When it comes to cheat sheets, most people immediately imagine a piece of paper with a tiny text hidden in their sleeve or under the desk. Indeed, it used to be so, but in fact, a well-made cheat sheet is not about deception, but about an excellent method of preparation! It helps to systematize the material, remember the most important things and understand the topic, that is, it helps even when you do not take it to the exam. How exactly to make it work?
Why you should write cheat sheets at all: five reasons
At first glance, it may seem strange to waste time on something that officially cannot be used. But here the point is not in the use in the exam, but in the process itself: it brings noticeable benefits and helps to prepare much better than just reading a textbook.
- Firstly, when a person writes a cheat sheet, he repeats the material many times. At first, selecting the necessary ones, then shortening them, formulating them in their own words and putting them in a compact form. This allows the brain to "pull up" the long-forgotten and put the most important things in memory.
- Secondly, you have to choose what really matters, and what you can do without. Such a selection helps to highlight the main thing, discard the unnecessary and see the structure of the topic. It is at this point that the understanding of the material becomes much deeper.
- Thirdly, a well-designed cheat sheet is not just a set of facts, but a small scheme of the subject, thanks to which you can see the connections between concepts, formulas, dates. This helps a lot when you need to quickly navigate the topic or restore a logical chain in your head.
- Fourthly, this method of preparation makes you process the material: not just rewrite the text, but arrange it in a table, scheme, list or make cards. This is more effective than ordinary memorization, because comprehension is involved, and not mechanical memorization.
Even if the cheat sheet ends up being left at home, the very fact of having it can significantly reduce anxiety! A pupil or student feels that they have done the work, collected all the most important things – and this gives them confidence. Often as a result, it turns out that everything that was in the cheat sheet is already remembered.
How to design a cheat sheet so that it really works
A lot depends on how it is more convenient for a person to perceive information. Some remember better when writing by hand, others find it easier to work with typed text, and both options have their advantages.
- If you choose the handwritten option, then you should use several colored pens — for example, one color for definitions, another for dates, and a third for formulas. This helps to better navigate the material. It is important to write legibly so that you do not have to waste time deciphering later. Also another useful technique is to come up with your own abbreviations, symbols, notes. The main thing is that they are understandable to you.
- For those who prefer printing on a computer, there are also their own rules. It is better to choose a simple and readable font, not to overload the text with decorative elements. It is useful to highlight the main thing - in bold, italics or underlining. You can change the font size, make indents to visually separate different blocks of information.
What are the formats of cheat sheets and which one to choose
It all depends on the amount of material and the features of the topic: cards are better suited for some subjects, diagrams or tables for others.
- Cards are ideal for dates, formulas, definitions. A question is written on one side, and an answer is written on the other. It is convenient to shuffle, quickly repeat and test yourself.
- Sticky notes are a good way to remember material through visualization. They can be glued around the house: on a mirror, a cabinet door or a computer monitor: they constantly catch the eye and work, among other things, for passive memorization.
- Harmonicas are an old but effective format. This is a long strip of paper, folded several times, where it is convenient to place information sequentially, if it is important to remember the order of events, process stages or logical connections.
- You can also make a mind map or diagram — this is especially useful for those who perceive visual images better. Such cheat sheets allow you to see the whole picture, and not just remember individual fragments.
Can I use cheat sheets on the exam?
The answer is obvious: you can't. The point here is not only that you can get serious consequences for use, up to removal from the exam. Now control has been tightened - video surveillance, metal detectors, checks at the entrance, the risk of getting caught is too high.
But this is not even the most important thing. It is worth remembering that the purpose of writing a cheat sheet is not to copy from it, but to make sure that there is no need for it. If a person has collected information, processed it, compiled convenient materials, most likely, everything will be remembered on the exam by itself! Practice shows that the more carefully the cheat sheet is prepared, the less likely it is that it will actually be needed. This is such a paradox.
Bottom line: a cheat sheet is part of preparation, not an attempt to deceive
The most useful thing in this process is not the piece of information itself, but the work that went into creating it. This approach helps to connect different types of memory, place accents in the material, structure knowledge and remove unnecessary anxiety. Therefore, instead of inventing ways to hide the cheat sheet, it is better to direct this energy to working through the topics, and by the time of the exam, everything will not be in your sleeve or pocket, but in your head – and this is already really reliable.
