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SQ3R Method (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review) – Use this structured method to preview material, form questions, actively read, summarize key points, and review to reinforce learning.

Active Reading (Annotating, Highlighting, Questioning) – Mark important points, highlight keywords, and write notes or questions in the margins to stay engaged and improve retention.

Reading with a Purpose – Define your goal before reading (e.g., understanding arguments, identifying key concepts) to stay focused and filter out less relevant content.

Chunking & Summarizing – Break readings into smaller, manageable sections and summarize each one in your own words.

Previewing & Skimming – Scan headings, bold terms, and summaries to build a mental map of the material before deep reading.

Note-Taking Systems (e.g., Cornell Notes or Digital Notes) – Organize main ideas, supporting details, and key questions in a structured way for easier review.

Teach-Back Method – Explain what you’ve read to someone else (or out loud to yourself) to reinforce understanding.

Re-Reading for Clarity – Return to difficult or dense sections with a focused second read to deepen comprehension.

Using Graphic Organizers – Create outlines, concept maps, or diagrams to visualize relationships between ideas.

Connecting to Prior Knowledge – Relate new information to what you already know to strengthen understanding and memory.

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🔍 ReWordify

What it is: Simplifies difficult words and sentences to make reading easier

How to use it: Paste text to get simpler versions, build vocabulary, or check understanding of challenging reading

📰 Newsela

What it is: News and current event articles at different reading levels

How to use it: Practice active reading, find articles that match your level, and build background knowledge

🧠 Kurzweil 3000

What it is: Text-to-speech tool with highlighting, note-taking, and translation features

How to use it: Listen to readings, highlight key points, and create study notes for review

🎧 Voice Dream Reader

What it is: Reads aloud PDFs, eBooks, and web pages with customizable voices and speed

How to use it: Use when you’re tired of reading, want to listen on the go, or prefer auditory learning

💡 Inspiration

What it is: A visual mapping tool for brainstorming and organizing ideas

How to use it: Create concept maps or outlines to better understand readings and plan essays

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OVERVIEW of what information is linked below in this column

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background 📹 about note-taking approach

Introduction to 3 types of note-taking approaches

📹 on paper Cornell notes

📹 on sketchnoting within Cornell notes

background article 🔗 on mind mapping

📹 on explanation of 5 methods for note-taking

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OVERVIEW of what information is linked below in this column

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📹 for transcription-based note taking with audio recording

📹 for Digital note taking applications for IPADS

article 🔗for mind mapping software options

article 🔗 for 7 different note-taking apps

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OVERVIEW of what information is linked below in this column

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Tutorial 📹 on flashcards

article 🔗 for overview of study approaches

📹 on evidence-based study approaches

website 🔗 for introductory information on 6 study techniques

website 🔗 for all things Pomodoro Technique

article 🔗 for test taking strategies

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Studying with Flashcards

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How to Study Effectively with Flash Cards - College Info Geek

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Studying 101: Study Smarter Not Harder – Learning Center

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Do you ever feel like your study habits simply aren't cutting it? Do you wonder what you could be doing to perform better in class and on exams? Many students realize that their high school study habits aren't very effective in college. This is understandable, as college is quite different from high school. The professors are less personally involved, classes are bigger, exams are worth more, reading is more intense, and classes are much more rigorous. That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you; it just means you need to learn some more effective study skills. Fortunately, there are many active, effective study strategies that are shown to be effective in college classes.

This handout offers several tips on effective studying. Implementing these tips into your regular study routine will help you to efficiently and effectively learn course material. Experiment with them and find some that work for you.

Reading is not studying

Simply reading and re-reading texts or notes is not actively engaging in the material. It is simply re-reading your notes. Only 'doing' the readings for class is not studying. It is simply doing the reading for class. Re-reading leads to quick forgetting.

Think of reading as an important part of pre-studying, but learning information requires actively engaging in the material (Edwards, 2014). Active engagement is the process of constructing meaning from text that involves making connections to lectures, forming examples, and regulating your own learning (Davis, 2007). Active studying does not mean highlighting or underlining text, re-reading, or rote memorization. Though these activities may help to keep you engaged in the task, they are not considered active studying techniques and are weakly related to improved learning (Mackenzie, 1994).

