I Failed My First College Midterm Using the "Study Methods" Everyone Recommends
Here's something nobody tells you: most popular study techniques are basically garbage.
I learned this the hard way during my sophomore year. I'd spent three full days highlighting textbook chapters in different colors (yellow for important stuff, pink for definitions, you get it). I reread my notes at least four times. I felt prepared. Confident, even.
Then I got my exam back. C-minus.
That failure sent me down a rabbit hole of cognitive science research, and honestly? I discovered that most of what we think we know about studying is wrong. The techniques that *feel* productive—like highlighting and rereading—barely move the needle on actual learning. Meanwhile, the methods that feel harder and more uncomfortable? Those are the ones that actually work.
I'm going to share the five study techniques that transformed my grades from mediocre to consistently strong. These aren't trendy productivity hacks or "10-minute miracle methods." They're strategies backed by decades of cognitive science research that I've personally tested and refined over the past several years.
Why Most Study Advice Completely Misses the Mark
Before we get into what works, let me explain why you've probably been studying wrong this whole time.
The problem is something researchers call "fluency illusion." When you reread your notes or highlight text, the material starts feeling familiar. Your brain thinks, "Hey, I recognize this! I must know it." But recognition isn't the same as recall. Come exam day, you need to actively retrieve information, not just recognize it when you see it.
I spent years confusing familiarity with mastery. Sound familiar?
According to a 2013 study published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest, researchers analyzed ten common study techniques. Guess what? Highlighting and rereading—the two most popular methods—received the lowest effectiveness ratings. They're not just ineffective; they're a waste of your limited study time.
The 5 Study Techniques That Actually Work
1. Active Recall: Stop Reviewing, Start Retrieving
Here's the thing: the best way to learn something is to force yourself to remember it without looking.
Active recall means closing your textbook and notes, then trying to write down or speak out loud everything you remember about a topic. It feels uncomfortable (because it is). You'll struggle. You'll draw blanks. That's exactly the point.
From my experience, this technique improved my retention more than anything else. I started using it during my junior year when I was taking a brutal neuroscience course. Instead of rereading lecture slides, I'd close my laptop and try to reconstruct the entire lecture from memory on a blank piece of paper. The first few times? Honestly, it was humiliating how little I remembered.
But something clicked around week three. The act of struggling to retrieve information was actually strengthening my memory pathways. By the final exam, I could recall complex concepts I'd practiced retrieving weeks earlier.
How to implement active recall:
- After reading a chapter, close the book and write a summary from memory
- Use flashcard apps like Anki or Quizlet (but create your own cards—don't use premade decks)
- Teach the material to someone else without referring to notes
- Take practice tests frequently, even before you feel "ready"
Pro tip: The harder it feels to retrieve information, the more you're learning. If recall feels easy, you're not challenging yourself enough.
2. Spaced Repetition: Timing Is Everything
I used to cram the night before exams. (Who didn't, right?) Then I discovered spaced repetition, and I realized I'd been doing everything backward.
Spaced repetition means reviewing information at increasing intervals over time. You might review new material after one day, then three days, then a week, then two weeks, and so on. This pattern works with your brain's natural forgetting curve instead of against it.
The research here is pretty clear. A 2008 study in Psychological Science found that spacing out study sessions led to 200-300% better long-term retention compared to massed practice (cramming). That's not a small difference—that's transformative.
Last spring, I tested this technique while studying for the GRE. I created a schedule where I reviewed vocabulary and math concepts at specific intervals using an app called Anki (which has built-in spaced repetition algorithms). Instead of the frantic all-nighters I'd pulled in the past, I studied 30-45 minutes daily for three months.
The difference was night and day. Not only did I score significantly higher, but I actually *retained* the information afterward. Cramming had always left me with a brain full of facts that evaporated within days.
How to implement spaced repetition:
- Use Anki (free) or RemNote for automated spacing schedules
- Review new material within 24 hours of first learning it
- Schedule reviews at 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 1 month intervals
- Start studying for exams at least 3-4 weeks in advance (I know, I know—but trust me)
3. Interleaving: Mix It Up Instead of Blocking
This technique goes against every instinct you have about organizing study sessions.
