Introduction
There are many methods of studying that are adopted by students whenever they are studying for an exam. Each method has its own disadvantages and advantages. In our study we are going to compare and contrast two methods of studying for an exam. They include: use of flash cards and condensing then memorizing. (Howard, 1998)
Comparison
Both techniques ensure that there is thorough and accurate memorization of the subject learnt/studied.
Both techniques involve writing out theories and diagrams studied.
Both techniques employ the use of photographic memory whereby the reader will try to visualize his/her study material while in the examination’s room.
Both techniques involve studying the study material repeatedly so that a student becomes well acquainted with the contents.
Contrast
Using flashcards involves a lot of guessing and cramming whereas using the condense technique involves trying to understand the concept and implementing it.
When using the flash card, the size of the original piece of document will remain to be the same an the student will then try to memorize everything in it whereas when using the condense technique, the size of the document to be read will keep on decreasing day by day as the student will tend to summarize it.
Flash cards are used in courses whereby there are many terms to be memorized like in biology whereas the condense technique is useful in areas whereby some sequence is required like when performing mathematical operations.
When using flash cards, information is stored on the short term memory and do not stay in the brain for a long period of time whereas when using the condensing technique, information is stored in the long term memory and the information can be retrieved at a much later time.
Work Cited
Howard Black; Sandra Black. Building Thinking Skills, Book 2: Critical Thinking Skills for Reading, Writing, Math, and Science. Critical Thinking Books 1998
