Five Effective Ways to Study Better in 2026

Don’t burn yourself out trying to absorb every bit of info at once 😵‍💫

Studying can be a pain and it can be difficult to find the right techniques that actually work. Here’s how to learn the information you need to know, rather than just memorising it for an exam or test.  

Plus, it’ll help you cut down on the hours that you spend sitting at your desk simply reading and writing notes when there are more effective ways to remember and understand what you’re reading.  

#1 Don’t spend hours writing notes. 

Don’t write down what’s already in the book or what’s already been written. Instead of writing down everything that you see, write down questions that point towards a particular topic or theorem.  

This way, you’re focusing on studying the material rather than just pointless writing. 

Example: Question: What is the hypothalamus? Give an example of what it does and how it functions. What causes problems with it? 

Incorporate why, how, when, who, what and where questions into your notes where appropriate. You can then do active recall and study the same questions later for spaced repetition. 

 #2 Get comfy and avoid distractions. 

Choose a comfortable and well-lit study environment, minimising distractions to keep you focused and concentrated. Unfortunately, this means no studying on the bed. 

Before you start studying, ensure you have everything you need including a water bottle to keep you hydrated, your notes, papers, textbooks, laptop etc. 

Keep your phone away from you or use an app like Forest to keep you from getting distracted. 

You can also download Chrome extensions that block websites for a specific amount of time (prevent doom scroll sessions before they start). 

#3 Plan effectively. 

If you have a lot of subjects to tackle, it can be really overwhelming and feel a lot easier to just not study rather than try to tackle the mountain of work piled up on your desk. 

Create a study schedule that breaks down your tasks into manageable sessions. We recommend using a weekly schedule to block out when you have classes, work, social commitments so you can pencil in time to study for different subjects or units on different days. 

Ensure there’s a balance between subjects and topics to keep yourself from getting overwhelmed. 

#4 Study in a variety of ways. 

Use different study techniques like writing flashcards or using a platform like Quizlet, give a presentation on the information to yourself, a friend or family member (you can even use a stuffed animal) to ensure you understand the information to the point of being able to talk about it without notes. 

Give yourself breaks in between when needed. A useful technique is the tried-and-true Pomodoro method. 

The Pomodoro method breaks work into 25-minute, distraction-free intervals called "pomodoros," separated by 5-minute breaks, using a timer. After four cycles, take a longer 15-30 min break to prevent burnout. 

It’s a good idea to take a step away from socials when you take the longer break and go for a walk, sit outside with a cup of tea or coffee, talk to a friend on the phone, go to the gym, do some drawing or read something light like a fiction novel. 

#5 Use past papers. 

Utilise past papers where possible and ensure you’re testing yourself continuously on what you’re studying to really make sure you can go into that room on your test or exam day prepared. 

Also, make sure you’re not pulling all-nighters and you get the sleep you need. You don’t want to be a lack of rest the reason why you’re struggling to remember a topic. 

You can check out our articles page for more tips and tricks on studying effectively, with free downloadables for study planners, essay planners and more.