Study techniques are literally the only reason I’m not still retaking Calculus I in community college, swear to God. Like, picture this: it’s 2019, I’m in a dorm that smells like ramen and regret, and I’m highlighting an entire textbook in neon pink because “color = memory,” right? Wrong. Two days later I couldn’t tell you what a derivative was. Anyway, fast-forward to now—October 31, 2025, I’m 28, sipping burnt Dunkin’ from a chipped “World’s Okayest Grad Student” mug in my tiny Philly apartment, and these study techniques actually work. No cap.
Why My Old Study Techniques Were Straight Trash
Back then I’d just reread notes like a raccoon staring at a locked dumpster. Zero retention. My brain treated info like Tinder—swipe left, gone forever. Then I failed a biochem midterm so bad the TA wrote “see me” in red pen that still haunts my nightmares. That’s when I started stealing study techniques from Reddit threads at 3 a.m. while stress-eating Takis. Link to PMC study on passive vs active learning
Study Techniques #1: Active Recall (The One That Hurt My Feelings)
Active recall is just closing the book and grilling yourself like a suspect in a cop show. I started with index cards—front: “What’s the Krebs cycle?” back: my chicken-scratch answer. First try? Blank stare. Second try? Cried in the library bathroom. Third try? Actually remembered. Now I do it in the shower, yelling glycolysis steps over the sound of my broken water heater. Pro tip: use Anki—it’s free and judges you less than your ex.
Study Techniques #2: Spaced Repetition (Ghosting Your Notes, But Make It Strategic)
Cramming is like chugging a Monster, then crashing—spaced repetition is sipping coffee all day. I set phone reminders to quiz myself on org chem functional groups every 1 day, then 3, then 7. Sounds nerdy, but I passed with a B+ while my roommate was still googling “aldehyde vs ketone” during finals. My Anki deck now has 4,237 cards and a streak longer than my last situationship.
Study Techniques #3: Feynman Method (Explain It Like I’m Drunk)
Named after some physicist, but I call it the “barstool lecture.” I pretend I’m explaining mitosis to my Uber driver (shoutout to Jamal, who now knows about metaphase). Last week I taught my cat quantum superposition using string cheese as electrons. She walked away, but I remembered. Write it simple, find gaps, fill gaps. Boom.
Study Techniques Interlude: The Time I Drew a Mind Map on a Pizza Box
True story: 2 a.m., Domino’s box, marinara stains as “cell membrane.” My roommate thought I lost it. Turned out visualizing signal transduction pathways on greasy cardboard stuck better than any PowerPoint. Mind maps are just doodling with purpose—try it on whatever’s in front of you. Napkin? Receipt? Your roommate’s forehead? (Don’t.)
Study Techniques #4: Pomodoro (Because My Attention Span Is a Goldfish)
25 minutes study, 5 minutes scroll TikTok—repeat. I use a kitchen timer shaped like a tomato because irony. During breaks I do push-ups in my living room, which is also my kitchen, which is also where I found a Cheeto from 2023. The rhythm keeps me from doom-scrolling study techniques instead of actually studying. Link to original Pomodoro paper
Study Techniques #5: Interleaving (Mixing It Up So Your Brain Doesn’t Nap)
Don’t study one topic for three hours—jump between them like a chaotic playlist. Monday: 20 min derivatives, 20 min integrals, 20 min stats. My brain hated it at first (kept mixing up formulas), but by exam day I could switch gears faster than a Philly driver. It’s like cross-training for your neurons.
Study Techniques #6-10: The Rapid-Fire Ones That Saved My Thesis
- Dual coding: Draw and write. My immunology notes? Half diagrams of T-cells high-fiving, half bullet points.
- Self-quizzing: Make Google Forms at 1 a.m. titled “don’t fail me again.”
- Teach someone: I explained ANOVA to my mom over FaceTime; she baked me cookies. Win-win.
- Sleep: Napped with my textbook as a pillow—woke up with Gibbs free energy imprinted on my cheek.
- Walk: Pace my 400 sq ft apartment muttering mnemonics. Neighbors think I’m arguing with myself. Accurate.
The One Study Technique I Still Suck At
Elaboration. Supposed to connect new info to old, but my brain goes “photosynthesis… like… salad?” and derails. Working on it. Progress, not perfection, right?
Wrapping This Ramble Up (Conclusion, Kinda)
Look, these study techniques won’t make you Einstein, but they’ll stop you from blanking on the final like I did sophomore year (still can’t hear “mitochondria” without PTSD). Pick one, screw it up, tweak it, scream a little. That’s how retention happens. Anyway, I gotta go—my Anki deck is judging me and the Dunkin’ is cold.
Your turn: Drop your worst study fail in the comments. I’ll send a virtual high-five and maybe a sticky note that says “you got this.” Now go retain some information before Netflix tempts you.
