Why is it worth learning proper study techniques?
Most students spend many hours reading, highlighting and copying notes. It feels like work, and it is. Still, those hours do not always give the best return. With a few good study techniques, the same time can lead to deeper understanding and better memory before the exam.
Study technique is about spending your time on what actually makes the material stick. Retrieving knowledge from memory, reviewing at intervals and explaining in your own words give more than rereading. Start with one technique, use it regularly for a few weeks and add more as you go.
What are study techniques, really?
Study techniques are deliberate ways of working with course material. That can mean testing yourself, planning when to review, or reading a chapter with set questions in mind. What they have in common is that you do something active with the material instead of just looking at it.
Many people were never taught this at school. They study the way they always have, and it works up to a point. The difference often shows only when the syllabus grows, when several courses run at once, or when the exam asks you to apply knowledge rather than just recognise it.
Why is rereading not enough?
When you read a text for the second time, it feels familiar. That feeling is easy to mistake for knowing the material. Psychologists call it an illusion of competence: the text seems known, but you cannot necessarily explain it once the book is closed.
A large review of learning research from 2013 assessed ten common study techniques. Rereading and highlighting scored poorly, while testing yourself and spreading review over time received the highest rating. That does not make reading a waste of time, but reading should be followed by something that asks more of you.
What feels hard is often what works. When you have to make an effort to recall a concept, you strengthen the memory trace. That is why a short self test can give more than an hour of calm rereading.
Study techniques with strong research support
You do not need to master every technique to benefit. These are well documented and easy to start with:
- Active recall: You close the book and try to retrieve what you have read, for example with questions or flashcards.
- Spaced repetition: You review the material several times with growing gaps, instead of all in one evening.
- The Feynman method: You explain a topic in simple words, as if teaching it, and notice where the explanation breaks down.
- SQ3R: You read a chapter in six steps: survey, question, read, recite and review, followed by a summary of what you know, what you do not know yet and what to work on next.
- Interleaving: You mix related topics or problem types in one session, so you have to choose the right approach yourself.
- Pomodoro: You work in short, fixed sessions with breaks in between, which makes it easier to get started and stay focused.
How to get started, step by step
It is tempting to change everything at once. That rarely lasts. Build the habits gradually instead, so they have time to settle before the next exam period.
- Choose one course and one technique. Active recall is a good place to begin, because it suits almost everything.
- End each reading session with five minutes of writing down what you remember, without looking at your notes.
- Set fixed review days, for example after two days, one week and two weeks.
- After a couple of weeks, add a new technique, such as Feynman for difficult topics or SQ3R for long chapters.
Same study time, two different results
An ordinary study week, before and after
Without study techniques
- Read the chapter and highlight what seems important.
- Reread the highlights just before the exam.
- Discover in the exam that you recognise the terms but cannot explain them.
With study techniques
- Read the chapter and test yourself with a few questions afterwards.
- Review the difficult questions a few days later.
- Explain the topic out loud and fill the gaps before the exam arrives.
The time spent is roughly the same. The difference lies in what you do with it. In the second week you also get regular signals about what you do not know yet, and that is useful information when time is short.
How do you keep it going through the term?
Study techniques work best when they become routine. Tie them to something you already do: a self test after every lecture, or flashcard review on the bus. Small, regular sessions are easier to keep up than big plans.
Be prepared for it to feel slower at first. Testing yourself reveals what you do not know, and that is less comfortable than reading. Give it a few weeks before judging whether it works, and look at your results rather than how comfortable it feels.
Over time you can combine the techniques. Many students use SQ3R for new material, Feynman when something is hard and spaced repetition to keep everything fresh towards the exam.
Gjør dette nå
- Choose one technique and one course to start with.
- End reading sessions with a short self test without notes.
- Plan reviews with growing intervals.
- Add a new technique once the first one is a habit.
FAQ
Which study technique should I start with?
Active recall is a good starting point. It needs little preparation, suits most subjects and has strong research support. Once it is a habit, add spaced repetition.
How long before study techniques make a difference?
Many notice a difference after a few weeks of regular use. Consistency matters most, even when it feels harder than reading, because the effort is part of what makes the material stick.
Is it too late to change how I study just before the exam?
No. Even in the last weeks, self tests give more than rereading. Use them to find out what you do not know, and spend your time on exactly that.
Do I need an app to use study techniques?
No, pen and paper work. A study app can still save time, for example by creating questions from your notes and keeping track of when to review.
Kilder
Try the study techniques on your own syllabus
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