Ideas for active studying include:

Create a study guide by topic. Formulate questions and problems and write complete answers. Create your own quiz.

Become a teacher. Say the information aloud in your own words as if you are the instructor and teaching the concepts to a class.

Derive examples that relate to your own experiences.

Create concept maps or diagrams that explain the material.

Develop symbols that represent concepts.

For non-technical classes (e.g., English, History, Psychology), figure out the big ideas so you can explain, contrast, and re-evaluate them.

For technical classes, work the problems and explain the steps and why they work.

Study in terms of question, evidence, and conclusion: What is the question posed by the instructor/author? What is the evidence that they present? What is the conclusion?

Organization and planning will help you to actively study for your courses. When studying for a test, organize your materials first and then begin your active reviewing by topic (Newport, 2007). Often professors provide subtopics on the syllabi. Use them as a guide to help organize your materials. For example, gather all of the materials for one topic (e.g., PowerPoint notes, text book notes, articles, homework, etc.) and put them together in a pile. Label each pile with the topic and study by topics.

For more information on the principle behind active studying, check out our tipsheet on metacognition.

Understand the Study Cycle

The Study Cycle, developed by Frank Christ, breaks down the different parts of studying: previewing, attending class, reviewing, studying, and checking your understanding. Although each step may seem obvious at a glance, all too often students try to take shortcuts and miss opportunities for good learning. For example, you may skip a reading before class because the professor covers the same material in class; doing so misses a key opportunity to learn in different modes (reading and listening) and to benefit from the repetition and distributed practice (see #3 below) that you'll get from both reading ahead and attending class. Understanding the importance of all stages of this cycle will help make sure you don't miss opportunities to learn effectively.

Spacing out is good

One of the most impactful learning strategies is "distributed practice"-spacing out your studying over several short periods of time over several days and weeks (Newport, 2007). The most effective practice is to work a short time on each class every day. The total amount of time spent studying will be the same (or less) than one or two marathon library sessions, but you will learn the information more deeply and retain much more for the long term-which will help get you an A on the final. The important thing is how you use your study time, not how long you study. Long study sessions lead to a lack of concentration and thus a lack of learning and retention.

In order to spread out studying over short periods of time across several days and weeks, you need control over your schedule. Keeping a list of tasks to complete on a daily basis will help you to include regular active studying sessions for each class. Try to do something for each class each day. Be specific and realistic regarding how long you plan to spend on each task-you should not have more tasks on your list than you can reasonably complete during the day.

For example, you may do a few problems per day in math rather than all of them the hour before class. In history, you can spend 15-20 minutes each day actively studying your class notes. Thus, your studying time may still be the same length, but rather than only preparing for one class, you will be preparing for all of your classes in short stretches. This will help focus, stay on top of your work, and retain information.

In addition to learning the material more deeply, spacing out your work helps stave off procrastination. Rather than having to face the dreaded project for four hours on Monday, you can face the dreaded project for 30 minutes each day. The shorter, more consistent time to work on a dreaded project is likely to be more acceptable and less likely to be delayed to the last minute. Finally, if you have to memorize material for class (names, dates, formulas), it is best to make flashcards for this material and review periodically throughout the day rather than one long, memorization session (Wissman and Rawson, 2012). See our handout on memorization strategies to learn more.

It's good to be intense

Not all studying is equal. You will accomplish more if you study intensively. Intensive study sessions are short and will allow you to get work done with minimal wasted effort. Shorter, intensive study times are more effective than drawn out studying.

In fact, one of the most impactful study strategies is distributing studying over multiple sessions (Newport, 2007). Intensive study sessions can last 30 or 45-minute sessions and include active studying strategies. For example, self-testing is an active study strategy that improves the intensity of studying and efficiency of learning. However, planning to spend hours on end self-testing is likely to cause you to become distracted and lose your attention.

