IMP Education

It's an exciting day for everyone at IMP Education today 🥳

Some of our dear students are graduating 🎓, others are starting their university counselling 🏫, and we're still welcoming incoming students for the 2025/2026 undergraduate entry 💡

For students who didn't receive the scores they hoped for, we hope you find this guide helpful and wish you the best of luck for your journey ahead. Parents and teachers, you may find this helpful as well 💙

🎯 For more personalised help, WhatsApp us today to learn more about your next steps and where to go from here.

Study Like MIT Students Do!
Part 5: Retrieval Practice (aka the Testing Effect) 🗂️

Watching lectures isn’t enough. MIT courses integrate frequent low-stakes quizzes and self-testing across platforms like MITx, Canvas, and in-class clicker questions to actively strengthen learning. Furthermore, studies show testing oneself (retrieval practice) improves long-term retention and transfer more than re-reading or passive study.

🔍 How it works
✅Periodically recall information from memory without looking at your notes.
Examples: flashcards, practice quizzes, pop quizzes, or reflective journaling.

FREE resources:
1. Anki
🔁 Spaced repetition + active recall = a memory supertool.
Use shared decks or make your own flashcards.
🌐 https://apps.ankiweb.net

2. Quizlet
📚 Create, share, and study with flashcards and quizzes.
Has “Learn” mode and practice testing options.
🌐 https://quizlet.com

3. Brainscape
🎯 Flashcards with spaced repetition and confidence-based rating.
Great analytics and progress tracking.
🌐 https://www.brainscape.com

4. The Learning Scientists
📄 Printable practice questions, retrieval grids, templates, and posters.
All research-informed and perfect for educators and students.
🌐 https://www.learningscientists.org/downloadable-materials

5. Memorize.ai
📊 AI-based flashcards and testing with spaced repetition.
Still expanding, but great for science-heavy subjects.
🌐 https://memorize.ai

🤔 Does it actually work?
MIT physics courses with biweekly low-stakes quizzes saw significant gains in retention, far beyond typical review. Students using testing strategies outperform those using passive prep, even when concept-mapping is used. Science shows retrieval enhances both stored knowledge and neural differentiation, leading to lasting learning gains.

🧠 Moral of the study
Ditch endless re-reading. Use self-testing flashcards, pop quizzes, clickers, or write short essays from memory, this will reinforce and retain what you study.

Study Like UC Berkeley Grads Do!
Part 4: The Eisenhower Matrix 📊

Are you feeling overwhelmed by endless tasks and just don't know where to begin? We've all been there. Prioritisation is just too difficult when there's things piling up.

UC Berkeley's Graduate Division recommends the Eisenhower Matrix to help students prioritize effectively and focus on what truly matters. They advise post-graduate students to create an Eisenhower Matrix each semester to keep "important but not urgent" goals like dissertations, career planning, and self-care on the back-burner. This approach helps prevent neglecting long-term objectives in favor of less critical, urgent tasks.

🔍 How it works
You manage your time by dividing tasks into four quadrants:
✅ Urgent & Important – Tasks to do immediately.
✅ Important, Not Urgent – Tasks to schedule.
✅ Urgent, Not Important – Tasks to delegate.
✅ Not Urgent & Not Important – Tasks to eliminate.

🤔 Does it actually work?
Yes! A study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology in 2023 found that employees who utilized prioritization tools like the Eisenhower Matrix reported a 32% increase in productivity compared to those who didn't. Furthermore, research from the American Psychological Association indicates that individuals who effectively manage their time using structured prioritization techniques experience lower stress levels and improved focus.

🧠 Moral of the story?
By distinguishing between urgency and importance, you can allocate your time more wisely, reduce stress, and enhance productivity.

Study like Harvard students do!
Part 3: The Feynman Technique ☝️

Ever thought "I get this..." until someone asks "Can you explain it?" and you can't piece together what exactly you want to explain? That’s exactly why you need this method in your study routine right now!

Inspired by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman, this technique helps you move beyond memorization and into deep understanding. This method is used across disciplines, from medical schools to STEM fields, and is especially powerful in mastering abstract or conceptual content (like in physics, molecular biology, and economics).

How it works:
✅ Choose a topic you’re trying to learn
✅ Explain it like you're teaching a 12-year-old
✅ Find the gaps in your explanation
✅ Go back to the material, fill the gaps, simplify further
✅ Repeat until it’s crystal clear

🤔 Does it actually work?
A meta-review published in Educational Psychology Review in 2022 showed that elaborative interrogation and self-explanation techniques (like the Feynman method) significantly outperform passive study. Students using these strategies saw up to 30% better retention and transfer of knowledge compared to standard rereading or highlighting.

🧠 Moral of the story?
If you can’t teach it, you don’t know it. Use the Feynman Technique to clarify, simplify, and master your subjects.

Study like Cornell students do!
Part 2: The SQ3R Method 🎯

You've spent hours revising the same content but can't seem to recall it when answering questions? We've been there.

The SQ3R Method is implemented by students at Cornell University through their Learning Strategies Center to help them develop faster and higher quality recall abilities. Cornell tutors and professors especially recommend this for mastering textbook content and lecture-heavy subjects like Psychology, Biology, and Law.

How it works:
✅ Survey – Skim first to get the gist.
✅ Question – Turn headings into questions to stay focused.
✅ Read – Actively search for answers.
✅ Recite – Summarize what you just learned—from memory.
✅ Review – Revisit content to reinforce it in long-term memory.

🤔 Does it actually work?
Yes! A 2023 study published in the Journal of English Education Studies found that students taught using the SQ3R method showed significant improvements in reading comprehension compared to those using traditional strategies. This was further consolidated when the experimental group demonstrated a significant increase in test scores!

🧠 Moral of the story?
Don't waste time with long study hours and follow a system to improve your recall abilities

Study Like Cambridge Students Do!
Part 1: The Pomodoro Method 🍅

You've probably heard of how important time management is to studying. Retaining information and staying productive when there’s SO much study material to go over isn't easy 🤯

⏰ At Cambridge University, many students use the Pomodoro Technique to break down complex tasks and beat procrastination

This involves:
✅ 25 mins of focused work
✅ 5 mins of intentional rest
✅ After 4-5 rounds of focused work, take a 15–30 min longer break to reset

🤔 Does it actually work?
Yes! A study published in the British Journal of Educational Psychology in 2023 found that 87 participants who used systematic ‘Pomodoro’ breaks were more efficient, less fatigued, and more motivated than participants who took self-regulated breaks.

💡This is why, at Cambridge, academic support units and peer mentoring programs recommend the Pomodoro breaks technique during revision weeks and essay marathons.

🧠 Moral of the story?
Take breaks that actually help your brain recover rather than 8h long study sessions with no time to breathe!