1. Mindmaps - Terms are placed in bubbles on a piece of paper with arrows drawn between them to show how terms are connected.
Good at helping you see relationships between ideas.
Cause you to define a term, then see how it relates to a broader picture.
Can help you see cause and effect, dissimilarities and similarities, and how different ideas interact.
Maybe not good for learning what terms mean.
Particularly useful for essay exams, policy, history, social sciences, and literature.
2. Venn Diagrams - Two circles overlap, with the overlapping section being for writing similarities and the other two sections being for writing contrasts.
Good at helping you differentiate between ideas.
Maybe not good for comparing more than three ideas at the same time.
Particularly useful for essay exams or if you are confused about two similar terms.
3. Time Lines - A line is drawn and labeled with a unit of time (year, point in the book, etc), and events are added above the time they occurred.
Good at helping you place events in relative order.
Maybe not good if you need to define events as well (there may not be enough space to do so).
Particularly useful for exams that require you to memorize relative order, history, and literature.
4. Flashcards - A card has a term on one side and a definition on the other.
Good at helping you memorize short bytes of information.
Maybe not good for learning complex concepts or connecting concepts.
Particularly useful for learning vocabulary, foreign languages, and English.
5. Vocab lists - A piece of paper has terms written in one column. Next to the terms are their respective definitions in another column. The paper is then folded and used as a memory tool.
Similar to flashcards, but it is easier to see the differences between terms.
Disadvantaged in that the order you see the terms is not random.
6. Step-by-Step How-To Guides - Write how to do a problem step by step. Optionally, include an example to the side that shows each step.
Good at helping you learn how to do methodical problems.
Maybe not good for learning the reason why you do the steps you do.
Particularly useful for math and science.
7. Rewriting Notes - This is not simply making it prettier but reworking the wording so that it is in your own voice.
Good at helping you review concepts thoroughly.
Maybe not good if you are on a time crunch or find yourself not thinking through each word you’re writing.
Particularly useful for classes with a lot of details.
8. Summarizing Notes - Going through your notes and condensing the ideas.
Good at helping you see the main idea/big picture/key facts.
Maybe not good if you want to see the relationships between ideas or if the ideas are very complex.
Particularly useful for cramming.
9. Teaching Someone Else - Tutor someone else, give a presentation to your friends or family, or simply voice your thoughts out loud to a pet or stuffed animal.
Good at helping you understand concepts.
Maybe not good if you don’t know anything at all.
Particularly useful for all classes!
10. Rereading - Rereading notes and diagrams.
Good at helping you review very quickly.
Maybe not good for memorizing or learning concepts.
Particularly useful for skimming right before a test.
