12 Best Study Methods That Will Help You Actually Remember Information
Whether it’s the start of a new semester, the middle of a school year when you’re feeling down, final exam season, or just a time in life when you want to learn something new, studying is the only way to truly retain information. There are many ways to study, but cramming won’t cut it if you really want to add something to your long-term memory. Here are the best methods and techniques to help you study.
However, please note: most of these work best when you write the information down. Don’t try to do this in your head or even digitally on a computer if you can afford it; writing with pen and paper further improves memory and recall.
Best Methods for Teaching Reading Comprehension
The first step to learning is assimilating new information. It’s impossible to question or understand something you’ve never read or heard before. Even the first time you read it (or the first time you review the material outside of class), you need to be strategic. Try these methods.
The THIEVES Method: For cases when you are not very familiar with the subject
The THIEVES method helps you understand what a chapter is about before you even start reading it, making it especially useful for courses where you don’t have a clear understanding of the concepts. It helps you think in new ways before you even open the book or start looking at your notes. “THIEVES” stands for title , headings , introduction , first sentence of paragraph, visuals /vocabulary, end-of -chapter questions, and summary .
Create a table or write down each of these categories on a piece of paper, and then review each one in order, starting with the title. What do you think this chapter is about, based on the title? Write that down and anything else you glean from the title. What do the subsections cover, based on the headings, and why might the author have divided them this way? Review the list before and as you read, paying attention to items designated by abbreviations. This will help you better understand the material when you finally read it in full.
REAP Method: For When You Don’t Have Knowledge on the Subject
THIEVES works when you know a little about something, but not much—but what do you do when you know absolutely nothing, like when you have to pass a required course unrelated to your major? Then you turn to REAP . REAP is an acronym that stands for “read, encode, annotate, and ponder.” Unlike the methods described below, you start by admitting you know very little about a subject and then strive to learn more.
First, you read a passage, chapter, or section of text on your own. Don’t overthink it; the goal of the “read first” approach isn’t to read too critically, but to absorb the information as a whole. Then, you encode the information by putting it into your own words, perhaps in writing or speaking it aloud. Then, annotate the text, writing down only the main ideas—whether in the form of keywords, snippets of data, quotes, or standout elements of the introduction or conclusion. When it’s time to reflect , revisit the text, your summary, and your high-level notes as you develop additional research questions prompted by what you’ve read. This is when you can begin to make connections between the information and real-world applications, as well as compare what you’ve written with the source material. From there, with your basic understanding, go back and reread it again.
SQ3R Method: For Deep Content Learning
Use the SQ3R method when you’re absorbing unfamiliar information or reviewing information that you didn’t get context for in class. “SQ3R” stands for question , read , retell , and repeat .
First, you skim the text (ideally, a single chapter of a book, but if that’s not possible, then any relatively short passage instead of an entire volume) and formulate questions based on headings, figure captions, titles, or other notable elements. These questions should address what you’d like to learn and what you think you’ll learn based on the headings.
Then you read carefully, look for answers to your questions and retell what you read in your own words, while trying to answer your own questions.
Finally, review your notes and the material itself. It’s best to write everything down as you go, rather than trying to memorize it. You can use a regular notebook, but I recommend a special notebook designed for this technique to make this challenging task a little easier.
KWL Method: For Simple Interaction
The KWL method is similar to SQ3R, but a little simpler: you create a chart with three columns: “Know,” “Want to Know,” and “Learn.” It’s best to create a separate chart for each chapter or section of information you’re studying. The goal of this method is to maintain interest in the material as you search for answers to your “Want to Know” questions.
In the “Know” column, write what you already know about the topic. In the “Want to Know” column, write what you’d like to know (based on your overview of the material, including headings, captions, diagrams, and summary statements, as in SQ3R). When you reread the material more carefully, write what you learned in the “Learned” column, remembering to mark the answers to the questions posed in the “Want to Know” section.
Explanatory survey: to establish connections between concepts
Another reading technique that will help you understand and remember what you read is the clarifying question . It’s typically used when reading fiction, but it can be used across a wide range of topics, so don’t let that stop you from trying it.
Imagine you’re curious. You come across a fact, reading, for example, that Lewis and Clark had to explore the Louisiana Purchase and the Pacific Northwest, and instead of ignoring it and moving on to the next thing, you stop and ponder. You ask simple questions: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?
Who were Lewis and Clark? Who else was with them? Who told them to set out? What did they do? What was the outcome? What could have gone differently? What historical factors led to their expedition? Where were they from? What did they have to explore? When did they start? When did they finish? Why did they set out? Why did they choose this particular route? How did they travel? How do we remember them today?
The more questions you ask and the more answers you find—whether in the text or in other sources—the clearer the underlying fact will become and the more deeply it will stick in your memory. Once you understand all this, you’ll certainly discover that Lewis and Clark had to explore the Louisiana Purchase and the Pacific Northwest.
The Best Ways to Remember What You Study
Memorization is key to exam success, but it also contributes to long-term retention. The methods below focus more on immediate memorization and test preparation, but they will also help you cement bits of information into your memory, which is the starting point for longer-term retention.
