Active Study Strategies That Actually Work

Reading over your notes isn't enough. In fact, passive study techniques like highlighting and rereading often give students a false sense of understanding. To study effectively, students need to engage with the content actively.

Some proven active study strategies include:

• Practice testing: Quiz yourself using flashcards or past papers.

• Teaching the material: Try explaining a concept aloud as if teaching someone else.

• Mind mapping: Visualise connections between ideas to improve memory and understanding.

• Retrieval practice: Write down everything you remember about a topic, then check for gaps.

These methods help move information from short-term memory into long-term understanding. The more you do with the information, the more likely you are to remember it when it counts.