Most people know what index cards are. They’re these standard-sized pieces of card stock with lines. We often use them for a variety of different purposes. Mainly, people use them for jotting down and storing small amounts of information.
Contents
When you write down information on an index card and compile them, you can make a whole system out of it. This becomes a huge stack of information that can be used to recover information.
The usual size for index cards is 3 x 5 inches. However, these cards come in different sizes too. Although usually lined, index card templates may also come blank. They can also have grid lines and may come in different colors.
When you’re making an index card system, you can use special trays to hold your cards. You can find these in standard office supply stores all over the world.
Index Card Templates
While we live in a digital age where we store data on computers, index cards remain to be very useful. These small pieces of a card may seem retro but they’re really handy and practical. Here are some great uses of index cards:
- You can use them to make short and specific “To Do” lists.
- You can use them to take notes in class or at work.
- You can use them to monitor your projects. If you have a lot of projects going on, using these cards to keep track of them is extremely convenient.
- You can use them to come up with a very organized system. You can use index card templates at home, at school or in the office.
- You can use them to write a whole novel. Just write down your ideas a little bit at a time. Then you can compile all your cards to complete your novel.
- You can use them to leave a note or a message for someone.
- You can use them to make quick reminders for your day-to-day routine.
- You can use them to prioritize the things in your life. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, list down all the things in your life on index cards. Then you can organize these things by priority.
- You can use them to keep things organized when you’re researching.
- You can use them to develop a consensus within a group.
- You can use them to keep your bills organized. It doesn’t just have to be your credit card bills. You can use these cards for all types of bills and statements.
- You can use them for doodling. Either that or any other type of artistic endeavor.
- You can use them to copy and store different recipes. Then compile the cards and keep them together for your reference when you’re cooking.
- You can use them for origami. They’re a bit thicker but you can still use them.
- You can use them to create your shopping lists.
- You can use them to make lists of books you’ve already read and those you want to read.
- You can use them as a log of your daily activities. This is especially useful if you’re trying to keep track of what you’re eating, spending, and so on.
- You can use them to organize all the parts of your home.
These are just some cool ways you can use index card templates. There are so much more! All you need is an index card and a little bit of creativity. These are handy and easy to use.
How to create an index card template in Microsoft Word
So we’ve established that index card templates are very useful. Another great thing about index cards is that they’re available everywhere. You can buy them in stores, you can download them here or you can even create your own template.
All you need is a computer, a printer, and some know-how. Here are some steps to guide you:
- Launch Microsoft Word and find the Page Layout tab.
- Once there, click on the Size, find the “More Paper Sizes” option, and click on it.
- In the paper size drop-down menu, click on the Custom Size option.
- Change the width to 5 inches and the height to 3 inches. If you want to make bigger templates, just input the size you prefer. After you’ve typed the sizes, click OK.
- By now, you would already have a printable index card template. You can leave it blank or add lines or a grid to it.
- You can also type a title for your template or any notes you’d like to print out.
- In order to make new cards on the same file, simply click the Insert tab then choose “Page Break.”
- When you’re done editing your template, you can print it out.
Making a template is really easy and simple. Once you have your templates, you can start using them however you wish!
Note Card Templates
Establishing a note card system
Aside from index cards, you can also use note cards for different purposes. One standout purpose of these cards is to use them for research. When you’re tasked to do research on a topic, establishing a note card system can help you out immensely.
From the start of the process to the end, you can keep yourself organized. Keeping things organized will make researching easier.
With such a system, you can categorize all the information you gather throughout. For each of the topics, you can use different note cards to keep everything organized. Then, as you start writing your paper, you’ll be able to do so faster and easier.
Here are some steps to follow when establishing a note card system:
Doing research
When you do research, you’re bound to discover some interesting facts. Keep an eye out for facts and information related to your topics. Whenever you find such useful information, write them down on the note cards.
Paraphrase the sentences rather than copying them verbatim. However, you should also note down where you found the information.
With these cards, you’ll be able to focus on what you’re researching more. Because of their size, you’d have to write all the information down in a brief and concise manner. This means that you won’t end up writing unnecessary information on the cards.
