Choose an individual chapter, lesson or topic and prepare to make five to seven notecards. Dividing the notecard making process into several parts, rather than focusing on an entire course of study, makes the process easier.
Write the chapter topic on the top left corner of each 3x5 notecard. For an exam in biology, topics might include "the brain" or "digestive system."
Select facts or possible test questions and write short phrases on the front of each notecard. Focus on using keywords rather than complete sentences.
Flip the notecards over and write the answers to the questions or expand on the facts with more details, a definition, sketch or how they fit into the overall chapter theme.
Add the source of each fact to the bottom right corner of the back of each notecard. Include the name of the reference material and a page number.
Separate subtopics within the chapter of study by using different colors of ink or highlighting markers. For example, on the "digestive system" notecards, highlight all facts dealing with the large intestine in yellow and all information relating to the stomach in pink.