The Method of Loci: For True Memory Recovery
The loci method is a good option if you’re taking the exam in the same place where you studied, whether that’s a specific classroom or your bedroom for online classes. You can imagine the location where you’ll be taking the test , or simply a familiar place, but it should have some distinctive features, such as a room with a lot of objects or a street you frequently visit.
When studying multiple items you need to remember, imagine placing them one by one in one of these small spaces . For example, you could place one topic in a tray with whiteboard markers, another on the teacher’s desk, and a third on the windowsill. When you need to recall or recall information, imagine walking through this space again, picking up what you need to remember from the correct place.
Association: For remembering complex things
Use associations to better remember large amounts of information. Whether you prefer mnemonic devices like acronyms or drawing “mental images” of something silly to represent the information you need, these associations can cement a fact or idea in your memory so you can recall it on a test. I used this method in high school, college, and graduate school, and it always worked perfectly.
My personal trick is to create sentences with words that begin with the same letter as the words I need to memorize for a test. If you memorized the planetary order before Pluto’s ouster by saying, “My very educated mother just sat on nine pizzas” or something similar, you already know how this works. It worked when we were six, and it works now.
The Leitner System: For deep consolidation of information in memory
The Leitner System is the best way to incorporate active retrieval into your learning, but it takes some time. You create flashcards, then practice them on a schedule, sorting them into one of five categories each time you answer them correctly or incorrectly. Every time you get a card from Pile 1 correct, move it to Pile 2, which you won’t study as often as the cards from Pile 1. Follow the link above for a full explanation, but know that this is the best way to remember everything you need to know. As with SQ3R, you can do this yourself with existing flashcards, but I recommend buying ready-to-group ones, like these with ring binder holes , just to make life easier.
Again, this is exactly the case where I recommend breaking the rules of handwriting and instead seeking help from tech support. There are a ton of apps out there that will help you create, generate, find, and/or practice flashcards. Many are bad, some are great, and a few standout apps use the Leitner system. That’s what you need. I’ve compiled a list of the best here , but the advantage of any of them is that you can practice on the go and don’t have to spend a ton of time creating flashcards by hand.
Double coding: for double the efficiency
Dual coding is a popular learning method that doubles the amount of work performed and the amount of information retained. The mind can process new information verbally and visually, both separately and simultaneously. By processing both methods simultaneously, the brain processes more information. Numerous studies have shown that information recall actually improves when both processing methods are used simultaneously.
How do you do this? Combine verbal and visual materials. You can doodle to represent what you hear in a lecture or while listening to a podcast, draw a mind map to visualize the interrelated concepts in a chapter you just read, or insert images into flashcards. Some of the flashcard apps in the list linked above allow this. There are many ways to do this, but your main goal is to find a way to combine visual and auditory cues.
2357: To remember for a long time
No matter how you study, you need some structure and schedule. Consider implementing the 2357 program , which involves reviewing and revising materials on the second, third, fifth, and seventh days after first learning them.
Each time you review the material, you should identify and expand on the key facts you need to remember, so this is where you can start incorporating other methods from this list. If you typically take notes by hand, digitizing them can serve as your first review. Conversely, you can experiment with different types of notes. On the second day, you might rework your notes, for example, using the Cornell method , and on the third, create a mind map. By using a slightly different approach each time, you’ll rethink the material, identify points that can be expanded upon or that you didn’t quite understand, and think about how it all fits together a little differently.
By the time you complete this final review on day seven, the material should be easily recalled with minimal effort. On days five and seven, it’s also worth focusing more on reviewing rather than simply editing. This brings us to the next section, which focuses on truly understanding the material.
Best study methods for understanding concepts
If you have the time, always strive to fully understand the material, not just memorize it. This is where these techniques come in handy: they allow you to delve deeper into the topic, make connections to the real world, and cement the information in your memory.
The Feynman Method: To Test Your Understanding
Use the Feynman Method when you’re done reading, reviewing, and memorizing material. It involves explaining a topic to someone who doesn’t understand it, like your mom or roommate. Explain it as simply as possible and give them the opportunity to ask clarifying questions after you’re done. If you can explain it simply and answer their questions, you truly understand the topic. If not, you’ll have to go back to studying until you master it.
If you don’t have anyone to do this with, don’t despair. This is a prime example of how teaching with ChatGPT or another AI-powered tool is truly ethical. Tell the bot you want to use the Feynman method and ask it to give you feedback on how well you’re explaining the concept, as well as ask you clarifying questions. I’ve done this several times, and it works great. Here are a few more ways ChatGPT can be helpful (and, just in case, here’s a list of ways your instructor might catch you out if you decide to use ChatGPT unethically).
Speaking: To test your memory
Blurting out is similar to the Feynman technique, but you can do it yourself. After reading and reviewing, hide your notes and texts, then write down everything you can remember on a clean sheet of paper. Explain the topic in as much detail as possible, and then, using the materials you have, check to see if you missed anything. This helps you recall the information and also makes it easy to see what you missed and focus on studying the specific elements that confuse you.
You can also try speaking the material out loud. You won’t have notes to compare with the original material, but you’ll learn differently: using the production effect . By speaking your speech out loud, you harness the power of auditory perception, which improves memory. Your memory is better at remembering words you hear aloud than words you read, so try this method if you’re confident you’ve mastered the material. (If not, avoid it to avoid committing incorrect information to memory.)