On the other hand, if you plan to quiz yourself on the course material for 45 minutes and then take a break, you are much more likely to maintain your attention and retain the information. Furthermore, the shorter, more intense sessions will likely put the pressure on that is needed to prevent procrastination.

Silence isn't golden

Know where you study best. The silence of a library may not be the best place for you. It's important to consider what noise environment works best for you. You might find that you concentrate better with some background noise. Some people find that listening to classical music while studying helps them concentrate, while others find this highly distracting. The point is that the silence of the library may be just as distracting (or more) than the noise of a gymnasium. Thus, if silence is distracting, but you prefer to study in the library, try the first or second floors where there is more background 'buzz.'

Keep in mind that active studying is rarely silent as it often requires saying the material aloud.

Problems are your friend

Working and re-working problems is important for technical courses (e.g., math, economics). Be able to explain the steps of the problems and why they work.

In technical courses, it is usually more important to work problems than read the text (Newport, 2007). In class, write down in detail the practice problems demonstrated by the professor. Annotate each step and ask questions if you are confused. At the very least, record the question and the answer (even if you miss the steps).

When preparing for tests, put together a large list of problems from the course materials and lectures. Work the problems and explain the steps and why they work (Carrier, 2003).

Reconsider multitasking

A significant amount of research indicates that multi-tasking does not improve efficiency and actually negatively affects results (Junco, 2012).

In order to study smarter, not harder, you will need to eliminate distractions during your study sessions. Social media, web browsing, game playing, texting, etc. will severely affect the intensity of your study sessions if you allow them! Research is clear that multi-tasking (e.g., responding to texts, while studying), increases the amount of time needed to learn material and decreases the quality of the learning (Junco, 2012).

Eliminating the distractions will allow you to fully engage during your study sessions. If you don't need your computer for homework, then don't use it. Use apps to help you set limits on the amount of time you can spend at certain sites during the day. Turn your phone off. Reward intensive studying with a social-media break (but make sure you time your break!) See our handout on managing technology for more tips and strategies.

Switch up your setting

Find several places to study in and around campus and change up your space if you find that it is no longer a working space for you.

Know when and where you study best. It may be that your focus at 10:00 PM. is not as sharp as at 10:00 AM. Perhaps you are more productive at a coffee shop with background noise, or in the study lounge in your residence hall. Perhaps when you study on your bed, you fall asleep.

Have a variety of places in and around campus that are good study environments for you. That way wherever you are, you can find your perfect study spot. After a while, you might find that your spot is too comfortable and no longer is a good place to study, so it's time to hop to a new spot!

Become a teacher

Try to explain the material in your own words, as if you are the teacher. You can do this in a study group, with a study partner, or on your own. Saying the material aloud will point out where you are confused and need more information and will help you retain the information. As you are explaining the material, use examples and make connections between concepts (just as a teacher does). It is okay (even encouraged) to do this with your notes in your hands. At first you may need to rely on your notes to explain the material, but eventually you'll be able to teach it without your notes.

Creating a quiz for yourself will help you to think like your professor. What does your professor want you to know? Quizzing yourself is a highly effective study technique. Make a study guide and carry it with you so you can review the questions and answers periodically throughout the day and across several days. Identify the questions that you don't know and quiz yourself on only those questions. Say your answers aloud. This will help you to retain the information and make corrections where they are needed. For technical courses, do the sample problems and explain how you got from the question to the answer. Re-do the problems that give you trouble. Learning the material in this way actively engages your brain and will significantly improve your memory (Craik, 1975).

Take control of your calendar

Controlling your schedule and your distractions will help you to accomplish your goals.

If you are in control of your calendar, you will be able to complete your assignments and stay on top of your coursework. The following are steps to getting control of your calendar:

1. On the same day each week, (perhaps Sunday nights or Saturday mornings) plan out your schedule for the week.

2. Go through each class and write down what you'd like to get completed for each class that week.

3. Look at your calendar and determine how many hours you have to complete your work.

4. Determine whether your list can be completed in the amount of time that you have available. (You may want to put the amount of time expected to complete each assignment.) Make adjustments as needed. For example, if you find that it will take more hours to complete your work than you have available, you will likely need to triage your readings. Completing all of the readings is a luxury. You will need to make decisions about your readings based on what is covered in class. You should read and take notes on all of the assignments from the favored class source (the one that is used a lot in the class). This may be the textbook or a reading that directly addresses the topic for the day. You can likely skim supplemental readings.

