your vocabulary terms. You’ll need a pen and a pencil. It’s a good idea to write the cards down in pencil first, in case you misspell something, and then trace over them in pen so they’re clear and easy to read. Consider investing in several different colors of pen. This way, you can color-coordinate your cards by subject or unit. Choose colors you can easily read, however. Something written in yellow ink may be hard to make out, while something written in blue or red is easily readable.
Write the words in pencil first and then write over them in pen. Color coordinate the cards as needed. For example, all the vocabulary from English class can be written in red. All the vocabulary from history class can be written in blue. This way, if the cards accidentally get jumbled, you can easily separate them again by subject. [1] X Research source You can also color coordinate by difficulty. For example, you could write the vocabulary words you already know in green, the tougher ones in red, and the extremely challenging ones in blue.
Make sure you leave yourself enough room. Some words may have longer definitions. Try to write small for these words.
Take breaks when necessary. If your hand begins to feel tired, this can affect the legibility of your handwriting. Limit how much you put on each card. Try to only write down one vocabulary word per card. Writing too small could cause your handwriting to become muddled and hard to understand. [2] X Research source
You can store index cards in your desk at school or at home. You can also keep them in a binder, folder, or empty pencil box. You may want to tie a rubber band around the index cards to keep them in place. You can also punch a hole in the top right or left corner of each index card. Then, you can purchase a metal ring, like you would use for a key ring, and place the cards through the ring. This will make them easy to flip through when studying and keep them in the order you want. One small downside to this method, however, is that you may want to reorganize the cards on occasion. Changing the order of things slightly when studying can help improve memory. It may be cumbersome to adjust the order of your cards if you have to remove them from a ring.
Try to figure out how much vocabulary you can reasonably learn in an hour. For example, maybe you can set out to learn 10 words. Divide your cards into sets of 10. You may have to do some trial and error to figure out a good pace for you. You may find, for example, it takes you less than an hour to learn 10 words or that it takes you a lot longer. You can add more or less cards to the deck for your next study session.
Some printers, however, may have a feature where you can print directly onto index cards. Check your printer’s settings and see if this is possible.
Quizlet and StudyBeans are websites that allow you to create flashcards to use online by typing in the terms and definitions you need to memorize. The sites will then automatically generate flashcards you can use. [5] X Research source If you’re studying vocabulary for the SAT, UnderGrad Flash is a computer program that contains flashcards and study guides for SAT vocabulary terms. [6] X Research source If you’re studying vocabulary for the GRE, GradFlash and Kaplan GRE Vocabulary Exam Flashcards offer digital flashcards containing GRE words. [7] X Research source
The main advantage to using a tablet over a regular computer is that you can take your tablet anywhere. You can also add images to the flashcards, as well as organize them by subject, unit, or study session using a tablet.
Disconnect from the Internet, if you’re able to use the flashcards without going online. In fact, it may be a good idea to go to a place where you cannot get a WiFi connection. This removes the temptation altogether. If you have to be online to access your flashcards, sign out of all social media accounts like Facebook and Twitter. You should also close any programs running in the background that may be distracting.
