By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed.
With some rare exceptions, the primary reason for bad test grades is that you didn’t know the material well enough.
Before you shut me down, please hear me out. I know the test was hard. I know the teacher is mean. I know the questions were phrased weirdly. I truly believe you. But the reality is that none of those things would have mattered if you truly knew the material.
I know that can be hard to hear, but it’s my actual job to lay out the facts and teach this stuff.
It’s also my job to help you get to the bottom of WHY you didn’t know the material well enough in the first place.
So let’s start there. There are only two reasons you wouldn’t know the material well enough to get a good grade on a test:
- You didn’t study
- You thought you studied, but you didn’t study the right way
In this blog post, we’re going to focus on reason #2 above. I’ll reveal the top three bad “study methods” many people use, but they’re a total waste of time.
3 “Study Methods” That Are a Total Waste of Time
The three “study methods” in the list below are not only ineffective, but they also cause harm. They’re harmful because they’re very convincing and leave you thinking that you indeed studied — when you indeed did not.
Bad Study Method #1: Rereading Your Textbook
Rereading your textbook is a terrible study method that’s a total waste of time. While reading your textbook and taking notes from the information is a great way to get familiar with material, rereading the text as a form of studying is nothing more than … well, rereading.
Let’s get something very clear here: Studying must involve active recall. When we study, we have to DO something with the information in the form of testing ourselves on it. Flashcards, quizzes, problem sets — these are all terrific active recall study methods, as well as the ones I talk about in this podcast episode here.
On the other hand, when we read or reread text, we’re not DOING anything with the information. We’re not testing ourselves on it. We’re not actively trying to recall it without any trigger cues in front of us. We’re not playing with it or thinking about it; we are simply rereading it. And this, my friends, is not studying.
Here’s a study method that’s better than rereading your textbook:
Make flashcards from the information in the textbook and test yourself using the flashcards. You could also use any of these 10 ways to study with index cards.
If your first response is that making flashcards takes too long, then you’re thinking about this the wrong way.
Making the flashcards is part of the study process. It’s not in the way; it’s not a roadblock to the actual studying… It itself counts as actual studying.
Flipping through your textbook to extract key concepts, vocabulary words, ideas, and other important information and then distilling those concepts onto flashcards is far more effective than passively rereading text.
Better yet, follow what I teach in this video about how to take notes that are easy to study from. If you follow that method, you’ll be able to make study materials directly from your notes instead of going back into the textbook.
Bad Study Method #2: Looking Over Your Notes
Looking over your notes is another fake study method that fools you into thinking you’re actually studying.
More than any bad study method in this list, this is the one I hear most often from disappointed students who get a low test grade they didn’t expect. “But I looked over my notes!” they tell me in near tears. That’s when I explain (often for the second or third time) that looking over notes is just as ineffective as rereading a textbook.
Looking over your notes, even if your notes are amazing, doesn’t work because it’s passive. You’re looking at the information in front of you and recognizing it. Recognizing something as “familiar” makes it dangerous, as being familiar with something is not the same as knowing it. Being able to recognize concepts in your notes is not the same as being able to answer questions about those concepts without notes in front of you.
For example, let’s say you have awesome notes in your Physiology and Anatomy class. In your notes, you have a perfectly labeled diagram of the muscular system. You might look over your notes and say to yourself, Yep! I know that’s the sartorius muscle! I remember that!
But what happens when you have a blank diagram to label and no notes in front of you to reference? Can you label the sartorius muscle then?
Here’s a study method that’s better than looking over your notes:
Turn your notes into something you can test yourself with.
Can you make a quiz by turning each point in your notes into a question? Can you attempt to make a mind map of your notes without looking at them? Can you use the blurting method to study? Can you use the Feynman Technique to study? (The answer to all these questions is yes, in case I lost you.)
At the very least, if you’ve taken two-column notes, fold your notes over to cover the information in the right column and test yourself with the trigger cues in the left column.
The bottom line is that you have to DO something with your notes. “Looking things over” is passive, ineffective, and a total waste of time.
Bad Study Method #3: Reviewing Practice Questions
You might be surprised I’m considering reviewing practice questions a total waste of time (and a fake study method). But let me explain what I mean.
Reviewing practice questions is in the same “bad study method” category as rereading a textbook or looking over your notes. Simply reviewing practice questions is passive, which makes it not a study method at all.
Let’s talk about the word review. When students tell me their bad test grade “makes no sense” because they reviewed all their practice questions, I ask them to explain to me what they mean by review. They tell me they looked over problem sets, went over questions in their worksheets, and looked at questions from previous exams.
