My story:
I’m y10 from an international school
My grades are quite average or low (B), usually I only excel in math and add maths but other than that, the rest just disappointing

I’ve known to procrastinate a lot but currently I’m trying to distance myself from all social media apps (except Reddit)
I’ve never actually tried studying in my life, apart from cramping notes last minute before exams

This few months video games have slowly becoming less fun and addicting, I did delete all of them actually.

My hobby is to experiment with ai technology, that’s why I picked engineering package in my school.

Subjects include:
English
Maths
Add maths
Chemistry
Physics
E1 (business study)
Malay (compulsory since its my country’s main language)
Chinese (foreign language)
ICT

I’ve also never tried planning either. Even if I did, the next day I would be lazy to reopen it or sometimes forgotten about it. And no I don’t have any medical conditions that affect my studies.

Maybe it’s because my planning is unrealistic like 30 minutes of studying certain topic. Sometimes I’ll end up telling myself to watch YouTube tutorials which feels like I’m making progress but I’m actually not because I’ll forget about it

Subjects I’m currently struggling in, English comprehensions, physics, business, Malay and chemistry. Some suggested me to practice more or just revise notes after class, but like the amount of chemistry or physics notes is just overwhelming, I’ve tried blurting method but it completely backfired. I wasn’t able to retain much info even after using 10 papers.

For ICT (tech) I don’t really like it since it’s all about theory and creating some sort of Microsoft word project, I expected to learn Python but instead teacher said that we’re going to learn HTML instead. I kinda regret picking ICT and could’ve atleast picked accounting.

Im considering ditching my friends and isolating myself, trying to make a change for myself, because they aren’t the friends I know from grade7. Usually copying my questions and homework last minute before submitting and they’re also absorbed into this doom scrolling addiction, sometime they would come up the weirdest ducking joke that I wished I could slap the hell out of them on the spot

I hope there’s anyone that can provide me advice on how to overcome this, I have no studying experience at all my life could be over..

Now I'm doing a course,It's about generative ai.The classes are too short and it fully filled by data.Like every word in the classes are need to note.But,i guess It's not really a good strategy. I can't find out what shouldn’t i write,cuz everything are information. And I'm really scared cuz if i Won't take note then I'll forget everything after I'll finish it.I also tried to maintain the 3 boxes strategy 1 for description, 1 for keywords, 1 for summary. But i can't differentiate the class contents.

Hey everyone! I’ve been building Casper, a Mac and Windows app with a Chrome extension that reads visible questions, generates draft answers through your ChatGPT account, and fills supported fields for you to review.

This it completely undetected from all the platforms I listed by editing the software and disguising it as an software update.

It currently supports Google Forms and Canvas Classic Quizzes, with support for Canvas New Quizzes. Multiple choice, checkboxes, and plain text/numeric fields are supported. Next and Submit stay manual, and AI answers can be wrong.

I’m looking for feedback on the setup, speed, and overall experience. What would make something like this more useful for you?

You can learn more or ask questions at https://casperai.pro/

My biggest problem isn’t studying, it’s starting. My head is full of random stuff and I just stare at the textbook.

So before every session I open a new page in a Notion database I use as a study journal and write for 3 minutes, unfiltered hence my dump journal. 1) what’s stressing me out 2) what I’m confused about in this topic 3) what I want to finish in the next hour

Then I start studying. At the end I add two lines for those what I got through and what’s still confusing.

What I didn’t expect is that looking back at old entries shows my patterns. I can noticed I’m confused about the same topics again and again, and I can see which days I wrote “can’t focus” and what was going on those days.

It takes 5 minutes total. Messy is fine, nobody reads it but you.

I can’t say if this is scientifically proven to help. It just works for me. Curious if anyone else journals before studying. Or is it just me?

I had my first exam yesterday. I did the homework. I think I understood overall how to do it.

But on the exam, we were given only 5 minutes per question. How am I supposed to know what technique to use, remember immediately what the formula is, write down the steps, don't make any simple errors (we are not given any scratch paper and there is barely any space on the exam besides around the question). We were allowed a cheat sheet, but I was in sheer panic flipping through pages trying to see which problems were the most obvious to me and I wasted time looking through my cheat sheet. The problems were trickier than the homework. So you needed to sorta think about the formula in a different way like what if the conditions that normally make the formula valid are different or what if we're solving for something else that the formula leads to. And what's interesting to me is people say the homework takes them 3-5 hours but if the exam is like homework, how do people do it all in 1 hour?

