Flash cards are one of the classic study tools, and for good reason – they promote studying through active recall, which is one of the practices through which our brains learn most effectively.

However, many students use flash cards… well, I don’t want to say they use them the wrong way – but they use them in ways that aren’t very efficient. Some of the mistakes people make when making and studying flash cards include:

1. Making them in a way that leverages only rote memorization
2. Creating complex cards that don’t force true recall – which leads people to mistake recognition for actual knowledge
3. Over-using flash cards, or using them when a different tool or study method would be more effective

I want to help you avoid making those mistakes, as flashcards can be very effective when they’re used correctly. You’re probably studying a subject right now that would benefit from flash card study as well, so it’d be useful to learn the best practices for making and studying those flash cards.

In this article, I’ll go over 8 of those best practices. Let’s get into it.