If you really want to keep your cards organized, you can number and color-code them. For each main topic, use a different color. Then, number the cards accordingly. This would make your note card system really organized.
Organizing your information
When you’re done with gathering data, it’s time to organize your information. By this time, you should have already collected everything you need. You would have gathered all the information from different sources.
So the next step is to collect all your note cards and organize them as you want.
If you used different colors, this process becomes easier. Just sort the cards by color and arrange them by number. Then, arrange the piles of cards according to the order which you want to write them on your research paper.
Make your research outline and begin writing
After organizing your note cards, you can start making an outline. Check the topics of the piles of cards you’ve sorted. Use them to create your research outline, making the writing part even easier.
When you’ve finished your outline, you can begin writing your paper. For each topic, use the pile of cards to write down the information. Use all the facts you’ve gathered to complete your paper in a very organized manner.
Through this system, you’ll be able to create a great paper. It would flow well and contain strong content. When you’ve established your note card system, you’ll become more organized and efficient.
This doesn’t just apply to research-writing. You can also apply this system when you have different projects or tasks ahead of you.
Making note card templates in Microsoft Word
You can use note card templates in different environments. You can use them at home, in school, and even at the office. You can download note card templates here if you don’t have time to create your own.
Otherwise, you can make note card templates in Word. To help you out, we’ve come up with some steps in making such templates:
- Launch Microsoft Word and click on the Size.
- Click on “More Paper Sizes” then in the drop-down menu; choose “Custom Size.”
- Then you can change the size of the document to make them note card-sized. Usually, note cards measure 3×5 inches. However, you may use any size you prefer. Just enter the values for the width and height.
- Click OK and you’re done! It’s that simple. You can add lines to your note card template. You can even add some graphics or images if you want to add fun elements to your template.
Printing note cards differ from printing other documents you’ve made in Word. You’ll have to use a thicker type of paper called card stock so you shouldn’t overfill your printer tray.
When you print out note cards, just insert a few pieces of card stock at a time to avoid paper jams.
Flash Card Templates
Aside from index cards and note cards, flashcard templates are also very useful. Most of the time, people use flashcards for studying purposes. You can use them to teach children and older students too.
Flashcards are simple, versatile, and very handy. Here are some great uses of flashcards:
- You can use them to reinforce information when teaching students. If you want to do a quick review, use flashcards with pictures and text.
- You can use them to customize learning. It’s easy to make flashcard templates on the computer. So if you want to teach your child something, you can make your own flashcards and use them.
- You can use them to help you remember things better. Unlike with notes, flashcards contain images and other visual cues. These may help you remember things easier than just reading about them.
- You can use them to teach individuals or groups. When you use flashcards, you aren’t limited to teaching a single student. You can use the same cards to teach all the students in the class too.
- You can use them to encourage creative writing. Draw or find some great images and show them to your students. Then, you can ask them to create a story around the images to hone their creativity.
Creating flashcard templates in Microsoft Word
There are many ways to acquire flashcard templates. You can download them here or make them by yourself. You can create flashcard templates using Microsoft Word.
Let’s take a look at some steps for making alphabet flashcards. Although these steps are specific, you can use them to make other types of flashcards too.
- Launch Microsoft Word and set the paper size and margins. To get the most out of the page, you can set the margins to “narrow.”
- Click on the Insert tab and insert a table into your document. Use a 2×2 table in order to create 4 flashcard templates on one page.
- Resize the table so it completely fills your document.
- Go back to the Insert tab and insert a text box. Drag the text box inside one of the table’s cells. Place it at the bottom part, making sure that it’s centered.
- Type “Aa” in the text box.
- Then, search for a picture of an apple online. Of course, you can use any other picture which begins with the letter you’ve typed. Find a good picture online, copy it, and paste it into the table’s cell. Make sure it’s centered on top of the text box you’ve placed.
- Repeat the process for all the other table cells until you’ve completed all 4. Then, print out the flashcards on a card stock.
- Cut out the flashcard templates and start using them!