I tried something called the blank-page method recently and it was mildly horrifying lol.

Basically, you study a topic normally, close everything, then take a completely blank piece of paper and write down everything you can remember about it.

No notes. No textbook. No checking your phone.

Just dump whatever is in your head.

The important part is what you do after that.

I went back to my notes and marked everything I got wrong, forgot, or explained badly. Those became my actual study list.

So instead of going through a 40-page chapter again, I might end up with:

forgot the 3rd step of the process
mixed up X and Y
couldn’t explain why this happens
completely forgot this exception

Then I only study those gaps.

After that, I close the notes and do the blank page again.

The weird thing is that the first attempt feels much harder than rereading. That’s kind of the point. When you’re rereading, your brain can recognize information and give you the impression that you know it. When you’re staring at a blank page, there’s nowhere for your brain to hide! 😂

I’ve started doing this before exams with entire chapters. I don’t even try to make the blank page pretty. It’s basically a terrible-looking brain dump full of arrows, half sentences, and things I clearly misunderstood.

And honestly, that’s useful.

The stuff I can recall easily doesn’t need another hour of studying. The stuff I can’t recall is where I should spend my time.

One thing that made this work better for me: don’t immediately look at your notes when you get stuck. Sit there for a few seconds and try to retrieve it first. Even getting part of the answer back is useful.

I usually do:

Study > close everything > brain dump > check > write down mistakes > study only mistakes > brain dump again

You can do it with a chapter, lecture, anatomy system, history topic, formulas, basically anything where you need to actually remember information.

The first time you do it, you may discover that your “I know this” feeling was actually “I’ve seen this before.” 😭

That was the rude awakening for me.

I’ve been trying to figure out how to study better without forcing myself to sit in front of my notes for hours and hoping something actually sticks. Here are some things I learned that I think are worth sharing (May work or may not work for you)

1. Prepare your brain before studying

I came across this article of “dopamine loading,” (https://schoolhouse.world/blog/dopamine-loading-the-cure-to-your-attention-span) which is basically doing something small that puts you in a better mood before starting a study session. It could be cleaning your desk, taking a quick shower, or playing your favorite song. The idea is to make studying feel less like a punishment and help yourself get into the right headspace instead of relying on caffeine or forcing yourself to study when you’re already drained.

1. Start with the easiest task first

Don’t pressure yourself to tackle the hardest topic right away. Start with something simple, even if it’s just reviewing a few definitions. Getting a small task done makes it easier to build momentum and continue studying.

1. Set shorter study sessions with a clear goal

Try studying for how many minutes (what worked for me was studying in 30-40 minutes, and if I feel really lazy, I try to get by with 20 minutes). Instead of telling yourself you’ll study an entire chapter, set a specific goal like understanding one concept or answering ten practice questions. It’s easier to focus when you know exactly what you’re trying to accomplish.

1. Read first, then explain what you understood

Instead of immediately trying to memorize everything, skim through the material first to understand the general idea of what you're about to study. Highlight only the important keywords or headings, then close your notes and try explaining the topic as if you’re teaching a class. You’ll quickly notice which parts you actually understand and which ones you need to review (this one really helped with my retention and better understanding of the concepts)

1. Test yourself instead of just rereading

This is probably one of the most important things I’ve learned. Reading your notes over and over can make you feel familiar with the material, but that doesn’t always mean you can recall it during an exam. Try answering questions without looking at your notes, explaining concepts from memory, or having someone quiz you.

Look into active recall and spaced repetition, too. These are study techniques that help you practice retrieving information and revisit it over time instead of cramming everything in one sitting.

1. Try taking notes by hand

Personally, I think handwritten notes can be helpful, especially when comparing them with your classmates’ notes afterward. You can identify information you missed, ask questions about unfamiliar concepts, and fill in the gaps in your understanding. It’s not necessarily that handwriting is always better than typing, but the process can help you pay more attention to what you’re learning.

1. Figure out what you’re actually struggling with

Sometimes, we keep reviewing an entire subject when there’s only one particular concept we don’t understand. Try identifying your weaknesses for each subject and working on them one at a time. Maybe you understand the theory but struggle with application, or maybe you know the formulas but don’t know when to use them. Knowing the specific problem makes it easier to figure out how to improve.

