How to Study Flashcards More Efficiently and Effectively!

Introduction

We truly believe that flashcards are one of the most effective tools a student can use for their study journey —whether it's preparing for an anatomy exam, learning a new language, or getting ready for high school graduation exams... flashcards always come in handy! 🤓

A Fun Fact to Start With

Did you know that spaced repetition via flashcards is one of the most effective study methods? Yet, only 5% of students use this method in their daily lives.

Why is this? The issue doesn’t lie with the students, but rather with the educational system. Only 1% of schools incorporate spaced repetition into their curriculum. We believe that if more schools implemented spaced repetition, then a much higher percentage of students would be using this study method and attaining higher scores on exams. 🤓

Recognizing this gap or lacking in the educational system, our team at Voovo has spent countless sleepless nights and hours of hard work into creating Voovo Classroom — a spaced repetition software specifically designed for educators. We're excited to share more about this innovative tool in an upcoming blog post. 🚀 You can also find our more about it on our website!

This post is for the 95% of students…

Chances are, you are one of the 99% of students who didn’t have the chance to learn how to study flashcards in the most efficient and effective way possible or the 95% who haven’t integrated spaced repetition into their daily routines. 📚

This doesn’t mean that you aren’t currently already an extremely good student! But, even if you are doing remarkable on your studies, it doesn’t hurt to learn how to study even MORE efficiently and effectively so that you can have even more time for other things outside of studies. 🤓

In this blog post, we will be sharing practical tips on how to study with spaced repetition and use flashcards more efficiently and effectively!

Embrace Active Recall

Part of the magic in the world of flashcards is active recall (the other part? Spaced repetition)‍

What is active recall? This is a form of studying where you retrieve information from your memory. 📚

To unlock the full potential of flashcards, you have to have the right intention before you start studying with them. Flashcards are not just a way to review content, but a way to TEST your memory. 🤓 This is why it is crucial that when you study a flashcard, you have to try to recall the answer without peeking at the answer! Even if it’s your first time studying it, you should still spend a little time trying to recall the answer.

Study Hack: Voovo’s voice flashcard feature add a unique additional layer to your memory. By listening to a question spoken out loud (by you yourself!), you engage your auditory memory on top of visual recall! This feature is also especially useful for auditory learners. 🚀

Put time slots throughout your day for spaced repetition

Have you ever heard of the “forgetting curve”? This is a graph that was discovered/created by Ebbinghaus in 1885 that defines how long it takes for the average person to forget a new piece of information.

📚To sum it up for the non visual people: the retention of information decreases exponentially over time, unless you review it periodically.

How can you counteract the forgetting curve? You do this by reviewing new information at specific time intervals — leaving more time between time intervals as you become more confident your memory. Your memory improves when you space out your study sessions over time rather than doing huge chunks of studying at the same time. 🤓

So, to study flashcards most effectively, you need to be consistent! Be sure to schedule some shorter study sessions throughout your days, weeks, and months. Prioritize cards you’re struggling with and space out those you already know well.

Study hack: using flashcard apps like Anki and Voovo is great because they have integrated spaced repetition algorithms that cater to YOU how often and when you should study each individual flashcard — ensuring that you focus more on your weak areas. 🚀

Break down complex topics

When you make flashcards, you can group them into subtopics and sub-sub topics! This way, you break down complicated topics into smaller manageable chunks. 🤓

With diagram cards, Voovo lets you combine images with interactive prompts. For example, you can study a labeled diagram of the heart, then hide specific labels and test yourself on each structure. This feature is invaluable for visual learners and those tackling complex subjects.

Add Variety to Your Flashcards

Flashcards don’t have to be limited to simply text. Adding audio, images, and contextual examples can make them more engaging and just overall fun to learn with!

📚Make mind maps, charts, colorful mnemonics, pictures to add to your flashcards so that your study process is much more fun and engaging.

Study Hack: Voovo comes with a huge variety of flashcards — there are voice recording flashcards that are great for learning languages or if you are an auditory learner, diagram flashcards for image-intense subjects like anatomy, and automatic AI generated flashcards for when you are on a time crunch. Having a variety of flashcard types promotes long term retention of subjects because you are activating different parts of your brain to form many new neural connections for every single topic. The more your brain is activated, the stronger your memory will be! 🚀

Don’t overwhelm yourself!

Cramming hundreds of flashcards in one sitting leads to fatigue and diminishing returns. Instead, set small, realistic goals for each study session—like mastering 20 new cards or reviewing a specific topic. 🤓

Use short, focused study sessions (20–30 minutes) with breaks in between to maintain focus and retention.

Below, you can see an illustration of how your study sessions look like with spaced repetition vs massed study (aka, cramming). Spaced repetition composes of short focused 20-30 minute study sessions with breaks in between, which prioritizes long term retention of information! It might seem like more work, because you have to space your study sessions throughout your weeks… but you will find yourself performing better on exams and avoiding long cramming sessions. 📚

Incorporate Contextual Learning

Contextual learning is another effective study method with which you apply study concepts to real life scenarios. When you are studying myriads of information, it might be hard to see how it can be useful for your daily life… making memorization even harder. This is why incorporating contextual learning to your flashcards is a great idea! 🚀

Here’s an example: Instead of writing “What is Antiphospholipid Syndrome?”, you can write questions like, “What lab parameters do you test for when you have a patient whom you suspect to have Antiphospholipid Syndrome?”

Leverage Your Downtime — bus rides, errands, etc.

One of the best things about studying with flashcards is their portability and the fact that you don’t need a lot of time or materials or even a desk to study them! You can find 10 minutes very easily throughout your days for a study session — while commuting to university, waiting in line when doing paperwork, and so many other scenarios. 🤓

Studying in different locations actually helps you memorize things easier! It also helps prevent burnout or simply boredom from studying. 🚀

Stay Consistent

Consistency beats intensity when it comes to studying. Even 10–15 minutes a day adds up over time, as opposed to cramming for many days right before the exam. 📚

Make It Fun and Rewarding

Studying doesn’t have to be a chore. Turn your flashcard sessions into a game by challenging yourself to beat your previous scores or times.🚀

Do YOU have any tips…

… on how to study with flashcards effectively and efficiently? Let us all know (: 

📚Flashcards are a time-tested learning tool, but using them efficiently requires strategy and the right tools. By embracing techniques like active recall, spaced repetition, and contextual learning, you can maximize their effectiveness. And with a feature-rich app like Voovo, studying becomes even more dynamic and personalized.

Ready to transform your learning? Download Voovo today and experience the power of voice flashcards, diagram cards, and spaced repetition! With Voovo, your path to smarter studying is just a tap away.🚀