Hi, Scarlett! Welcome to italki! Here are some tips for learning vocabulary. But remember that the choice of the right strategy for learning depends on the type of memory you have.

1. Audio memory. If you have noticed that you remember what people said and how it sounded or (better) remember a word you need at the moment because you heard it in a song - try recording lists of words and listening to them when you have free time. Be artistic! Funny and specific intonations or accents will trick brain into memorizing the word. 

2. MindMap. Try creating a mindmap. This way you you can put the words in a logical order (create thematican categories). A mindmap is also easier to handle than a stack of papers.

here's a site for creating free mindmaps: www.mind-map.ru/

3. Drawing. If you’re good at it – do it. For example draw a room and mark the word for everything you’ve drawn. Or you can buy a visual dictionnary or create your own.

4. Movies. Make you use the vision, the hearing and provides a situation. You can find films in Russian subtitled in Engilsh here : http://english-films.com/

4. Build sentences. Learning words one by one is no use. Use your knowledge of grammar to combine words into sentences. Once again make them funny.

Also 

- Try to find some associations : the word may sound funny or be similar in spelling with a word of your language. Try to think of something funny. The brain is better at remembering jokes than lists of words.

- Don't note the translation when you encounter the word for the first time. Give yourself a chance to remember it next time you go back to revising. 

If you're not sure which one to choose (and that is 100% okay) - you can use several  ways of learning at once.

Hope these are helpful :) Good luck!