1. Use AI when you actually need it

You don’t have to use AI for everything, but it can be helpful when you’re stuck on a concept that your textbook or notes aren’t explaining clearly. You can ask it to explain something in simpler terms, give you examples, or quiz you on what you’ve studied. Just make sure to verify important information and actually try answering the questions yourself instead of relying on it to do the thinking for you.

1. Experiment until you find what works for you

Not every study technique works for everyone. Some people learn better by solving problems, others by teaching someone else, and others by making diagrams or flashcards. Try different methods and pay attention to which ones actually help you remember information days or weeks later, not just immediately after studying.

You can also ask a friend, classmate, or family member to quiz you. Sometimes, having to explain an answer out loud helps you realize what you know and what you still need to work on.

At the end of the day, I think studying smarter also means understanding how you learn best. You don’t have to follow every study tip you see online. Try a few, see what works, and build a routine that you can actually maintain.

Would love to hear what study techniques have worked for you guys, too. Hope this one may be of help even though this is a lengthy read.

I usually have to read something and then write it down to actually understand and memorise it. It works really well for me, but it takes SO much time, and I feel like there must be a more efficient way.
I’m looking for practical study techniques that I can actually apply, not just general advice like “stay consistent” or “avoid distractions.”

For example, what do you actually do when you sit down to study a chapter? How do you learn new information, remember it long-term, and revise it without having to rewrite everything?
If possible, please explain your method step by step, including how you use active recall, flashcards, practice questions, or anything else that works for you.

I’d especially appreciate advice from people who have a lot of material to cover and need to study efficiently without spending hours making notes.
What does your actual study process look like, from opening a chapter to being able to recall the information during an exam?

Have you ever experience remembering more when you’re just curious and not stressed about a certain topic or lesson?

Plot Twist Alert: You are not bad at studying, you’re just stressed!

As a student, who recently had this epiphany, I’ve been trying to incorporate little by little these habits I discover in my daily study routine📚📚

1. I reset my study area so I don’t feel overwhelmed by the lessons that I need to learn. Then I prioritize my topics to stay on track.

2. I stop forcing myself to understand a topic or lesson, especially when it’s already pushing me to my limits.

3. Most importantly, I relax my body by using the breathing techniques I learn when I feel anxious.

Hope this helps folks!

How about you? What are the habits help you study calmly? 🤗 I’d love to try them too! ✨

I have been struggling to meet my parent's expectations before as I used to not prioritize anything at all. During my highschool days, its just a happy and go lucky era, where I just used stock knowledge for all activities I have at school. Quizes, periodicals, and all tests, I barely pass them.
So college days hits me hard. I started happy, but always ended up with egggsssssss. All pre-test, I'm not used in studying in advanced. I lost all the friends I have in my classroom as offcourse they dont want a bad influence or people around them not helping academically. That is when I realized, college is different. This is the start of the real life challenge.
This is where how my life will be dictated. So, I changed everything about me. Studytips I developed that really helped me is managing my time.
I always start my day by making a schedule. Listing all the task I need to do. Lessons I need to study and give it time. So my whole college days, I run on schedules except for Sunday. I make sure Sunday is rest for me.
So going back, I made schedules time and all task. Its very effective for me as I never forget anything I just have to look at the schedule.
Next, whenever I study, I make doted summary first listing all important things I should remember. Writing it makes me remember it easily as I write it. I also use mnemonics. In my course, memorizing is power. Making something funny initials or making a song out of it.
After all this, most importantly I give myself good food, a balance nutrition, so I have all the energy and nutrients to feed my brain cells. Lastly enough sleep. Sleep is very vital thats why scheduling really helps. After Ive done all this. I never again had eggsss on my scores 😅😅😅😅

Hey everyone, sophomore in college here. I have numerous learning disabilities, yet somehow I was able to float through high school and graduate with a GPA of 3.0+. Recently, I've learned the hard way that my old study habits don't work in college, and I need a way to develop better ones.

I began using the AI, 'Claude,' as a tutor of sorts, and despite the fact that I don't love using AI, it has helped me more than I'd like to admit. My only dilemma now is that I'm doing so well that I need to start doing things and managing my schedule on my own.

I haven't been using Claude for long, but as I mentioned, I don't love that I'm using it in the first place and want to use it for the shortest period possible. I need to find ways to start memorizing these habits and integrating them into my day-to-day without relying heavily on Claude to keep everything organized. 

