Everybody remembers it from elementary school. The flash cards. They were usually for math; with simple problems on one side and the simple answer on the other. In a few classes we even went so far as to have competitions...idk, like a flash card quick draw/spelling bee/etc. I always thought that they were a pretty good time because they were one of the few parts of the day I wasn't being lectured about my atrocious handwriting (cursive, especially).
Anyway, one of the cool things about them was that they were quick. Couple lines on one side, couple lines on the other, that was that. Show one side, say answer, flip, repeat. Hence the name "flash" cards, I suppose.
I hold in my hand right now a so-called flash card with a 11-point bulleted list on the back. Each bullet contains at least one sentence, sometimes two. I'll spare you the actual text of the question/answer, but it deals with personal taxation. "This is the way you do this...unless this is the case, or this happens, or its after this date and before this one, etc, etc, etc." Now, I understand that this is necessary information for the exam (and that making each bullet into a card would result in a deck taller than Yao Ming), but I have to question the merit of the medium. My books work great, lectures help, questions and examples are gold...but at least during my studies flash cards have been garbage. They're too long, too in-depth, and infinitely more overwhelming than what I've seen on an actual exam. I haven't come away from a flash card session yet feeling like I've really learned something. I end up just writing notes on the individual questions, and at that point I'd learn more from the book.
Just a rant. Perhaps they do help...has anybody had a better experience or could you offer me some advice on how to use them?
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