Just as you can create flash cards during the process of active reading, you can also use them as a tool for improving your memory. Flash cards can serve as memory aids with a question, term, or other piece of information on one side and the answer, definition, or explanation on the other. One of the advantages of flash cards is that you can keep them in a pocket of your backpack or jacket or on your mobile device. Then you can look at them anywhere, even when you don’t have enough time to take out your notebook to study.

Flash cards can help you make good use of time that might otherwise be wasted, such as time spent on the bus or waiting for a friend. Flash cards are excellent tools for improving your vocabulary, especially if you are learning English as a second language. See the chapter on Reading to Learn from College Textbooks for more information about creating and using flash cards.