5. Pencil into your calendar when you plan to get assignments completed.

6. Before going to bed each night, make your plan for the next day. Waking up with a plan will make you more productive.

See our handout on calendars and college for more tips on using calendars as time management.

Use downtime to your advantage

Beware of 'easy' weeks. This is the calm before the storm. Lighter work weeks are a great time to get ahead on work or to start long projects. Use the extra hours to get ahead on assignments or start big projects or papers. You should plan to work on every class every week even if you don't have anything due. In fact, it is preferable to do some work for each of your classes every day. Spending 30 minutes per class each day will add up to three hours per week, but spreading this time out over six days is more effective than cramming it all in during one long three-hour session. If you have completed all of the work for a particular class, then use the 30 minutes to get ahead or start a longer project.

Use all your resources

Remember that you can make an appointment with an academic coach to work on implementing any of the strategies suggested in this handout.

Works consulted

Carrier, L. M. (2003). College students' choices of study strategies. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 96(1), 54-56.

Craik, F. I., & Tulving, E. (1975). Depth of processing and the retention of words in episodic memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 104(3), 268.

Davis, S. G., & Gray, E. S. (2007). Going beyond test-taking strategies: Building self-regulated students and teachers. Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, 1(1), 31-47.

Edwards, A. J., Weinstein, C. E., Goetz, E. T., & Alexander, P. A. (2014). Learning and study strategies: Issues in assessment, instruction, and evaluation. Elsevier.

Junco, R., & Cotten, S. R. (2012). No A 4 U: The relationship between multitasking and academic performance. Computers & Education, 59(2), 505-514.

Mackenzie, A. M. (1994). Examination preparation, anxiety and examination performance in a group of adult students. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 13(5), 373-388.

McGuire, S.Y. & McGuire, S. (2016). Teach Students How to Learn: Strategies You Can Incorporate in Any Course to Improve Student Metacognition, Study Skills, and Motivation. Stylus Publishing, LLC.

Newport, C. (2006). How to become a straight-a student: the unconventional strategies real college students use to score high while studying less. Three Rivers Press.

Paul, K. (1996). Study smarter, not harder. Self Counsel Press.

Robinson, A. (1993). What smart students know: maximum grades, optimum learning, minimum time. Crown trade paperbacks.

Wissman, K. T., Rawson, K. A., & Pyc, M. A. (2012). How and when do students use flashcards? Memory, 20, 568-579.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 License.
You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Learning Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

If you enjoy using our handouts, we appreciate contributions of acknowledgement.
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Studying 101: Study Smarter Not Harder - Learning Center

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Do you ever feel like your study habits simply aren't cutting it? Do you wonder what you could be doing to perform better in class and on exams? Many students realize that their high school study habits aren't very effective ... Read more

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How I Study SMARTER, Not HARDER (10 Science-Based Tips)

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OVERVIEW of what information is linked below in this column

------------------------------------

General tips for studying for math and interacting with study resources

example of a math cheat sheet (think about using it, adding to it with your own notes, or making your own)

NancyPi YouTube channel for math content

Professor Leonard YouTube channel for math content

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Cornell Note taking method - structured way to take notes

The video introduces the Cornell Note-Taking System

how to set up page layout for this note-taking system

how to use which section of the note-taking system during and after a lecture, an assigned reading and/or video etc.

Benefits of the Cornell Method

Encourages active engagement with the material.

Helps with organizing and reviewing notes.

Aids in long-term retention and exam preparation.

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Sketchnoting within Cornell Note format - this approach pairs the structure and page layout of Cornell notes with added visual elements

🔑 Key Points from the Video

Sketchnoting Techniques Introduced

Icons & Symbols: Use simple drawings to represent concepts.

