Study Techniques — All Articles

Not every popular study method holds up in research. These guides explain the techniques with the strongest evidence and show how to use them in real courses and exams.

Showing 67 articles taggedStudy Techniques.

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Engineering student drafting technical drawings with a pencil and set square at a library desk
subject study guides12 min read

Study Tips for Engineering Students: Problem Sets to Exams

Study tips for engineering students: attempt problem sets before the solutions, run study groups that help, practice exam-style, and manage a heavy workload.

A reader writing notes in a grid notebook beside an open book on a wooden desk
active recall12 min read

How to Remember What You Read (Books and Textbooks)

How to remember what you read: preview, read one section at a time, recall it from memory before moving on, and space your reviews. With a textbook example.

Student writing notes in a grid-paper notebook next to two open textbooks on a table
note-taking14 min read

Note-Taking Methods Compared: Which One Should You Use?

Six note-taking methods shown on the same lecture: Cornell, outline, mapping, charting, sentence, and boxing, plus a table of which method fits each class.

Overhead view of a student writing in a lined notebook with red margin notes on a wooden desk covered in doodles
note-taking15 min read

Cornell Notes: How to Take Them (Example + Template)

How to take Cornell notes: the page layout, a filled-in psychology lecture example, a template to copy, and how to turn the cue column into a self-quiz.

Student in a blue sweater taking notes from an open textbook at a library table with a laptop
subject study guides14 min read

How to Study Math Effectively: Beyond Doing Problems

How to study math effectively: learn from worked examples, fade them out, mix problem types, explain each step, and keep an error log. Weekly routine inside.

A row of white student microscopes on a lab bench next to a box of glass slides
subject study guides13 min read

How to Study Science: What Works in Biology and Physics

How to study science: draw biology diagrams from memory, explain processes, solve physics problems principle-first, prepare for labs, and mix your practice.

Tall dark library shelves packed with rows of history books
subject study guides13 min read

How to Study History: Timelines, Causes, and Recall

How to study history: build timelines from memory, map causes and effects, read sources like a historian and practice essays for AP and college exams.

Person with an open book resting on their head at a desk covered in notebooks and mugs
productivity17 min read

How to Focus While Studying: 6 Research-Backed Fixes

Can't focus while studying? Why your attention drifts, six fixes including your study space setup, whether where you study matters, and a 50-minute routine.

Student looking at a smartphone behind an open textbook on a desk, a common phone distraction while studying
productivity12 min read

Phone Distractions While Studying: How to Break the Habit

Your phone costs focus even when you ignore it. See the research on notifications and multitasking while studying, and a 2-week plan for phone-free sessions.

Teenager wearing headphones while writing in a textbook next to a laptop, listening to music while studying
study techniques10 min read

Does Music Help You Study? What the Research Says

Should you listen to music while studying? What research says about lyrics, tempo, and task type, why the Mozart effect is a myth, and how to test it yourself.

Black and white photo of a hand writing the word plan in a notebook next to a to-do list
productivity12 min read

How to Motivate Yourself to Study When You Don't Want To

How to motivate yourself to study when you don't feel like it: find why you're stuck, start small, make the work matter, and spot burnout or depression.

A study planner and a November to-do list notebook with study tasks written in colored ink
productivity12 min read

How to Stop Procrastinating on Studying: What Works

Why students procrastinate and how to stop: find your trigger, shrink the first step to five minutes, use if-then plans, cut friction, and forgive slips.