If you have ever spent hours reading textbooks, highlighting important sentences, watching lectures, or rewriting notes but still struggled to remember the material during an exam, you are not alone. The best way to study is not necessarily to study for longer; it is to study in a way that makes your brain actively process, retrieve, and connect information. Modern research in cognitive psychology strongly supports learning strategies such as retrieval practice and spaced practice, while other techniques such as elaboration, interleaving, concrete examples, and dual coding can also strengthen learning when used appropriately. A major review published in Nature Reviews Psychology explains that spacing and retrieval practice have substantial evidence behind them and can improve learning across different contexts.
For students preparing for school exams, college assessments, university courses, professional certifications, or simply learning a new skill, the goal should be to replace passive studying with active learning. That means asking yourself questions, solving problems without immediately checking the answer, explaining concepts in your own words, revisiting material over multiple days, and testing what you can remember. Once you understand how memory and learning work, studying becomes less about sitting at a desk for endless hours and more about using your available time intelligently.
What Is the Best Way to Study?
The best way to study is to combine active recall, spaced practice, focused study sessions, practice questions, and self-explanation rather than relying mainly on rereading or highlighting. There is no single technique that works identically for every person or subject, but research consistently supports several strategies that make learning more durable.
Two particularly well-supported methods are retrieval practice and spaced practice. Retrieval practice means deliberately bringing information back from memory instead of simply looking at it again. Spaced practice means distributing your study sessions over time rather than trying to learn everything in one long session. Research reviews describe these strategies as broadly useful for improving learning and long-term retention.
A practical study session might therefore look like this: learn a concept, close your notes, explain what you remember, answer several questions without looking at the solution, check your mistakes, and then return to the same material a few days later. This process creates more mental effort than simply rereading, but that effort is part of what makes the information easier to retrieve later.
1. Use Active Recall Instead of Only Rereading
One of the most effective ways to study is active recall, also called retrieval practice. Instead of repeatedly reading the same chapter, close your textbook or notes and attempt to reconstruct the information from memory. You might write down everything you remember about a topic, answer questions from memory, create your own quiz, use flashcards, or explain a concept aloud without looking at your study materials.
For example, imagine you are studying photosynthesis. Instead of reading the definition five times, close your book and ask yourself: What is photosynthesis? Where does it happen? What are the main inputs and outputs? Why is sunlight important? After answering, compare your response with your textbook and identify what you missed. This turns studying into a form of practice rather than simple exposure to information.
The University of California San Diego specifically recommends recalling information from memory after putting lecture slides, notes, or textbooks aside, then checking the accuracy of the recalled information and repeating the process.
2. Use Spaced Practice to Avoid Last-Minute Cramming
Another important answer to the question “what is the best way to study?” is to spread your learning across multiple sessions. This is known as spaced practice.
Cramming can make information feel familiar because you have just seen it repeatedly, but familiarity is not the same as durable learning. Spaced practice gives you repeated opportunities to retrieve information after some time has passed. The Learning Scientists describe spaced practice as studying information across multiple sessions rather than concentrating all of the studying into one session, and research has demonstrated benefits across different types of learning.
For example, instead of studying a chapter for four hours on Sunday night, you could study it for 45–60 minutes on Monday, review it briefly on Wednesday, test yourself on Friday, and complete additional practice the following week. You may spend a similar amount of total time, but you create several opportunities to retrieve and strengthen the knowledge.
A useful rule is simple: learn today, recall tomorrow, review later, and test yourself again before the exam.
3. Create a Realistic Study Schedule
A study schedule gives your learning structure and reduces the temptation to postpone difficult subjects. However, an effective schedule should be realistic rather than packed with unrealistic goals.
Start by listing your subjects, upcoming exams, assignments, and the topics you need to master. Then divide large subjects into smaller units. Instead of writing “study biology” on your schedule, write something specific such as “review cell division and complete 15 practice questions.” Specific goals make it easier to start and easier to measure progress.
Your schedule should also include breaks, sleep, meals, exercise, and time away from screens. Studying continuously for many hours is not automatically better. What matters is the quality of your attention and the effectiveness of what you do during that time.