Arrows & Connectors: Show relationships between ideas.

Typography: Vary font size and style for emphasis.

Color Coding: Use color to group or highlight information.

Visual Enhancements to Cornell Notes

Replace or supplement text with sketches in the note-taking area.

Use the cue column for visual prompts or mini-icons.

Summarize with a visual metaphor or a mind map.

Benefits of Combining Both Methods

Boosts comprehension and recall.

Makes reviewing notes more enjoyable and efficient.

Supports different learning styles, especially visual learners.

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Improving Cornell Notes With Sketchnoting Techniques

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Free digital note taking applications for IPADS

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The BEST FREE iPad Note Taking Apps (that don't suck)!!

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Mind mapping is a powerful technique to help you visually develop and organize ideas and information. Let's take a look at what mind mapping is and how you can use it.

What is Mind Mapping?

Mind maps provide a structured way to capture and organize ideas and information. They help users to understand concepts by breaking them down into their component parts. The technique is used to develop new ideas, or to break down and better understand existing information.

Whether developing new ideas or organizing existing information, mind maps help you see how information fits together. Mind maps provide an expansive and flexible structure to support your thinking.

Key Characteristics of Mind Maps

Single Central Topic

Unlike other visual diagrams, a mind map is built around a single central topic. All the information on your map is "anchored" to the same start point. By placing the main idea at the center, it's easier for others to understand the core focus of the mind map.

Expansive Tree Structure

Tree-like branches make up a mind map. They can expand and grow as you develop your ideas. Each branch shows information organized as topics and subtopics, based on categorizations and connections identified by the map creator. The result is a structured hierarchy of information at all levels of the mind map.

Keyword Focused

Keywords, rather than long sentences or blocks of text, make up a mind map. Topics on a map branch often include one or two words that best represent an idea or piece of information. This makes it easier for readers to scan the information presented without having to read an excessive amount of text.

How does mind mapping help?

Whether you're mapping by hand or using a mind mapping software tool, there are three key ways mind mapping helps develop and organize ideas and information:

Simplification

Mind maps help to simplify any information on a page because they are composed of keywords (rather than long sentences). Distilling knowledge into keywords and short triggers creates a structured visual summary that is easier and faster to process.

Categorization

A mind map structure helps you to categorize and sub-categorize information in a way that makes it easier to understand and navigate. Categorization helps our brains to make sense of complexity. And mind maps provide a hierarchical category structure that helps us navigate information more easily. It's like moving around the aisles in a supermarket to find the particular product we need.

Contextualization

The tree-structure of a mind map means that every piece of information connects to at least one other piece of information. Connections include a higher level (parent) topic, and potentially the same level (siblings) topics, or lower-level (child) topics.

Every item has context because of what it is attached to, and what connects to it. With mind maps, the information doesn't exist in isolation. You can see how ideas and information relate to each other more clearly.

Who uses mind mapping?

Mind mapping is used by people in business, education, government, the charity sector, and at home.

In business, people use mind mapping for project planning, strategic thinking, and managing meetings. Mind mapping software helps teams to develop their ideas more collaboratively. Online mapping allows people to build off each other's ideas and develop a shared understanding of a situation. It can also break down complex projects into more manageable parts.

In education, students of all ages use mind maps for note taking, summarizing subject information, and planning written assignments. Educators are using mind maps for lesson planning, innovative homework assignments, and group exercises in the classroom.

Outside of these fields, many individuals use mind maps to help with their organization and future planning. People often use mind maps to plan their weeks, their goals, and their careers.

What is mind mapping software?

Some people prefer to mind map by hand using pen and paper, flipcharts, whiteboards, etc. Others prefer to map using computer software or apps on mobile devices. These applications provide powerful benefits when mind mapping, as they overcome the physical limitations of pen and paper.

Additionally, o nline mapping enables you to build mind maps that can connect with other information sources such as documents or websites. This can allow you to develop your mind map on an ongoing basis.

