How do you make good flashcards?
Put one idea on each card. Write a question on the front and the answer on the back. Use your own words, not a copy-paste from the slides. Keep both sides short, and add a small picture if it helps. Then actually test yourself, and space your reviews out over days instead of cramming them all at once.
The biggest mistake is cramming too much onto one card. If the back has five things on it, you can't tell which part you got wrong. One card, one idea. If a topic is big, break it into a few smaller cards.
Write the front as a real question, not just a single word. "What does the mitochondria do?" beats "mitochondria" because it forces you to pull the answer out of your head. That act of recalling is the part that makes it stick. Re-reading does almost nothing by comparison.
Use your own words and add a quick sketch when you can. Putting it in your own words means you actually understood it, not just copied it. Then test yourself on a spaced schedule: review a card again the next day, then a few days later, then a week. The cards you keep missing get reviewed more often.
- 1One idea per card. If it feels crowded, split it into two cards.
- 2Write the front as a question, and keep the answer on the back short.
- 3Use your own words instead of copying the textbook line.
- 4Add a small drawing or diagram if it helps you picture it.
- 5Say your answer out loud before you flip the card.
- 6Review on a spaced schedule, and drill the cards you keep getting wrong.