4. Study in Focused Sessions
When you study, remove as many distractions as possible. Put your phone away or activate a focus mode, close unnecessary browser tabs, silence irrelevant notifications, and keep only the materials required for the current task.
You can experiment with study intervals such as 25 minutes of focused work followed by a short break, or longer 45–60 minute sessions followed by a meaningful break. The ideal length depends on the subject, your concentration, and your personal circumstances.
The important point is not to become obsessed with a specific timer. Instead, use focused sessions to create a clear boundary between study time and distraction time. During the session, your task should be specific enough that you know exactly what successful completion looks like.
5. Explain Difficult Topics in Your Own Words
If you cannot explain a concept simply, you may not understand it as well as you think.
After studying a topic, close your materials and explain it as though you were teaching someone who has never encountered it before. Avoid copying textbook language. Use your own examples, comparisons, diagrams, and simple explanations.
This technique is particularly useful for subjects involving concepts and relationships rather than pure memorization. For example, if you are studying economics, don’t only memorize the definition of inflation. Explain what inflation means, why it can happen, how it affects consumers, and give a real-world example.
This approach also helps expose gaps in your knowledge. When you reach a point where your explanation becomes vague, that is a signal to return to the material and investigate that specific area.
6. Practice With Questions and Problems
For subjects such as mathematics, accounting, physics, chemistry, programming, and statistics, reading examples is not enough. You need to solve problems yourself.
Start by studying a worked example so you understand the process. Then close the solution and attempt a similar problem independently. If you make a mistake, don’t simply look at the correct answer and move on. Identify exactly where your reasoning went wrong.
For theory-heavy subjects, use practice questions, short-answer questions, essay prompts, or self-created quizzes. Retrieval practice is useful because it requires you to bring information to mind rather than simply recognize it on a page. The Learning Scientists note that retrieval practice can strengthen learning and also help students identify what they do and do not understand.
7. Mix Related Topics Through Interleaving
Once you have a basic understanding of several topics, consider interleaving, which means mixing related topics or problem types instead of completing one type repeatedly before moving to another.
For example, a mathematics student might practice algebra, geometry, percentages, and equations in the same study session rather than completing 30 identical questions in a row.
Interleaving can initially feel more difficult because you must determine which method applies to each problem. However, that challenge can be useful because exams often require you to identify the appropriate approach without being told which formula or method to use.
Research on learning strategies identifies interleaving alongside retrieval practice, spacing, elaboration, concrete examples, and dual coding as important evidence-supported approaches.
8. Use Flashcards the Right Way
Flashcards can be excellent tools, but only if you use them for retrieval practice rather than recognition.
A weak flashcard might contain a large paragraph on the front and the same paragraph on the back. A better flashcard asks one clear question.
For example:
Front: What are the three main stages of cellular respiration?
Back: Glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation.
Try answering before flipping the card. If you cannot remember the answer, study it briefly and test yourself again later.
You can use physical cards or digital flashcard applications. The tool matters less than the method: attempt to recall first, then check the answer.
9. Use Different Forms of Representation
Some subjects become easier when information is represented in more than one way. You might combine written explanations with diagrams, timelines, charts, formulas, examples, or concept maps.
This can be particularly useful when learning processes or relationships. For example, a history student could combine written notes with a timeline of major events. A biology student could draw a labeled process. A business student could turn a written concept into a flowchart.
The goal isn’t to make your notes look attractive. The goal is to create useful representations that help you understand relationships between ideas.
10. Review Your Mistakes Instead of Ignoring Them
One of the most valuable study habits is keeping track of mistakes.
Whenever you get a practice question wrong, write down:
- What question did I miss?
- What answer did I give?
- What is the correct answer?
- Why was my answer wrong?
- What should I remember next time?
This creates a personal mistake log. Before an exam, review this document because it highlights the areas where your understanding is weakest.
Don’t treat mistakes as evidence that you are bad at a subject. Treat them as information about what needs more practice.