Most of us study in "blocks"—we'll do twenty calculus problems in a row, then move to the next topic. Interleaving means deliberately mixing different types of problems or topics within a single study session. It feels chaotic and less efficient. That's because it actually *is* less efficient in the short term.
But here's where it gets interesting: interleaving dramatically improves your ability to distinguish between different problem types and choose the right approach. A study with math students found that those who practiced interleaved problems scored 76% better on tests compared to blocked practice, even though blocked practice felt easier and more productive.
I started using this approach during a statistics course in 2023. Instead of doing all the regression problems together, then all the probability problems together, I'd shuffle them. Problem 1 might be regression, problem 2 probability, problem 3 hypothesis testing, problem 4 back to regression.
It felt messier and harder. I couldn't just get into a "groove" like I could with blocked practice. But when the exam came? I could actually identify what type of problem I was looking at and apply the right method. That had always been my weakness before.
How to implement interleaving:
- When doing practice problems, mix up the types and topics
- Study two or three subjects in one session rather than deep-diving into one
- Switch between topics every 20-30 minutes
- Create mixed-topic practice tests for yourself
Fair warning: this will feel less satisfying than blocked practice. Your brain likes patterns and flow. Push through anyway.
4. Elaborative Interrogation: Ask "Why?" and "How?"
This technique sounds fancy, but it's actually pretty straightforward: constantly ask yourself to explain *why* facts are true and *how* concepts connect to things you already know.
Instead of just memorizing that mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell (we've all been there), you'd ask: Why are mitochondria considered the powerhouse? How does this relate to what I know about energy production? What would happen if mitochondrial function was impaired?
I'm not 100% sure why this works so well, but cognitive scientists think it has to do with creating stronger retrieval cues and integrating new information with existing knowledge. When you elaborate on material, you're building multiple pathways to access that information later.
During a particularly dense biology course, I started keeping a "why journal" where I'd write questions about everything I was learning. Sometimes I could answer them immediately. Often I couldn't, which forced me to dig deeper into the textbook or ask the professor.
That simple practice changed passive reading into active thinking. The material stuck because I'd wrestled with it, questioned it, and connected it to broader concepts.
How to implement elaborative interrogation:
- After reading each section, write 2-3 "why" or "how" questions
- Connect new information to personal experiences or prior knowledge
- Explain concepts as if teaching someone with no background knowledge
- Create concept maps showing relationships between ideas
5. The Testing Effect: Take Practice Tests Early and Often
Here's my controversial opinion: practice testing is more important than studying.
Most students use practice tests as a final check before exams—a way to see if they're "ready." That's backward. Testing should be your primary study method, not a diagnostic tool you use at the end.
The research on this is overwhelming. A landmark 2006 study found that students who took practice tests performed 30-50% better on final exams than students who spent the same amount of time reviewing material. The act of retrieval itself—struggling to remember information—creates stronger memory traces than passive review.
I could be wrong, but I think this is the single most underutilized technique by students. We're afraid of testing ourselves because we might get answers wrong. But getting answers wrong during practice is exactly how you learn what you don't know.
When I was studying for my comprehensive exams last year, I took practice tests three times per week starting eight weeks out. These weren't just multiple choice—I created short answer and essay questions too. The first several tests were brutal. I'd score around 60-65%. But each wrong answer showed me exactly what to focus on.
By exam day, I'd taken over twenty practice tests. The actual exam felt like just another practice round.
How to implement the testing effect:
- Create practice tests immediately after learning new material (not just before exams)
- Use previous exams if your professor provides them
- Form study groups where you quiz each other
- Try apps like Quizlet for quick self-testing on the go
- Include different question types: multiple choice, short answer, essay
Common Misconceptions About Effective Studying
Let me clear up some myths I've encountered over the years:
Misconception #1: "I need to find my learning style"
Okay, this might sting a bit. The whole "learning styles" thing—visual learners, auditory learners, kinesthetic learners—isn't supported by research. A 2008 review of learning styles literature found no evidence that matching instruction to learning styles improves outcomes. I wasted months trying to figure out my "style" when I should have just been using effective techniques regardless of format.