For a little more context, I specifically have severe ADHD and OCD (which, for those who don't know, is so, so much more than wanting things to be neat and organized), which both inhibit my ability to trust my own academic judgment and keep track of a busy schedule such as my own.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? If so, what was your experience like, and how did you begin to "wean off", for lack of a better phrase, the guidance and assistance of AI for developing better study habits? Thank you in advance!

Cheers, everyone, and to everyone currently in school, I hope you have a great term/quarter/semester!

Instead of memorizing my lecture slides, I shifted to an interesting study method which works better for me.

Step 1: I read the entire lecture notes once. I don’t try to memorize it, but only get an idea how things work. This step gives me a general idea about what’s happening.

Step 2: I open YouTube and search for the topic. Once I find the videos explaining the same concepts, I sit back and watch them. Visual understanding and learning about boring topics with the help of diagrams help me connect things that didn’t make sense when I was only reading. Personally, hearing someone explain it in their own way makes it less complicated for me.

Step 3: Now I make my own notes. This is the most important part guys. Now that I have understood the concepts, I rewrite it in simpler words. I don’t copy the exact sentences from the slides or videos. I write them in a way that helps me even if I read them a week later.

Step 4: Revise, revise and revise until you have memorized the notes. Once the information starts sticking, It makes me truly happy.

Step 5: This step is totally optional. If I clearly understand a topic, I like to TEACH it to others. Hence, I teach it to my wall xD. I imagine a class of toddlers sitting in front of me and start explaining things. It's easy to feel like you know something when you're reading it, but remembering it without the notes is a different story.

So, my order is basically: read the lecture, watch someone explain it, rewrite it in your own words, then revise. And if I feel extra motivated, teach it to the imaginary audience.

If the material feels confusing, try this method. Don’t read it straight from the slides and start cramming it. Also, you don’t have to make pinterest-y notes or spend hours finding the perfect video. Main point is to understand the topic well enough to explain it to others in simple words.

Recording lectures only helps if you actually use the recording. What works for me:

1. Ask first. Many universities and lecturers have rules on recording; check the course page or ask after class.
2. Sit near the front, phone flat on the desk, screen down. Distance matters more than the app.
3. Start recording before the lecturer starts talking. The first two minutes usually say what matters for the exam.
4. Write down timestamps of anything confusing ("23 min: the second proof") instead of trying to catch everything.
5. The same evening, read a summary and the parts you marked, not the whole recording. Turn the key points into 2 or 3 questions to test yourself on.
6. Before the exam, review your own questions, not the audio.

Disclosure: I make an iPhone app for this, Cassette: AI Note Taker. You press record, and afterward it writes a transcript, a summary, and highlights, using Apple's own models, never an outside AI service (iPhones without Apple Intelligence get simpler notes). Recording is free and unlimited, and notes are free for 2 lectures a month. But the habits above matter more than any app, and they work with the built-in recorder too. https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6812001404?pt=129004817&ct=studytips&mt=8

What do you all do with lecture recordings?

There's a difference between recognizing something in your notes and actually being able to explain it without them. I needed a way to figure out which one I was doing, and here I found the SOLUTION THAT EARNESTLY HELPED ME PASS MY MIDTERMS... 

So here's a method I've been calling the BLANK-PAGE AUTOPSY. The concept is straightforward: rather than assessing your knowledge, you explore what you THOUGHT/BELIEVED you understood. 

Why I appreciate this approach:
A page full of notes can make you feel prepared even when you can't explain half of it without looking. This forces you to confront that gap before an exam does. It also gives you a much clearer idea of what to study next. Instead of spending another hour reviewing things you already know, you can focus on the parts you're actually struggling with. 

Here's how to accomplish it: 

1. Study one small topic normally. ( STUDY SMART, NOT HARD! )

Read a section of your textbook or notes. DON'T try to memorize every sentence. Just make sure you understand the main ideas. 

2. Hide EVERYTHING and get a blank sheet of paper. ( DUMP THE BODY )

Write down or draw everything you can remember about that topic. Definitions, explanations, formulas, connections between concepts, examples, whatever comes to mind! DON'T peek at your notes, even when you get stuck. Leave a blank space and move on. 

3. Open your notes and investigate the damage. ( POST-MORTEM AUDIT )

Compare your page with the actual material. Use a different-colored pen to mark three things:
• Wrong: Something you remembered incorrectly.
• Missing: Something important you couldn't recall.
• Weak: Something you remembered but couldn't properly explain. 

This is the part that matters. Don't just write the correct answer over your mistake. Figure out why you got it wrong!!!! MAYBE you mix up two alike ideas? Miss a step in a procedure? Remember a definition without grasping its meaning? 

