Flip flops will make more sense if you actually build one.
This link has a java applet which allows you to build circuit diagrams online. you can then "run" them to see what happens.
When you build your flip flop, you should find that when the power is initially off, there will be no "light" on the output side. When you apply power the light will go on. Miraculously, when you "switch off the power", the light will "stay on" .. ie, if the "light" represents a bit, we have stored a "bit" of information. Therefore, the flip flop is the basis for all of the RAM inside the computer you are using now ... pretty cool.
The site also has simulations of all of the searches and sorts in the syllabus, as well as heaps of other really interesting stuff.