But almost never do they tell me they DID the practice questions — only that they REVIEWED them.
Again, unless you’re DOING something with the material and testing yourself on it using active recall study methods, you’re not studying. You’re not learning. You’re … dare I say it again … wasting your time.
For example, let’s say you have awesome math notes. You wrote out the step-by-step process for solving a certain type of math problem. You might review your notes and say to yourself, Yep! That looks right. I remember that process. I know how to do that kind of problem.
But what happens if you have a question to solve on a test and you don’t have that step-by-step process in front of you? Can you solve the problem? Or do you have to look back at your notes?
When we review practice questions (without DOING the practice questions), we again confuse recognition with recall. Just because you recognize how to do a practice question when you see the steps laid out in front of you does not mean you know the material well enough for the test.
The only way to know if you can answer questions ON a test is if you can answer those questions BEFORE a test.
Here’s a study method that’s better than reviewing practice questions:
If you’ve followed along this far, you can probably guess what I’m about to advise. That’s correct: The best way to study practice questions is to DO the practice questions.
Doing practice questions over and over again (to the point that it seems unreasonable) is one of the best ways to study for subjects like math, physics, computer science and chemistry.
Where can you find practice questions to do during your study sessions?
Start with your textbook — it’s full of them. Next, turn to your previous quizzes and tests. Pull practice questions from your notes, your homework and previous classwork assignments. Google practice tests in your subject, and simply skip any questions irrelevant to what you’re learning. Be resourceful. You can find an endless supply of practice questions to test yourself on as a way to study.
Additional Notes About Bad Study Methods
Some common themes connect the 3 bad study methods in the list above. I’m sure you caught what they are. But in case you missed the main point, any study method that’s passive and not active is a bad study method that wastes your time. Words that indicate an activity is passive include reading, rereading, looking over, reviewing, going through and skimming.
On the other hand, active study methods involve one thing: testing yourself on the material with no resources in front of you.
I teach you how to study using the most effective study methods that exist inside SchoolHabits University.
Common Concerns (FAQ) About Going From Passive to Active Studying
Below are the most common concerns I hear from students (inside SchoolHabits University and private clients) when I reveal the uselessness of the above 3 study methods;
What if I have no time to make flashcards?
One study secret I like to share with my students is to make your flashcards gradually throughout the unit. Most students don’t make their flashcards until they begin studying for the test – and this adds stress. Instead, add to your flashcard deck whenever you do an assignment that contains information you’re going to be tested on.
Also, remember: Making your flashcards is part of studying. When you make flashcards, you’re DOING something with the material, which means you’re starting to learn it.
How do I know if I’m studying the right way?
Studying the right way – which is using active recall – is hard. It feels uncomfortable. But this is a sign that you’re on the right track. Most students use passive study techniques because they feel easier. But if you’re not slightly edgy and itchy when studying, you’re not using active recall.
Additionally, here’s how to know if you’re truly ready for a test. (LINK)
How can I test myself if I don’t have quizzes or practice problems?
You have to be resourceful here: Ask your teacher or professor for additional practice questions or previous quizzes. Use your past assignments and block out the answers. As I wrote in the blog post, your best resource is your textbook. You can also make quizzes from your notes. Here’s where I teach you how to make your own quizzes. (LINK)
What should I do if I’ve already studied passively and my test is tomorrow?
It happens. Don’t panic. Simply start where you are.
The first step is to separate what you know from what you don’t know. That way you can focus your time exclusively on what you don’t know. To do this, quickly run through your material, test yourself on it and sort it into two piles.
Next, focus your limited time on active recall for the content you don’t know. Use quick techniques like flashcards, blurting, or quizzing yourself. You could also have someone else quiz you. You may not be able to cover everything, but actively testing yourself on the most high-yield topics will help you retain the information more effectively.
Finally, break your remaining study time into short, focused sessions with breaks in between. This is a variation of the spaced repetition technique. Study the most important concepts, then take a 5–10 minute break, and come back to the material again. Repeat. This method maximizes your retention by taking advantage of spaced repetition, even with the little time you have left.
What if I don’t have enough time to study actively for every subject?
I know school is hard and time is tight, especially if you have after-school activities, sports, or a part-time job. That’s why you need to use the secret of top students who study less. Trust me – it’s a strategy that changes everything.
The post 3 (Bad) Study Methods That Are a Total Waste of Time appeared first on SchoolHabits.
