A simple 3-step Framework using Active Recall to actually remember what you studied
I’ve been practicing for over 6 years how to sum up what I’ve learned in a day of studying and find out where I need to study more.
Along the way, I have done all sorts of things to try to get better:
- Read the book How to Become a Straight A Student by Cal Newport
- Listened to the podcast Inforium by Thomas Frank
- I asked the best students I know for help
- etc.
And all of these things helped me a ton.
If I had to start all over again (as a beginner), this is simple framework I wish I had on how to use Active Recall to remember what you studied
Step #1: After a day of studying, take a blank sheet of A4 paper
Lay it out in portrait or landscape format. On the far left, write all the letters from A to Z underneath each other:
- A
- B
- […]
- Z
You should now have 26 letters and lines.
Step #2: Set a timer for 5 minutes
Write down everything that comes to mind about your topic. Do not go chronologically from A to Z, but crisscross whatever comes to your mind.
E.g., learning about “Building resilience”:
- M: More challenging things
- F: Find resilient friends
- V: Vipassana meditation
- etc.
The first word must begin with one of the letters you haven’t used yet.
Step #3: Make the ABC list after each studying day
You can take out all the ABC lists one day before the test. You can look over the most important parts of each learning day to reactive your memory. It looks like this, for example:
- ABC List Day 1: Subjects 1, 3 and 4
- ABC List Day 2: Subjects 2, 8
- ABC List Day 3: Subjects 9
- etc.
You have now summarized the most important points for yourself.
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