There is mind mapping software that requires installation and can be used without an internet connection. Other software is based entirely online, so you can access and work on your maps from any device with an internet connection. Some online mind mapping tools have the added benefit of enabling real time collaboration with other people in the same mind map.

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What is Mind Mapping? What Are Its Uses? | Mindmaps.com

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Mind mapping helps you visually develop and organize ideas and information. Learn how to create a mind map and why it is important.

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10 Best Free Mind Map Software Review in 2025

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Tips to consider for math:

find a study resource to offer a structure or guide and add or personalize it

find an online content maker that provides explanations of math concepts

first test out this content maker/channel with content you know well to see if you like their style.

This way when you come across content you need more explanation or want another reference point you have a source to return to.

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Cheat Sheets & Tables

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NancyPi - YouTube

Some of content covered in this channel include:

algebra

trigonometry

pre-calculus

calculus

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Nancy formerly of MathBFF has a new channel! All her videos moved here to NancyPi, and all her new videos will be here from now on! Thank you all for your support 💗 Please subscribe and spread the news! Help Nancy re-start her channel: support her on Patreon so that she can keep making the math videos you want! https://www.patreon.com/nancypi Algebra and calculus math help from an MIT graduate.

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Professor Leonard - YouTube

some of the content covered on this channel include:

algebra

trigonometry

precalculus

calculus

statistics

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This Channel is dedicated to quality mathematics education. It is absolutely FREE so Enjoy! Videos are organized in playlists and are course specific. If they have helped you, consider Support: You may find and support me at Patreon.com/Professorleonard Please consider “Whitelisting” this Channel on your AdBlock if it is enabled. Your support is GREATLY appreciated and is what helps fund more video creation. Thanks!!

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Introduction of core study/learning strategies:

spaced repetition

retrieval practice

interleaving

elaboration

dual coding

concrete examples

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Downloadable Materials - The Learning Scientists

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Please use our materials and pass them along to others for educational purposes! We ask that you attribute us when you use the materials, and that you do not use portions of the materials or remove information from the materials. The materials may not be used commercially.

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The Pomodoro Technique. can be used to improve focus during tests, as well as during test preparation.

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This article, Test-Taking Strategies for Every Exam Type gives practical advice to students with ADHD for taking different kinds of tests.

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SQ3R Method (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review)

What it is:
A structured 5-step method that improves comprehension and recall.

How to do it:

Survey: Skim headings, bolded terms, and summaries to get an overview.

Question: Turn headings or topics into questions you want to answer.

Read: Read actively, looking for answers to your questions.

Recite: Summarize key points in your own words (out loud or in notes).

Review: Revisit main ideas and questions to reinforce memory.

Why it works:
SQ3R helps you actively engage with material and remember more for exams.

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Active Reading (Annotating, Highlighting, Questioning)

What it is:
A strategy where you interact with the text rather than passively reading.

How to do it:

Highlight only the most important sentences or terms.

Write margin notes, questions, or quick summaries as you read.

Circle or underline keywords and definitions.

Why it works:
This keeps your brain engaged, helps you spot key concepts, and makes reviewing faster.

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📖 Active Reading Worksheet

What it is: A guide for breaking down articles or chapters into smaller chunks and identifying the thesis and key points

How to use it: Summarize each section of a reading, then create a 2–3 sentence summary to capture the main idea

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Reading with a Purpose

What it is:
Setting a clear goal for why you are reading each text.

How to do it:

Decide what you want to learn or understand before you start.

Ask yourself: “What am I looking for?” or “What question am I answering?”

Focus your attention on relevant sections that meet your goal.

Why it works:
Reading with a goal helps you filter information, save time, and improve understanding.

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📝 Evaluating Reading Strategies

What it is: A checklist of strategies to use before, during, and after reading (e.g., predicting, highlighting, summarizing)

How to use it: Check off strategies you already use and pick new ones to try for better comprehension and retention

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⚡ Ph.D. Skimming

What it is: A 4-level approach to skimming texts for different purposes—from quick overviews to deep reading

How to use it: Decide how much time you have, then follow the steps (e.g., read chapter intros/conclusions or focus on topic sentences)

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📚 Reading Process Strategies

What it is: A framework of strategies for before, during, and after reading to help with comprehension and recall

How to use it: Activate prior knowledge before reading, take notes during, and summarize or create study tools after reading

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🧠 Test Anxiety

What it is: Feeling nervous or stressed during tests, which can affect memory, focus, and performance.