The Best Study Routine for an Average Student
If you want a simple routine, try this structure:
Step 1: Preview — Spend a few minutes identifying what you need to learn.
Step 2: Learn — Read, watch the lesson, attend class, or review your textbook.
Step 3: Recall — Close your materials and write or say what you remember.
Step 4: Practice — Complete questions or problems without immediately checking answers.
Step 5: Correct — Review mistakes and identify weak areas.
Step 6: Space — Return to the material after a day or several days.
Step 7: Test — Complete a mixed or cumulative practice session before the actual exam.
This approach combines several evidence-supported strategies instead of depending on one technique. Research reviews emphasize that spacing and retrieval are especially well-supported, while other strategies can complement them depending on the subject and learning goal.
Common Study Mistakes to Avoid
Many students spend considerable time studying but receive disappointing results because their methods create a feeling of learning without enough retrieval or application. One common mistake is repeatedly rereading the same chapter because the material begins to look familiar. Another is highlighting almost every sentence, which makes it difficult to distinguish the most important information. Cramming the night before an exam is another common problem because it concentrates learning into one period rather than giving the brain multiple opportunities to retrieve the material over time. Research on learning techniques has found that commonly used methods such as rereading and highlighting are not necessarily as effective for long-term learning as more active approaches.
Another mistake is spending too much time making perfect notes and too little time testing yourself. Notes can be useful, but they should support learning rather than replace it. Your ultimate goal is not to create beautiful pages; it is to understand the material and retrieve or apply it when required.
How Many Hours Should You Study Every Day?
There is no universal number of hours that guarantees academic success. A student’s ideal study time depends on their age, course load, difficulty of the material, deadlines, existing knowledge, concentration, and personal schedule.
Instead of setting a goal such as “I will study for eight hours,” set a goal based on meaningful work: “I will complete two focused study sessions, recall the chapter without notes, and solve 20 practice questions.”
Quality matters. Two focused hours using retrieval practice and problem-solving can be more productive than several hours of distracted rereading.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to study for exams?
The best approach is to combine spaced practice, active recall, practice questions, and review of mistakes. Start preparing early rather than waiting until the night before the exam.
Is active recall better than rereading?
For long-term learning, active recall has strong research support because it requires you to retrieve information from memory. Rereading can still be useful when first learning unfamiliar material, but it should not be your only study method.
How can I study faster and remember more?
Focus on high-value learning activities rather than simply increasing study hours. Use active recall, spaced practice, practice questions, concise explanations, and distraction-free sessions.
Is studying at night better than studying in the morning?
There is no universal best study time. Choose a period when you can consistently concentrate and fit studying around your sleep and other responsibilities. Consistency and effective study methods matter more than following a specific time of day.
How can I remember what I study for longer?
Use spaced retrieval. Study a topic, recall it without notes, check your mistakes, and return to it after increasing intervals. Research reviews identify spacing and retrieval as particularly well-supported approaches for durable learning.
Are flashcards good for studying?
Yes, when used correctly. Ask yourself a question, attempt to answer from memory, and then check the answer. Flashcards become less useful when you simply flip through them without actively attempting recall.
What should I do if I cannot concentrate while studying?
Remove obvious distractions, define one specific task, use a manageable study session, and take planned breaks. If your concentration problems are persistent or significantly affecting daily life, consider discussing them with an appropriate professional rather than assuming they are simply a lack of disciplin
Conclusion: What Is the Best Way to Study?
So, what is the best way to study? The answer is not to sit with a textbook for as many hours as possible. The most effective approach is to study actively, return to information over time, test your understanding, practice applying knowledge, and learn from your mistakes.
If you only change two habits, start with active recall and spaced practice. These strategies have strong support from research and can be applied across many subjects and learning situations.
A strong study system can be summarized in one simple formula:
Learn → Recall → Practice → Correct → Space → Repeat.
You do not need a perfect study routine from day one. Start with one or two evidence-based changes, measure whether they improve your understanding, and gradually build a routine that fits your subject and lifestyle. The goal is not simply to study more. The goal is to make every study session more useful.