27/08/2026
🧠 Want to remember more of what you study? Stop just rereading it.
One of the most well-supported ways to learn is Active Recall – sometimes referred to in research as retrieval practice or practice testing.
Instead of repeatedly reading the same information, you actively challenge yourself to retrieve what you've learned from memory.
It's simple:
1️⃣ STUDY – Read through a section of your learning materials.
2️⃣ CLOSE IT – Put the material away so you can't see the answers.
3️⃣ RECALL – Write down or explain aloud everything you can remember.
4️⃣ CHECK – Go back to the material. What did you remember? What did you miss?
5️⃣ REPEAT – Revisit the topic later and test yourself again.
🔬 And there's research behind it.
A major review by Dunlosky et al. (2013) examined 10 commonly used learning techniques and rated practice testing as a "high utility" learning technique.
The same review rated rereading as "low utility", suggesting that repeatedly reading your notes may not be the most effective use of your study time.
So instead of:
❌ Read → Reread → Reread
Try:
✅ Study → Recall → Check → Repeat
Next time you sit down to study, close your notes and see how much you can remember. You might be surprised by what you know – and what you need to revisit!
📚 Research: Dunlosky, J. et al. (2013), Improving Students' Learning With Effective Learning Techniques, Psychological Science in the Public Interest.