Strategies & Tools:

Practice under test-like conditions (Quizlet, Khan Academy timed quizzes).

Breathing exercises: Box Breathing (inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4) or 4-7-8 breathing before/during exams.

Pomodoro method: Study in 25-minute focus blocks with 5-minute breaks.

Apps: Headspace or Calm for guided relaxation.

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Test Taking Strategies Checklist (adapted from Chesapeake ADHD Center)

Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and relax your shoulders.

Open your exam and review it from beginning to end before you start answering questions.

Carefully review directions. Re-read them as needed.

Divide the exam into 20-minute segments including an extra segment at the end for review and revision. Mark the 15-minute stopping point throughout your text.

Set an alarm for 15 minutes. Take a break, stand up, walk around, waive your arms, stretch, drink water, or eat a small snack. Do this every 15 minutes during your exam.

Don’t get stuck. Move on.

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⚖️ Stereotype Threat

What it is: The fear of confirming negative stereotypes about a group you belong to (e.g., “people like me aren’t good at math”), which can increase stress and lower performance.

Strategies & Tools:

Reframe tests as challenges, not threats—remind yourself of past successes.

Write a 2-minute self-affirmation (list personal values or strengths).

Find role models or success stories that show you belong in the space.

Resource: TED Talk – The Threat of Stereotypes by Claude Steele.

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🎭 Imposter Syndrome

What it is: Feeling like you don’t belong or that your success is due to luck rather than skill—even when you’re capable and qualified.

Strategies & Tools:

Keep a “Success Journal” – note 3 wins each week, big or small.

Use “I am learning” reframes (e.g., “I’m still developing this skill” instead of “I’m bad at this”).

Connect with mentors or peer support to gain perspective.

Resource: Podcast – Unlocking Us with Brené Brown on self-doubt.

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💡 Quick 3-Minute Resets

Mindful Countdown: Name 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste.

Power Pose: Stand tall with open arms for 2 minutes to boost confidence.

Reframe “What-Ifs”: Turn “What if I fail?” into “What if I surprise myself?”

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Brief intro and view for the following 7 note taking apps:

Evernote

RemNote

Notion

Obsidian

Typora

Microsoft OneNote

Joplin

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Why is learning so difficult and time-consuming?

One reason is that we often forget most of what we've learned, so we have to keep relearning it over and over again over a course of study. But as you've probably noticed, you're much less likely to forget things you regularly review. It turns out that if you consistently review facts at the right time, you can be almost certain of remembering them at each review, and you can remember things for months or even years with just a few carefully-spaced reviews.

An easy way to consistently review facts at the right time is with flashcards. When we actively review flashcards at carefully scheduled times, we call this spaced repetition, and the spacing effect underlying it is one of the most replicated effects in psychology. Flashcards reviewed using a spaced-repetition system (SRS) like that offered by RemNote consistently outperform almost every other learning technique.

RemNote makes the power of spaced repetition accessible to everyone by simplifying the process of creating and reviewing effectively scheduled flashcards.

For more information about the theory behind spaced repetition, check out Understanding Spaced Repetition. If you're ready to get started using spaced repetition in RemNote, read on!

Spaced-repetition systems like RemNote operate almost automatically. All you need to do is work through some flashcards regularly and give feedback on how difficult they were, and RemNote does the rest.

Find or create cards to practice

First, you need to create some cards (or import them from another app). Then you're ready to practice the cards (flip through them and try to recall the answers).

