Exam season can be stressful, but with the right strategies, you can study smarter, not harder. Forget last-minute cramming and passive rereading. Here are five effective, evidence-based study techniques to help you truly master the material.

1. Active Recall

Instead of passively reading your notes, actively try to retrieve information from your memory.

• How to do it: Close your book and try to recall everything you know about a topic. Write it down or say it out loud. Use flashcards (our AI Flashcard Generator is perfect for this!) or have a friend quiz you.
• Why it works: The act of retrieving information strengthens neural pathways, making the memory more durable.

2. Spaced Repetition

Spaced repetition involves reviewing information at increasing intervals over time.

• How to do it: Review a new concept shortly after learning it, then again the next day, then a few days later, then a week later, and so on.
• Why it works: This technique interrupts the natural process of forgetting, reinforcing the memory just as you're about to forget it.

3. The Feynman Technique

If you can't explain a concept simply, you don't understand it well enough.

• How to do it:
  1. Choose a concept you want to understand.
  2. Pretend you are teaching it to a child. Use simple language and analogies.
  3. Identify any gaps in your explanation and go back to the source material to fill them.
  4. Simplify your explanation further.
• Why it works: This process forces you to confront the limits of your understanding and solidify your knowledge.

4. Interleaving

Instead of blocking your study time by subject (e.g., three hours of math, then three hours of history), mix up different subjects or topics within a single study session.

• How to do it: If you're studying for math and physics, alternate between problem sets from each subject.
• Why it works: Interleaving forces your brain to constantly retrieve and apply different concepts, leading to a deeper and more flexible understanding.

5. Practice Testing

Regularly test yourself on the material you are studying.

• How to do it: Use end-of-chapter questions, create your own quizzes, or use a tool like Quiz Tweek to generate a test from your notes.
• Why it works: Practice testing not only improves retention through active recall but also helps you identify weak spots in your knowledge before the actual exam.

By incorporating these techniques into your study routine, you'll build a more robust and lasting understanding of the material, leading to better exam performance and less stress.