Most students don't lack effort: they study in a way that doesn't pay off much. Rereading, highlighting, doing everything the night before… These habits make you feel like you're working, but your memory doesn't keep much of it. Here are the five most common mistakes, and what to do instead.
In short
- Rereading isn't studying: you need to test yourself.
- One card = one short idea.
- Review a little every day rather than everything the night before.
- Break things into small lists.
- Know what you don't know yet.
Mistake #1: rereading your notes over and over
Rereading is comfortable: everything seems familiar, so you think you know it. But recognizing a piece of information isn't the same as recalling it on your own in front of your exam paper. In 2013, a major review of research on study techniques (Dunlosky and colleagues) ranked rereading among the least useful methods.
Instead: close your notebook and test yourself. Flashcards, questions out loud, writing out the answers. If you get stuck, that's a good sign: it's the effort that makes it stick.
Mistake #2: making study cards that are too long
A card that copies out your notes takes an hour to make and can't be used to test yourself. You reread it, and you fall back into mistake #1.
Instead: one card, one question, one short answer. "Date of the storming of the Bastille? → July 14, 1789." Then you can test yourself on it. Our guide to study cards gives you a complete template.
Mistake #3: reviewing everything the night before
Cramming may be enough for the next day. But what you learn in one go is forgotten very quickly, and you'll have to start all over again for the end-of-year exam.
Instead: ten minutes a day, over several days, spacing out your reviews. That's the principle of spaced repetition. For a test on Thursday, start the Friday before.
Mistake #4: trying to learn everything at once
An 80-word list or an entire chapter in one session is discouraging, and your attention drops after twenty minutes.
Instead: break it into lists of 10 to 20 items and short sessions. The Pomodoro technique (25 minutes of work, 5 minutes of rest) helps you keep up the pace.
Mistake #5: not knowing what you don't know
We tend to review what we already know, because it feels good. The hard words, meanwhile, stay hard.
Instead: spot the items you miss and focus on them. In MemoCard.io, progress is shown list by list and tricky words come back more often in your scheduled reviews: you work where it's useful.
Summary
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Rereading | Test yourself (flashcards, writing) |
| Cards that are too long | One question, one short answer |
| Everything the night before | 10 min a day, spaced reviews |
| Everything at once | Lists of 10 to 20 items |
| Reviewing what you already know | Target the items you miss |
MemoCard.io fixes these five mistakes by default: self-testing, small lists, spaced reviews and progress tracking. Free on iPhone and Android.
Frequently asked questions
Is highlighting useless?
It helps you spot the key points on a first read, but it doesn't help you remember. Use it to prepare your questions, then test yourself.
How long should I study per day?
For a list of vocabulary or dates, ten to fifteen minutes a day is enough. Consistency matters more than duration.