Pink, Yellow, Green, Blue, Orange, Purple? What's your favorite index card color?
Colored flashcards or index cards are helpful to organize life, writing and studying. Color is a way to maximize visual perception and provides an alternative dimension for categorizing information note cards. If you use color with NoteDex tags and cards you will rapidly find the information you are looking for. In this article we'll explore a few ideas and examples.
The American Psychological Association (APA) has a standard as to how researchers should organize their data. These include:
(a) Presenting the data in a logical format (e.g., using tables or charts)
(b) Using clear, consistent labels for the variables and levels of analysis
(c) Using abbreviations and codes consistently, so that readers can quickly find the information they need
(d) Referencing key findings in the text and using them throughout the paper
There has been lots of research done on human memory over recent years which suggests that information can be stored differently depending on its purpose. These memory representations have been called semantic vs episodic memory . Semantic memory stores information about facts and events — like names or dates — episodic memory stores information about memories: things like objects we see or events we experience. Hence, using Color helps to enhance your episodic memory.
People that have been using colored flashcards find that they allow you to organize thoughts and information visually. colored flashcards are great for giving structure. For example in writing, the idea of having a certain set of words on each card is good, but color allows you to make sure that everything is on the right page. This makes it much easier for me to give feedback, compare notes with people or write a draft. Different color cards can represent certain ideas, scenes, actors etc.
It's better to only use colored flashcards when you need them so they have maximum impact - e.g. When you want to take some time for yourself or think about something specific. When you need to study for education (either for college or just because you want to do it), colored cards can really help! Of course you should always use them in moderation because they can be distracting - use color in moderation!
Color cards are also great when working with a child, who will respond to different color flashcards for studying their words and images.
Flashcards can help organize your life
A flashcard is a way of organizing information with cards. It is usually used to provide a quick review of information and knowledge in an otherwise random manner. Flashcards can be used to study a variety of topics including math, reading, chemistry, history and logic. A simple flashcard is a white card with words on it. It can also be different colors. Use the different colors to categorize cards quickly - and that's not even using tags! Tags are labels that can also be on a card and can have different colors too.
Color-coding can help with time and task management
Have you thought about using Card or Tag colors to help you prioritize your actions and to-do? How about Orange for an action card or to-do? Green for completed. You get the idea. Use color to facilitate color-based sorting.
Colored flashcards can help you organize and categorize your thoughts in this way. They can also help you remember what is important and what isn't, which deserve attention now - as well as being fun! Color helps to focus - but be sparing!
Using colored flashcards can make us aware of the importance of taking small steps towards our goals and making progress towards those goals: by working on key tasks so we don't get distracted by anything else. So why not try some color-coding?
Action: Think of your 'to-do's and categorize them, then use cards or tags in NoteDex to organize them visually.
Color-coding can help reduce stress
There is no question that color can be used as a tool for organization. It is also used helping you to organize your day: A color-coded set of cards will help you see the big picture and give you a sense of how much time you need to spent on each task -and it will make it easier to reach your goals, e.g. using tags for actions: green for done, blue for ideas, red for action.
Color-coding can help with brainstorming and organizing ideas
As you can tell we are big fans of color-coding. I use it extensively to organize my thoughts, draw up rough ideas and keep track of my work. My favorite system is one where I have a series of colored tags on my cards. These are either tags for different project ideas or aspects.
I think it's important to remember that this is just an example, and not necessarily universal. It's easy to get caught up in the idea of "color-coding" as a way of organizing your thoughts (and it can certainly aid in that) but there are much more useful things you can do with it than just that. You can find ways to use it when writing (e.g., using different colors to represent different sentence types), organizing your thoughts about your work (e.g., using different colors for different chapters) and so on.
Color-coding can help with editing notes
Some people use color codes for their notes. It's been a great way to organize everything, and allows you to quickly spot what you might need to organize or edit - such as a meeting note that is not summarized or actioned. Also, f you are working on your first draft of an article or blog post, you can color your card red so you can easily see it is unfinished.
Color-coding can aid in concentration
As mentioned, among the many advantages of color coding is that it helps you focus. Colors are a particularly useful as a way of categorizing information - particularly in the case of learning (colors are often associated with specific things we learn). If you have a list of things that need to be learned, then you can use colored flashcards to help organize your thoughts and ideas. This is especially useful when looking at long lists of information or when trying to remember something so that you can use it later.
Conclusion: Using colored flashcards can help improve organization, writing and studying skills
We are all familiar with color and it's influence on the world - imagine if the world was just black and white! In addition to being an easy way to make lists and prioritize things, coloring can provide a way for you to define your own priorities. Using color cards and tags in NoteDex will help you quickly and visually see the different information and help you to find what you are looking for faster.