How to Build a Great Cheat Sheet

It will be hard to include everything you learn in class onto one study aid or cheat sheet. Nevertheless, it’s important to look through all your course material before you begin. Gather up as much as you can, including these items:

• Class notes (yours and the teacher’s)
• Textbooks and other class material such as workbooks, exercise sheets, and previous tests.
• Teacher study guides
• Other study aids or cheat sheets you made during the school year for previous tests or midterms
• Etc.
   

With your study materials handy, compile a list of essential information you’ll need for your exam. Pay special attention to content you’ve underlined or highlighted, concepts or skills covered on previous tests, and details included on earlier study aids or cheat sheets. Look through Alloprof’s review guides to identify key information. Finally, include everything that your teacher says might be on the exam. Then, ask yourself these:

• What big topics or categories should you include?  
• How will you label each section?
• Do you need definitions? 
• Which formulas, important dates, examples, symbols, key terms, or abbreviations are essential?
• Are you allowed to include step-by-step procedures or mnemonic devices (memory tricks)?
• Can you include your own diagrams, charts or graphs?
• Is it a one-sided or two-sided study aid? 
• Etc.

Before starting on your cheat sheet, consider what you can leave out. A great cheat sheet is one that’s perfect for you. Too much information can clutter the page, resulting in an overwhelming resource that’s hard to navigate. Consider excluding details and concepts you know well to free up crucial space and make it more user-friendly for you. 

Keep in mind that in many cases, cheat sheets must be approved by your teacher. Ensure that it meets all applicable rules and guidelines, and consult your teacher before the exam if you aren’t sure of some of the content. You don’t want to find out that you can’t use it on the day of the exam!

Here’s a list of materials to have on hand to create the perfect cheat sheet:

• Mechanical pencil: This will help you write smaller. If you don’t have a mechanical pencil, be sure to have a great sharpener to keep your pencil sharp!
• Eraser: Use an eraser to fix mistakes and maintain a clean, organized sheet.
• Ruler: A ruler helps you make neat columns or divide your page into sections.
• Highlighters and coloured pens or pencils: Use them to colour code the different types of information.
• Blank sheets of paper: In some cases, you might have to use the sheet given to you by your teacher. Nevertheless, have some blank sheets to use as drafts before creating your final copy.

When constructing your cheat sheet, follow these steps:

• Write your name, the date, and the name of the subject at the top of the page.  
• Group similar information into sections and use titles or labels.  
• Use a ruler to make clear separations between each of the sections.
• Write small (but not too small!) and be concise: use phrases instead of full sentences, symbols, small pictures, and abbreviate as much as possible.
• Use a colour code. Different colours on your cheat sheet will help you spot information quickly. Use a variety of colours to underline key words, circle important formulas, highlight important facts, etc.
• Think about writing a draft first

Once the draft of your cheat sheet or study aid is ready, it’s important to take it for a test drive. Use it while you study or as you complete practice exercises or exam simulations. This will help you in two ways. First, you’ll become familiar with where the information is located on your cheat sheet so you can find it quickly. Second, it will help you figure out whether it needs to be fine-tuned. You may discover that certain details are more important than you thought, so you need to include them. On the contrary, you might notice that something’s not as helpful. Erase it to make room for something else. Once you’ve practised using it, you can write your final copy. Good luck!