Misconception #2: "Longer study sessions are better"
Quality beats quantity every time. Forty-five minutes of active recall is worth more than three hours of passive rereading. I've found that 25-50 minute focused sessions with 5-10 minute breaks work way better than marathon study sessions.
Misconception #3: "If it feels easy, I'm studying efficiently"
Actually, the opposite is true. Effective studying should feel challenging. If you're comfortably rereading notes and everything feels familiar, you're probably not learning much. Real learning happens at the edge of your knowledge, where things feel difficult and uncertain.
Tools and Resources I Actually Use
Here are the tools that have made implementing these techniques easier for me:
For Active Recall and Spaced Repetition:
- Anki (free on desktop and Android, $25 on iOS): The gold standard for spaced repetition. The interface is clunky and takes time to learn, but it's incredibly powerful.
- RemNote (free tier available): Combines note-taking with built-in flashcards and spaced repetition. More user-friendly than Anki.
- Quizlet ($35/year for Plus): Good for quick flashcards, though I prefer Anki for serious studying.
For Practice Testing:
- Previous exams from professors (free): Always ask if these are available. They're better than any third-party resource.
- Exam preparation books ($20-40): For standardized tests, these are worth every penny.
For Focus and Time Management:
- Forest app ($2): Helps me stay off my phone during study sessions. Gamifies focus time.
- Basic timer (free): Honestly, the built-in timer on your phone works fine for tracking study intervals.
One tool I used to recommend was Cramfighter (it's specifically for medical students), but they've gotten expensive at around $100-200 depending on your program, and I'm not convinced it's worth it anymore compared to free alternatives like Google Calendar for scheduling.
My Biggest Study Mistake (And What I Learned)
Want to hear about a time I completely ignored my own advice?
During my senior year, I had a major comprehensive exam covering four years of coursework. I *knew* all these techniques. I'd been using them successfully for over two years. But I got cocky and thought I could just "refresh" my memory in the final two weeks.
I crammed. I pulled all-nighters. I went back to my old habits of highlighting and rereading because they felt faster and easier.
The exam was rough. I passed, but barely. And here's what really stung: I forgot almost everything within weeks. All that cramming produced temporary knowledge that evaporated as soon as the exam ended.
The lesson? These techniques work, but you can't shortcut them. Spaced repetition requires spacing. Active recall requires time to retrieve and struggle. There's no substitute for consistent, distributed practice.
Putting It All Together: A Practical Study Schedule
Here's how I typically combine these techniques in an actual study session:
Week 1 after learning new material:
- Day 1: Active recall—try to write everything from memory (20-30 min)
- Day 3: Practice test on the material (30-40 min)
- Day 7: Interleaved practice with other topics (45 min)
Weeks 2-4:
- Spaced repetition reviews using Anki (15-20 min daily)
- Weekly practice tests mixing old and new material
- Elaborative interrogation sessions where I explain concepts out loud (20 min, 2x per week)
Week before exam:
- Full-length practice tests under timed conditions (2-3 times)
- Final spaced repetition reviews on weak areas
- NO new material—just retrieval practice
This might seem like a lot of structure, but honestly? Once you get into the rhythm, it becomes automatic. And it's way less stressful than cramming.
The Bottom Line on Study Techniques
Look, I get it. These techniques require more upfront effort than your current study habits. They feel harder and less comfortable. You won't see immediate results.
But if you stick with them for even a few weeks, you'll notice something shift. Material that used to slip away will stick. Concepts that seemed hopelessly complex will start making sense. Exams will feel less terrifying because you'll actually *know* the content, not just recognize it.
The five study techniques that actually work—active recall, spaced repetition, interleaving, elaborative interrogation, and practice testing—aren't magic. They're just aligned with how your brain actually learns. Cognitive science has spent decades figuring this stuff out. We might as well use it.
Start small. Pick one technique and implement it consistently for two weeks. I'd suggest active recall since it's the easiest to start with and produces noticeable results quickly. Once that becomes habit, add spaced repetition. Build from there.
Your future self—the one who's sleeping well the night before exams and actually retaining what you learn—will thank you.
Now go close this article and try to write down the five techniques from memory. (See what I did there?)
