7 powerful ways to help you remember what you study

7种强大的方法来帮助你记住你所学习的内容

Rote memorising, i.e. to remember by repeating as many times as possible, is as far as the best study tips go.

最好的学习技巧是死记硬背，换而言之就是尽可能多地重复记忆

However, according to a small 2018 comparative study, rote memorisation only activates short-term memory. This means once you’ve completed your exam using only memorisation, you’ll probably forget most of it when you turn in your paper.

然而，根据2018年的一项小型比较研究表明，死记硬背只能激活短期记忆。这意味着，一旦你仅仅靠死记硬背的记忆完成了考试，在你交卷之后，你很可能会忘记大部分所记内容。

In short – it’s not a great study method.

简而言之，这不是一个很好的学习方法。

Study tips: memorisation isn’t the answer

学习小贴士：死记硬背不是答案

We see it all the time – cramming at dawn before an exam, desperately mouthing formulas and words over and over in an attempt to stuff your already-overstimulated brain, rocking back and forth over your notes as you swig your last few dregs of coffee.

我们经常看到我们经常会看到这样的场景——考试前的黎明时分还在临时抱佛脚，拼命地一遍又一遍默念着公式和单词，试图填满你已经过度刺激的大脑，一边大口喝着杯里最后几口咖啡，一边对着笔记前后摇晃着身子。

While, in theory, cramming before an exam will allow you to remember information for a short while (just enough to answer a few extra questions), it does little to ensure you have a lasting connection with the knowledge. In short, you’ll most likely forget it the second you turn in your paper.

虽然从理论上讲，考试前临时抱佛脚可以让你在短时间内记住一些信息（只够回答几个额外的问题），但它并不能确保你能长久记住这些知识。简而言之，你很可能在交试卷的那一刻就把这些知识忘得一干二净了。

Overuse this method, and you end up being unable to think critically about the topic, which goes against everything that education is about. Rather, you should aim to fully understand the material, before attempting to memorise key points.

过度使用这种方法，最终你会无法对相关主题进行批判性思考，而这与教育的宗旨背道而驰。相反，你应该在试图记住关键点之前完全理解材料。

Pure memorisation is overvalued by students, and it often results in the dreaded “I studied my ass off and thought I aced the test, but I bombed it”, according to a professor on Reddit.

Their post, titled “I’m a professor, here’s why you should be wary of memorisation in studying”, explains that memorising terminology and definitions is important as a foundation, but many students see it as an endpoint, which is a mistake.

“I often see students who were high achievers in high school, and memorisation was sufficient for earning top grades,” they wrote. “These students expect that this strategy will work for college, and they’re often bewildered, upset, or angry that memorising doesn’t cut it anymore.”

It’s true. Most exams no longer only benefit those who can keep calm under pressure and recall information on demand.

Rather, schools are adopting a more holistic overview of testing – coursework, extra-curricular participation, and other scholarly avenues play a part in testing one’s aptitude. Colleges and universities take different things and achievements into account rather than just pure grades.

So unless you have a photographic memory, memorising is insufficient for learning processes, relationships, effects, outcomes, and applications – actual, important things that matter in real life.

Also… plain memorisation is incredibly boring. So, that’s why we’ve put together a list of better study tips that actually work.

7 study tips you should try out

Ditch the flash cards and try these out instead.

Researching and understanding

One of the best study tips is to do your research and truly understand a concept, function, or application.

For example – you may know from your textbook that photosynthesis is the process by which plants convert sunlight into energy.

But instead of just memorising the definition, explore how different factors – like light intensity, temperature, or even carbon dioxide levels – affect the rate of photosynthesis. Watch experiments, read how climate change affects plant growth, or if you’re dedicated enough, test it out for yourself with a tiny plant.

Having this deep understanding will help you retain the information and apply it in different contexts.

Spaced repetition

A good habit to have – and one of the best study tips – is to review material over and over again over incremental time intervals.

According to 19th-century psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus, instant recall has 100% information retention. But as little as an hour later, you can only recall a mere 44% of what you have read, which cements our earlier point of memorisation not being one of the best study tips out there.

To counter this, use spaced repetition. Review your materials intermittently to slow down the deterioration of your memory as time passes.

This means making notes during lectures, writing down any questions you have and asking your lecturer ASAP. Review your notes faithfully throughout the course rather than cramming during your last 24 hours before exams.

Ditch the screens

That’s right. Avoid studying by scrolling on your iPad or laptop, or even your phone. While you can still refer to lecture slides or videos on your devices, it’s better to review the material and copy it by physically writing it on paper.

94% of university students said they preferred studying using paper as it was easier to focus and the freedom to highlight, annotate and write on the margins. The brain actively engages in comprehension and retention, helping students to process a topic’s meaning more effectively.

And unlike computer screens, reading on paper also helps with spatial memory – you can recall a certain bit of information by where it was written in your notebook.

On top of these, writing on paper removes one of the top factors for students losing focus: distraction. With your iPad or laptop sitting in a corner of your table rather than directly in front of you, it will limit your temptation to reach across and break your focus to check media – at least, we hope so.

Teach someone else

To really make sure you understand what you’ve studied, teach them to someone else, like your coursemate, family members, or even the stuffed toy on your nightstand.

Programmers use a method called “rubber duck debugging”, where they explain a problem to – you guessed it – a rubber duck on their desk to find a solution.

This is because explaining a problem and its solution to someone else — or something else — helps you to understand it better. You are forced to summarise, condense, investigate, and draw conclusions about study topics – enforcing a deeper personal understanding.

This is one of the best study tips for college and university study, as assessments focus on analysis and application, rather than just fact and theory.

Active recall

If you’re on TikTok, you may have seen Kay Chung and one of her insane caffeine-fueled study videos. While we strongly recommend against having the same caffeine intake as her, Chung’s study method of active recall is one of our favourites.

One of the best study tips, active recall goes beyond rote memorisation as you’re rewriting your notes and going through the study material. Go over it once, twice, or even three times if necessary.

If you’re cramming for an exam, this is one of the best methods to learn and retain information rather than repeating information over and over under your breath, hoping you’ll remember after entering the exam hall.

Study in bursts

If you have to cram, do it smartly. Set 25-30 minute chunks of intense study and rest for five minutes afterwards.

Modelled after the Pomodoro Technique, which uses the Italian Tomato Clock, this method will minimise distraction and boost productivity.

After all, our ability to retain information tapers after 30 minutes anyway. So, take a well-deserved rest after half an hour, walk around or do some light stretching, which will do much more for your memory than forcing your brain to study more.

If you’re interested in trying it out, there are hundreds of YouTube channels and creators dedicated to making pomodoro-timed videos with classical music, lofi, and even plain white noise for maximum focus.

Sleep and exercise

One of the oldest study tips in the book – but a good one. Our brain absorbs information best right before sleep or right after exercise.

Research has shown that those who study before sleeping or napping have higher memory recall or higher activity in the hippocampus, the part of the brain which forms new memories.

Exercise has been found to stimulate the production of a protein called BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor), which preps the brain for optimum learning and creative thinking. You are likelier to form creative connections between ideas, and thus, retaining this better.

So, try to avoid all-nighters if possible. Time your sleep and work out accordingly to maximise your study sessions. But if you really cannot avoid staying up, we’ve got a guide on how to pull all-nighters safely.

Disclaimer: This article was last updated on February 25, 2025.