Learning faster without working more is possible: you just need to replace the methods that give the illusion of learning with the ones that really make things stick. Three principles, all well studied in cognitive psychology, make most of the difference. Good news: they often take less time than the usual habits.
In short
- Test yourself rather than rereading (retrieval practice).
- Space out your reviews rather than doing everything at once.
- Work in short, focused sessions.
- Bonus: mix up subjects and get enough sleep.
Why we waste time when studying
Most people study by rereading and highlighting. It feels good, because everything seems familiar. But that familiarity is misleading: recognizing information isn't the same as being able to recall it. The result: a lot of time for little gain. A major review of research on study techniques (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013) ranks rereading and highlighting among the least useful methods.
Principle 1: test yourself
Every time you dig an answer out of your memory, you strengthen it. This is called retrieval practice, or the testing effect. In a famous experiment (Roediger and Karpicke, 2006), students who tested themselves on a text remembered much more of it a week later than those who reread it for the same amount of time.
In practice: flashcards, questions out loud, writing out the answers, past exam papers. Anything that makes you produce the answer without seeing it.
Principle 2: space out your reviews
Reviewing three times for ten minutes over a week helps you remember better than thirty minutes in one go. Each review done just as you were starting to forget slows down the next round of forgetting. That's spaced repetition.
In practice: go over an idea the next day, then a few days later, then the following week. An app can handle this schedule for you.
Principle 3: short, focused sessions
Attention drops over time, especially with a phone within reach. 25 minutes of real focus is better than an hour broken up by notifications.
In practice: the Pomodoro technique, 25 minutes of work then a 5-minute break, notifications off.
Two bonuses
- Mix up subjects. Alternating several chapters or types of exercise in the same session forces you to choose the right method each time, which prepares you better for the exam.
- Sleep. Sleep helps consolidate what you've learned. Sacrificing a night to study more is rarely a good deal.
Before / after
| Common habit | Instead | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Reread your notes 3 times | Test yourself 3 times with cards | Same or less |
| 2 hours the night before | 15 minutes a day for 8 days | Same |
| Studying while checking your phone | 25 min of focus + 5 min break | Less |
| Make long study cards | One question, one short answer | Much less |
How MemoCard.io applies these principles
You create a list, then: you test yourself (flashcards, Learn mode with spell-checking), the app spaces out your reviews and brings back what's tricky more often, and each session takes a few minutes. You have nothing to plan.
Try these principles on your next list: MemoCard.io is free on iPhone and Android.
Frequently asked questions
Can you really learn twice as fast?
It depends on where you start. For someone who mostly studies by rereading, switching to self-testing and spacing often makes a big difference to results, for the same amount of time.
Do these methods work in middle school?
Yes. They work at any age. For younger students, just make the sessions shorter.
Where should I start?
With self-testing: it's the simplest and most rewarding change. Replace your next reread with a round of flashcards.