Review your notes and materials within 24 hours of first learning it, rather than waiting until the test! You can retain at least 80% of what you’ve learned, by reviewing it within a 24 hour period. If you review it a few more times for even 5 minutes within the first week of learning it you are more likely to retain 100% of the information.

So do not wait until the test to go over all your notes, instead build in time each day to review what you’ve learned!

Rather than simply rereading a textbook, article, book, or notes, instead close the book and recite or write everything you can remember. This will help cement that information in your long-term memory. Re-reading as your only form of studying can cause you to think you know the material better than you do because all of the information is right in front of you. Active recall also helps you realize what you actually know and what you may need to go over again. 

Flashcards are a great example of active recall, but the best method of using them is the Leitner System. As you go through your flashcards, move the cards you have correctly answered to the bottom of the pile and incorrectly answered cards towards the front of the pile. The reason is that the cards on top get reviewed much more often than those down at the bottom. Rather then spending time relearning something you already know, move on and focus on those that you still need to learn. 

No, we are not referring to listening to Jay-Z, Sabrina Carpenter, or Selena. Instead listen to classical music. Listening to classical music while studying can help engage the parts of your brain that help you pay attention and make predictions. Listening to music can also help change how you view studying, by bettering your mood while you study. 

First, there is no such thing as multi-tasking. Instead what you are doing is shifting your focus between things quickly, as there is no way to give multiple things the same level of attention. This means that by multitasking you are ruining your studying efficiency. Studies show that multitasking interrupts the absorption and processing of information. 

Stress hinders learning. Stress that lasts even a few hours can release hormones that disrupt the process of creating and storing memories. So while studying make sure to take regular (but not too long) study breaks to exercise or take deep breaths, to help lower your stress. Similarly your body needs rest after studying in order to actually learn and remember the material. That means the all nighters are not helping you! 

Students who test themselves after learning something retain 50% more of the material weeks later than their peers who did not. That means working on those practice problems or doing the practice tests provided by your teacher can help you retain more infomation. Plus there are benefits to previewing your teacher’s testing style. How do they phrase questions? What parts of the lesson do they tend to focus on? Etc. 

Even if your teacher does not provide practice problems or tests, you can still find some on your own!

The way you study matters! Rather than focusing on memorization, make connections between ideas. This is known as “contextual learning” and is the process by which a student puts information into a form that makes sense to them. Find ways to relate this new information to your personal experiences or frame of reference. For exapmle, when learning about metaphor connect it to your favorite music by identifying metaphors in song, like “Hit me like a ray of sun/ burning though my darkest night”- in Halo by Beyonce. 

Your brain benefits from exercise. You can give your studying a boost by breaking a quick sweat before you study. This gets the blood flowing to your brain and makes you more alert and able to learn. 

However, the point is to get the blood pumping, NOT to exhaust you! So keep the workout short and sweet so you still have energy afterwards. And don’t forget to refuel with a quick snack after your work out.