Students across the country often rely on familiar habits—highlighting text, rereading notes, or pulling an all‑night study session—to prepare for exams. While those methods may help a test‑day boost, leading cognitive psychologists say they fall short for lasting learning.

Make the effort work for you

“We tend to think that what feels the easiest will be retained the easiest, and it’s actually the opposite,” explains Dr. Pooja K. Agarwal, a cognitive psychologist and author of Smart Teaching Stronger Learning. She notes that popular study hacks such as chewing gum, essential oils, or background music may lift mood or keep you awake, but they do not improve actual learning outcomes.

Why highlighting and rereading miss the mark

Robert Bjork, professor emeritus of cognitive psychology at UCLA and founder of the Bjork Learning and Forgetting Lab, warns that mass practice—repeatedly reviewing the same material without challenge—can be “very wasteful of time.” He adds that students who adopt more efficient methods often find they need less total study time to achieve the same or better results.

Retrieval practice: the proven powerhouse

Both Dr. Agarwal and Dr. Henry L. “Roddy” Roediger of Washington University stress the power of retrieval practice. This technique involves pausing after reading a few pages, then writing down everything you can recall before moving on. Whether you write, speak with a study partner, or mentally rehearse the material, the act of actively pulling information from memory strengthens neural connections.

“You can’t just glance at it and think, ‘Oh, I know that,’” Roediger says. “You really have to spell it out in your mind.” The process creates a “desirable difficulty” that improves long‑term retention.

Practical steps for students

• Read a short section, then close the book and write a quick “brain dump” of what you remember.
• Rate your understanding on a scale of zero to 100 to gauge which concepts need more work.
• Space study sessions over several days instead of cramming the night before.
• Prioritize sleep; adequate rest consolidates memories formed during the day.

Research shows that a student who studies one hour on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday will not only perform well on the exam but also retain the material longer than a peer who pulls a three‑hour cram session on Friday.

Takeaway

Effective learning isn’t about the amount of time you spend but how you use that time. By embracing retrieval practice, creating small mental challenges, and allowing the brain to rest, students can achieve deeper, more durable knowledge without the stress of last‑minute cramming.

Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.