The problem
You use the concept, and the examiner sees that you confuse it.
This discipline is judged on the rigour of its vocabulary. A reread handout suggests the distinctions are secure, when they only become so at the moment you must state them yourself, without the text in front of you.
The definition, produced in full
A concept is restored in a complete sentence, not a synonym. The two-sided card forces that formulation, the one you will write in your introduction.
The distinction, isolated on its own card
Freedom and free will, cause and reason, legal and legitimate: the distinction deserves its own question, because it is the distinction that is expected.
The author with their thesis
A reference is only worth something tied to a precise position. The card links both, rather than piling up names without content.
From your notes to cards
A page of notes, three cards.
A concept, a distinction, an attribution: the three things a paper must hold.
Uploaded excerpt · freedom
Free will refers to the capacity to determine oneself independently of any external cause. Determinism holds that every event has a cause that makes it necessary. The distinction between legal and legitimate separates what conforms to the law from what conforms to justice.
gives
Two-sided
Define free will.
The capacity to determine oneself independently of any external cause.
Fill in the blank
… holds that every event has a cause that makes it necessary.
Determinism
Multiple choice
What does the distinction between legal and legitimate separate?
What conforms to the law from what conforms to justice
Private law from public law
The rule from the exception
The written from the customary
The right shapes
What can genuinely be questioned
Three shapes, for three distinct demands of the exam.
Two-sided
It calls for a whole definition, that is, the sentence you will write in the paper.
Fill in the blank
Useful for technical terms, which are often used without being named exactly.
Multiple choice
Neighbouring options force a decision, exactly where confusions cost marks.
Your sources
Notes and texts
The lecturer's notes, an extract from a work, a concept sheet: the material is textual, so it is immediately usable.
PDF
A chapter, a handout, a past paper with answers.
Word
Your own notes, in .doc as well as .docx.
PowerPoint
The lecture deck, exactly as you were given it.
Photo of your notes
The whiteboard or your notebook, as JPG or PNG.
YouTube video
An online lecture, straight from its address.
Pasted text
Three paragraphs are enough to make a deck.
Anki import
Your old deck finds its place again, in its own window.
On exam day
Before the essay
With the date in memory, the least secure concepts come round more often. No session lands on a school holiday. The method, in detail →
Frequently asked questions
Can a card really help in philosophy?
For definitions, distinctions and references, yes, and that is already most of what gets lost. Reasoning is drilled by writing: the card holds the vocabulary you will reason with.
How do I retain authors' positions?
By systematically linking the name to a stated thesis. A bare name is useless in a paper; an attributed thesis is not. One card per author-thesis pair.
What about quotations from works?
They are learned as in literature: the sentence, with its decisive word masked. An approximate quotation is spotted immediately and does more harm than good.
Can I revise from a long text?
Yes, but cut up. An extract yields several cards: the thesis, the argument, the concept used. A card carrying two pages never gets revised.
Explore the other subjects
Mathematics
Notation typeset inside the card, and fluency kept up.
Physics
Laws with their units, and orders of magnitude that hold.
Chemistry
Balanced equations intact, nomenclature kept up.
Biology
The diagram inside the question, labels to produce.
History
Dates produced rather than recognised, and causes put back in order.
Geography
The map in the prompt, landmarks to name.
Languages
Vocabulary you hear, conjugation you match.
Literature
Quotations restored word for word, devices named.
Economics
Mechanisms explained, indicators known, schools placed.
Computer science
Technical vocabulary and complexities, not keyboard practice.
Law
Provisions cited right, conditions stated in full.
These twelve pages are examples, not a list: every other subject works the same way. Every subject →
Two confused concepts are enough to derail an entire paper.
Create a free account →Free, no card required