Studying Flashcards

Studying flashcards isn't just about flipping through cards—it's about actively engaging your memory to build lasting understanding. Notesmakr's flashcard study interface helps you maximize retention while making study sessions efficient and effective.

Starting a Study Session

To begin studying a flashcard deck:

The Study Interface

Card Display

The flashcard shows the front first, with the back hidden. Above the card you'll see:

• A "Card 5 of 24" pill, a percentage and a progress bar. They show where you are in the deck.
• The question in a card labelled QUESTION, with the italic hint "Tap to reveal answer"

Flipping Cards

Tap the card to flip it. The back is labelled ANSWER and shows the question in a strip above the answer. Tap the card again to flip back to the question.

Confidence Faces

Once the card is flipped, the app asks "How confident are you?" and shows five drawn faces:

Not at all — You don't remember at all. The card is scheduled to come back tomorrow.

A little — You barely recalled it. The card is scheduled to come back tomorrow.

Somewhat — You partially recalled the answer. The card moves forward, but its ease drops a little, so it comes back sooner than a card you knew well.

Pretty good — You recalled it with some thought. The card moves forward normally.

Mastered! — Instant recall. The card moves forward and gets a little further out over time.

Rating is optional: you can also use Previous and Next to move between cards without rating. Cards you don't rate keep their current schedule.

Your ratings decide when you'll see each card again, using spaced repetition scheduling.

Fill-in-the-Blank (Cloze) Cards

Some decks contain fill-in-the-blank cards: a sentence with one or more gaps where key terms have been hidden. These cards work differently from standard cards:

• No flipping and no faces. You don't tap the card to flip it and you don't rate it yourself.
• Double-tap to reveal. If you already know the answer, double-tap the card and the blanks fill in.
• Or fill it in letter by letter. If you wait a few seconds, letter tiles appear. Tap the letters in the correct order to spell the missing word. A "Need a hint?" button reveals the next letter, and the card keeps count of your mistakes and hints.
• Rated for you. Your confidence is set automatically from how you did: revealing it straight away or finishing with no hints or mistakes counts as top confidence, and more hints and mistakes lower it.

The card then shows the finished sentence with the answers filled in, and the next card follows.

Study Modes

Notesmakr offers flexible options for studying your flashcards:

Due Cards

When only some of a deck's cards are due for review, a pill such as "6 due" appears next to the progress bar. Tap it to study only the due cards; tap it again to go back to the whole deck. The ? icon beside it explains how spaced repetition works. If all or none of the cards are due, the pill doesn't appear.

Shuffle Toggle

Tap the shuffle icon at the top right to randomize card order. Toggling it restarts the session from the first card.

How Shuffle Works:

• Randomizes card order for the current study session
• Prevents pattern memorization
• Tests true recall instead of position memory
• More challenging and effective for learning

When to Use Shuffle:

• Most decks — Tests true understanding without sequence cues
• Exam preparation — Simulates random question order on tests
• Breaking patterns — If you notice memorizing card positions

Toggle Off: Return to the default order, where due cards come first (the most overdue first), followed by the cards that are due soonest. This is a review-schedule order, not necessarily the order the cards were written in.

Built-in Spaced Repetition

Spaced repetition is always active — it's not a separate mode. Every card's review schedule adjusts automatically based on your confidence ratings. Cards you struggle with come back sooner, while cards you know well come back further apart.

The schedule works like this:

• The first successful review brings the card back after 1 day.
• The second brings it back after 6 days.
• After that, the gap grows each time, roughly in proportion to the last gap (for example about 1, 6, 15, then 38 days for cards you keep rating Pretty good).
• Rating Not at all or A little starts the card over at 1 day.

Your ratings are applied to the schedule when you complete the session. If you leave part-way, your ratings are saved with that attempt, but your cards' schedules don't change.

Progress During a Session

While you study, the progress area above the card shows:

• "Card N of TOTAL" — your position in the deck
• A percentage and a progress bar — how far through the deck you are

These track your position, not how well you're doing. Your score appears when the session ends.

Effective Study Techniques

Active Recall

Don't just flip cards immediately. Take a moment to actively try remembering the answer before revealing it. This retrieval process is what strengthens memory.

Say It Out Loud

Verbalizing your answer (or writing it down) engages more of your brain and improves retention compared to just thinking it.

Understand, Don't Memorize

If you don't know a card, don't just read the answer and move on. Take a moment to understand why it's the answer. Return to your full study note if needed.

Use Mnemonics

Create memory aids for difficult cards. Association, visualization, and silly stories make information stick.

Study Regularly

Short, frequent sessions (15-20 minutes daily) are more effective than long, infrequent cram sessions. The due pill shows you when cards are ready to review again.

Session Controls

During a study session, you have several control options:

Navigation

Use the Previous and Next buttons at the bottom to move between cards. On the last card, Next becomes Finish. You can also swipe a card sideways to move to the next or previous one.

Exit Session

Tap the back arrow to leave the session. By default the app exits straight away. If you've turned on the exit confirmation in your flashcard study settings, an Exit Study Session dialog asks "Are you sure you want to exit?" and you can tap Cancel to keep studying. Your ratings are saved, but card schedules are only updated when you complete the session.

Focus Timer

The timer button in the top bar starts a Focus Timer session while you study.

More Options

Tap the menu icon (⋮) for additional options:

• Print Flashcards — Print this flashcard set
• Delete Flashcard Set — Permanently remove the entire flashcard set

After Your Study Session

When you rate the last card (or tap Finish), a result dialog appears over your cards:

Session Summary

• Headline — Great Job! if at least 70% of your cards were rated Pretty good or Mastered!, otherwise Well Done!
• Score — The percentage of the deck you rated Pretty good or Mastered!
• Cards completed — "You completed N flashcards", counting the cards you rated
• Average confidence — "Avg. Confidence: x/5", the average of your ratings

What's Next

From the result dialog, you can:

• Review Again — Start the deck again from the first card with fresh ratings
• Back to Study Page — Return to the note's study page, or to the Flashcards tab if the deck isn't linked to a note

Cards you rated Not at all or A little are scheduled for the next day, so they'll be due again in your next session.

Study Tips for Maximum Retention

1. Start Fresh

Study when you're alert, not exhausted. Morning study sessions often work best.

2. Eliminate Distractions

Put your phone in focus mode, close other apps, and study in a quiet space.

3. Mix It Up

Don't just study one deck repeatedly. Alternate between different subjects to keep your brain engaged and improve retention through interleaving.

4. Take Breaks

After 20-30 minutes, take a 5-minute break. This helps consolidate memories and prevents burnout.

5. Test Yourself Before Tests

Use flashcards for final review before exams, but don't rely on them exclusively. Make sure you understand concepts deeply, not just surface-level facts.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Flipping Too Quickly

Give yourself time to actually recall before checking the answer. The struggle is what builds memory.

Being Too Generous

Don't rate cards as Mastered! or Pretty good if you hesitated or only partially remembered. Honest self-assessment leads to better learning.

Studying Passively

Don't just read cards—actively engage. Close your eyes, visualize concepts, explain them out loud.

Ignoring Context

If you don't understand why an answer is correct, you're just memorizing words. Always seek understanding.

Only Studying Once

One study session isn't enough. Review cards multiple times over days and weeks for long-term retention.

Next Steps

Now that you know how to study effectively with flashcards, explore other study tools in Notesmakr:

• Generate more flashcard decks from your study notes
• Try Quizzes for multiple-choice practice
• Use Mind Maps for visual learning