How to revise so it lasts
Research on learning is unusually consistent about what works.
What the evidence says
A large review of study techniques by Dunlosky and colleagues in 2013 rated practice testing and spaced practice as the most effective, and rereading and highlighting among the least. The table summarizes the practical upshot.
| Technique | How useful | How to do it |
|---|---|---|
| Practice testing | High | Answer questions from memory, then check |
| Spaced practice | High | Return to a topic after days, not hours |
| Explaining in your own words | Moderate | Say why and how, not just what |
| Summarizing | Lower, unless done well | Write from memory, not while copying |
| Rereading | Low | Use only to check an answer |
| Highlighting | Low | Skip it |
Make notes that force thinking
Close the slides before you write. Turn headings into questions. Add your own example for each concept. Draw the diagram from memory and then compare.
If a note could have been written without understanding the material, it won't help you much.
Space it out
Three one-hour sessions across two weeks beat one three-hour session the night before. After making notes on a lecture, test yourself on it the next day, then a few days later, then a week later.
Mix topics within a session once you know the basics. It feels harder, and that difficulty is what makes it effective.
Match the exam
Find out the format and practise in it. For essay exams, plan answers to past questions. For problem-based exams, do problems without the worked solution in view. Use the learning outcomes in your course handbook as a checklist of what can be asked.