4. Close your notes and repair the gaps. ( SUTURE THE WOUNDS )

Try explaining the missing or incorrect parts in your own words. Then put the notes away again and reconstruct those parts from memory. If you still can't do it, review that specific section instead of rereading the entire chapter. 

5. Repeat it later. ( THE TOXICOLOGY RE-TEST )

Come back the next day and try the blank-page test again. You'll find out whether you actually fixed the gaps or just remembered the correction because you saw it five minutes ago. 

Try it with just one topic today. Give yourself 5–10 minutes to reconstruct what you remember, then compare it with your notes. Hopefully this also helps u guys!!!

It's particularly beneficial for topics with many interrelated ideas, such as biology, history, psychology, and other subjects rich in theory. For math, I would apply the same concept, but rearrange the steps to find the solution and then tackle a different problem without checking. 

I'm curious: when you try this, do you usually find that you forgot the facts themselves, or that you remembered the facts but struggled to connect them into a proper explanation? 

As a medical student, I used to study by reading my notes over and over again. I thought I already understood everything because the words looked familiar. But when I tried answering questions without looking, I couldn't remember some of them.

So I tried a method called blurting, and it actually helped me study better!

Here's what I do:

1. Study first. Read your notes and make sure you understand the topic. You don't have to memorize everything right away.

2. Close your notes. Get a blank piece of paper and write down everything you remember about the topic. Don't worry if your answers are messy or incomplete.

3. Check your answers. Open your notes again and see what you missed. I use a different pen color to add the information I forgot.

4. Try again. Close your notes and explain the topic using your own words. Focus more on the parts you had trouble remembering.

The best part about this method is that you can see what you actually know and what you still need to study. You also don't waste too much time reviewing things you already understand.

I especially like using this for subjects with lots of information to remember like Anatomy, Medical Surgical, Pharmacology, etc. Instead of just reading the same page ten times, I can test myself and find out which parts I need to work on.

I think writing down notes and memorizing those concepts can help a lot more while studying
for example, you can pick up a concept, translate the difficult words (if English is your second language) and write them down in your own language or rewrite them broadly instead of briefly in English
Few key words would click in your mind at the time of exam and specifically for Cambridge students, concepts are required more than just memorizing from the marking schemes. Because of Chatgpt, Students often try to just copy from it instead of developing their own ideas but we often forget it was a human brain who invented the Chatgpt

This small trick would save up a lot of study time that you spend just trying to cramp the syallabus and still cannot memorize stuff as often. WRITE DOWN EVERY SINGLE THING. it will actually help with writing them, understanding the concepts on deeper level and in a way that you can teach it to other people as well

Chatgpt is not going to benefit you in the long run. You need to develop your own sense of visibility to be able to survive in any field. Specially business. If you cannot identify the Anomalies and have to Chatgpt everything then you cannot actually study properly

The chapter name gives you a hint before you’ve even started. You already have some idea of which method you’re going to need.

Try taking six questions from three topics you’ve already covered and mixing them onto one page. Leave off the chapter names and exercise headings. Keep the full questions and diagrams, and pick questions that don’t tell you which method to use.

Before solving each one, jot down how you’d start and why. Just a few words. Then do the working.

When you check your answer, check that first decision too. Did you pick a sensible method and drop a minus sign halfway through? Or did you know the formula but fail to spot where to use it?

If you got stuck choosing, look at a worked example and figure out what makes that method fit the question. Then try a fresh one without looking.

That gives you something specific to practise beyond I’m bad at maths.

Here are 3 study techniques that can change the way you learn. 👇

1. Active Recall: Close the Book. Open Your Brain.

After reading a topic, close your book and explain everything you remember. Write down the key points without looking at your notes.

Struggling to remember something isn’t failure. The effort of retrieving information is part of the learning process.

2.Spaced Repetition: Stop Cramming. Start Revisiting.

Instead of studying a topic once and forgetting it, revisit it at increasing intervals.

3.The Feynman Technique: Teach It Like You’re Five.

Choose a difficult concept and explain it in the simplest words possible, as if you were teaching a beginner.

If you need complicated words to hide the fact that you don’t understand something, go back and learn it again.

Need to learn chemistry before taking my course in university for General & Inorganic Chemistry (Theory & Lab) what do i watch? I'm pretty had at chemistry and need to start from 0 i just want some simple basics since i never studied in english