Best Way to Take Notes for the DAT

There is a lot of material covered on the DAT, and one of the best ways to combat this issue is to implement long term learning strategies such as using Anki cards as notes. Anki is a powerful flashcard software that has helped many students achieve very high scores on the DAT. This article will share the reasoning behind how we recommend making Anki cards and why you should make your own cards in addition to using the premade DATBooster Anki decks.

I. Notes vs Anki

Handwritten Notes vs Anki Flashcard

When most people think about taking notes, they instinctively think about putting pen to paper and writing handwritten notes. Although making flashcards may seem to be an unconventional form of taking notes, there are several reasons you should consider using Anki for your note-taking instead of handwriting your notes:

Anki Cards Are Quick to Make 

Time is an invaluable resource during your study journey and the last thing you want is to waste time making time-consuming handwritten notes. Although there is a bit of a learning curve when it comes to initially using Anki, these flashcards are faster to make than handwritten notes.

Built-In Review Process

We are all guilty of taking handwritten notes that we never touch after we make them. However, when you take notes using Anki flashcards, you’re creating interactive notes that will also be useful tools during your review process, ensuring that the effort you put into making these notes did not go to waste. 

 Anki Is Easily Accessible Anywhere

With Anki, there’s no need to worry about losing or forgetting your notes like you may with handwritten notes. Anki’s digital platform ensures that your cards are always secure and accessible. Anki is free to download on Mac and Windows products. Additionally, you can access your flashcards on the go from your Android or iPhone, although there is a $30 fee to download the Anki app on iPhones.

II. Premade vs DIY Anki

Making Your Own Anki Cards vs. Using Pre-made Decks

DATBooster provides high quality Anki decks for each subject you go through using our question banks and these prepared decks are useful for a comprehensive foundation in your DAT knowledge. If you are looking for a way to review mistakes during practice tests or review content learned while watching Booster Prep videos, consider using the premade Booster Anki! You are also free to create your own flashcard notes in addition to using pre-made decks.

Learn as You Go

Most people find flashcards most useful during the review part of their study journey, yet they neglect the learning potential that comes from making your own flashcards for a new topic. By taking the time to write your cards, you reinforce what you’re learning, ensuring that you remember the material better in the future.

Personalize Your Learning 

When taking notes, you want to ensure that you’re phrasing complex topics in ways that are easy for you to understand. Translating material into your own words will not only help you to learn information better while you’re taking notes, but it will also make it easier for you to recall this information later in your studying. Take this a step further by adding extra features to your cards that can aid with your learning, such as images, deeper explanations or diagrams. Check out our article titled “Additional Anki Features” for explanations on how you can personalize your Anki flashcards.

III. Three Step Process

1. 1. Subject Review + Card Creation
2. This first step is a bit time-consuming since it requires you to do two things at once, but it’s crucial to set up a strong foundation for the rest of your studying. Basically, as you are reading through study guides or watching content videos, you should simultaneously create flashcards that cover any important or unfamiliar information. Here’s some advice for what this can look like for each subject:
   
   
   1. 🧬 Biology – As you are reviewing this material, focus on making cards for any bolded vocabulary words and multistep biological processes. For this section, it is especially helpful to add images and diagrams to help you better understand the material.
      
      🧪 General Chemistry – The general chemistry section of the DAT requires memorization of a lot of equations and trends. Our general chemistry formula sheet includes all of the important equations you should review. Don’t forget to also use DATBooster’s flashcards for conceptual material such as solubility rules and periodic trends as you are watching DATBooster’s study videos.
      
      ⚗️ Organic Chemistry – The organic chemistry section of the DAT will test you extensively on your understanding of different reactions. For this section, try making flashcards with the reactions’ reactants, products, reagents, and extra information such as intermediates or rearrangements.
      
      📐 Quantitative Reasoning – For the quantitative reasoning portion of the DAT, you will want to use DATBooster’s flashcards for the different formulas that appear on the DAT. Check out our geometry and algebra cheat sheets for comprehensive lists of the formulas you should memorize before test day.
       

1. 2. Review
2. One of the greatest features of using Anki flashcards to take your notes is the software’s review potential. Unlike handwritten notes, which require a more passive review process through the reading of their contents, Anki flashcards use active recall in addition to spaced repetition.The combination of Anki’s active recall potential, dynamic card formats, and spaced repetition software ensures that students not only create notes that cater to their needs but they also utilize their notes throughout their study journey.
3. 
   3. Fill in the Blanks
4. It’s inevitable that you will find gaps in your knowledge as you delve deeper into your study journey. Because Anki flashcards are digital, you can add to your notes at any point while keeping them organized and updated.

IV. Final Points

Studying for the DAT is not a one-size-fits-all experience. Although students have found success using this technique, we encourage students to try different approaches and adapt them to their own learning styles. Nevertheless, the capacity for Anki to serve as both a notetaking and review tool makes it a must for dental school aspirants. For more information on how to make the most out of your Anki deck, check out the following articles:

• Prepare for the DAT Using Anki
• Most Important Types of Anki Cards for the DAT
• The Best Anki Workflow for the DAT