You can practice either the cards in a specific document, or all your cards. For cards in a specific document, use the buttonin the upper-right corner of the document to open the document practice queue:

For all cards from all documents, use the Practice Today's Cards button in the Flashcard Home to open the global practice queue:

It's usually most convenient to use the global queue to practice cards from all your documents at once, because this allows RemNote to work out which topics are currently most urgent and make the most of your available study time, rather than you having to keep track of this yourself. Use prioritization to tell RemNote which documents you have exams on soon, consider important, would like to work on if you have time, or don't want to remember anymore at all.

Practice the subset of cards you need to see today for optimum memory

When you practice flashcards, either in the global queue with all your cards, or in a document-specific queue, RemNote shows only the cards that are due for review. A card is due for review when RemNote estimates that there is a 10% chance that you've forgotten the card. If the card is quite new, this will occur only a couple of days after the previous review; if you've known it for a long time, there might be months or years in between reviews. (If you're curious about why it's 10%, or how RemNote calculates the amount of time until that happens, have a look at Understanding Spaced Repetition.)

Practice by answering and rating cards

When you practice a card, you'll first see only the front side of the card. Take a moment to recall the answer, then select Show Answer and check your answer. If you prefer, you can type an answer on the front side and have RemNote compare it for you, rather than doing it in your head.

Once you reach the back of the card, you'll need to rate it (say how difficult it was to remember). This helps RemNote understand when you'll need to see it again in the future. Rate a card by clicking one of the large buttons at the bottom or pressing the appropriate keyboard shortcut (hover over the button to see them). The times on each button are the next time you'll see the card if you choose that rating.

The available ratings are as follows:

If you choose Forgot, RemNote will wait less time before the next practice than it did last time. For the other ratings, it will wait longer (see Understanding Spaced Repetition for more details on why).

Better understand card ratings

A few more things to understand about ratings:

If you're new to this, don't fret too much about selecting the "correct" rating. As long as you select Forgot when you forget and some other button when you remember, less-than-perfect selections here will have only a minor impact on your studies.

Forgetting is an expected part of the process of learning, and forgetting a card you're practicing doesn't mean you did anything wrong! In fact, the spaced-repetition algorithm is intentionally designed to have you forget about 10% of your cards at practice time, because trying to remember too much more is too inefficient to be useful. Your real-world performance will actually be better than this number makes it sound - if you're forgetting 10% of your cards at review time, you actually remember about 95% of them at any given moment, and you can temporarily boost this number even further for an exam or other critical moment using the exam scheduler.

For spaced repetition to work at its best, you need to practice your flashcards regularly, ideally almost every day. The Daily Learning Goal feature helps you build strong practice habits: you say how many cards you're willing to practice every day, and RemNote prompts you to reach that goal.

RemNote will show a thin blue bar at the top of the queue to report your progress towards each day's goal as you practice:

Your actual target for the day may be lower than your configured Daily Learning Goal if you don't need to practice that many cards to keep up, and higher if you have an exam coming up and urgently need to practice more cards to be ready for it.

RemNote will also keep track of streaks (e.g., if you reach your goal 5 days in a row) and show a heatmap of which days you reached your goal in the Flashcard Home. And, if you have the appropriate option on in Settings > Notifications, you'll get a push notification in the early evening if you haven't hit your goal for the day yet.

If you haven't yet downloaded the RemNote mobile app (available for iOS and Android devices at no additional cost), consider doing that now - it's a great way to find time for that daily practice habit. You can practice your flashcards in moments that might otherwise have been wasted, like while riding the bus or waiting in line. Just tap the flashcards icon in the lower-right corner of the app twice to start practicing.

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Getting Started with Spaced Repetition | RemNote Help Center

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What is spaced repetition and how does it work in RemNote?

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How to Take Notes in Class: The 5 Best Methods - College Info Geek

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Learn 80% of NotebookLM in Under 13 Minutes!

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ANKI VS QUIZLET (or is there something better...)

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Best Technological Study Partners: 5+ Study Apps Every College Student Should Use - Geneva College

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Technology has changed the way we live our lives, so it should come as no surprise that it offers aid for college students who want to make better grades—via apps. Yep, there’s an app for that. Apps that organize your life, take and organize notes, brainstorm for new ideas and so much more.