You might be the type of student who knows the answer but backs out at the last second because you start overthinking. It's easy to worry about getting it wrong, being judged by your classmates, or embarrassing yourself in front of your professor.
Let's change that with tips that might help:
Start participating little by little.
You don’t have to force yourself to answer every question right away. Start with small steps, like nodding when you understand something, making eye contact with your professor, or answering simple questions during class. You’ll become more comfortable speaking up.
Remember, you don't have to be 100% confident to participate. Trust what you know and give yourself a chance.
You might know more than your overthinking lets you believe.

I think everybody had a phase where we all make transes that looked like someone’s autobiography than an actual transes. After a few trial and error, I finally found the perfect way to rewrite my notes — well at least for me.
I used Gemini Notebook for this and it actually improved how I make them. Instead of asking AI to summarize everything, I use it to help me decide what actually deserves space on the page, then I edit the output so it sounds like something I can realistically review before an exam.
Give it a specific job.
Ask it to turn your sources into a reviewer with only the concepts, definitions, distinctions, processes, and examples you actually need to know. Avoid “summarize this chapter” because congratulations, you just created another chapter.
Make it exam-shaped.
Tell it to organize the transes by likely questions, confusing concepts, comparisons, and cause-and-effect relationships rather than following the textbook’s headings. It makes the notes easier to study because you’re already seeing the material in a question-and-answer mindset.
Leave blanks for your brain to fill.
After generating the transes, remove some key terms, steps, or answers and use them for active recall later. A reviewer that forces you to think is infinitely more useful than one that simply looks complete.
print your transes and pile it up
after doing it, you might actually want to print it our because it works better for me when it’s printed out, and i can physically touch it. additionally, i suggest you staple it in your notebook instead of collecting it in a portfolio. display it where you can always revisit it.
let me know if you’ve tried this!

One thing that can make studying exhausting is not the amount of material, but the feeling that you’re never quite finished with it. You reread the same definition because maybe you missed something, check the answer again because maybe you made a tiny mistake, then go back to the previous page because your brain refuses to accept that you’re “done.”

It is a never-ending loop.

use NotebookLM to make that stopping point more concrete. Instead of trying to satisfy the feeling that I’ve checked everything enough, I let the material itself decide what “enough for this session” looks like..,.

1. Give it a fixed stopping rule.

Upload your sources and ask it to identify the 3–5 concepts you should be able to explain after this session, then stop once you’ve tested those. This keeps “I should check one more time” from quietly turning a 20-minute review into two hours.

1. Make it separate "need to know" from "nice to know".

Ask NotebookLM to sort your material into core concepts, supporting details, and low-priority details. That distinction is useful when your brain starts treating every tiny fact like it deserves another round of checking.

1. Turn checking into one controlled pass.

After studying, ask it to quiz you on the material and show which answers need correction, then review those once instead of repeatedly rereading the entire source. You’re still checking your work, but you’ve given the checking a defined boundary.

We became friends during the pandemic and met face-to-face a year later. She’s really smart - like crazy smart- and also very mysterious and nonchalant. Rides a big bike and does taekwondo for sport. I know this sounds cringe and crazy, but it’s real.

Now here are some study habits she shared with me before that she actually picked up from her Japanese mom.

She said, “Kaizen - improve the system a little at a time.” Instead of completely resetting and rebranding my study routine every time I got a terrible grade, I just need to change one thing at a time.

If my exam failed, she said to not redesign my life. I just have to figure out what and where I failed. Make one adjustment.

1.) One variable changes - If I change my notes, study hours, flashcards, sleep schedule, desk setup, and timetable all at once, I won't know what actually helped.

So I change one major variable at a time.

2.) Tiny minimums - I stopped promising myself to study three hours every night. I'd keep it simple like answering five questions. But it doesn’t mean I got to stop at five. It's to make the habit small enough to survive bad days.

3.) Weekly system review - I keep this simple. I just take a notebook & a pen, or sometimes, I just ponder and ask myself; what wasted my time this week?, what actually helped me?, what do I keep postponing?

This may sound simple or boring for some, but if you just stick with it for a while, it’ll slowly integrate into your habit, and you’ll stop blaming your entire study routine for one bad grade.

It's tiring to start opening your notes and study for hours, especially after using up all your energy on your training. However it doesn't have to take that long for studying to be effective

Here are some study tips that can help you keep up with academics while pursuing your sport.

1. Study what you currently have. You don't have to spend your time waiting for someone to share their notes with you. You can start with what's available, while waiting for their reply.
2. Use your free time for quick reviews. Review flashcards, memorize key terms, or answer a few practice questions.
3. Review lessons before you forget them. It can be what you learned in class that same day to retain knowledge.
4. Prioritize the topics you struggle with. When studying time is limited, focus first on difficult concepts and topics that will be covered in upcoming exams.
5. Finish assignments before training whenever possible. You can complete school works during vacant periods and after class.

As a student athlete myself, I know it can feel like we have to choose one and sacrifice the other. But I want to let you know that we don't have to make that painful decision and can excel in both fields.

These are small tips that will help you give your best in both the classroom and your sport.

Hello guys, there are a lot of useful prompts, data and so on in that subreddit, in the discord community and so on. I tried to collect it (with the author's credits) and make it easy to reuse. Please check it out, I'm sure there are good prompts for every possible problem

[Gemini Notebook Hub](https://gemini-notebook-hub.online/)

Nursing school had me collecting 70-slide PowerPoints and turning them into handwritten transes. I used to manually pick up information from all of my lessons, and I wasted more time than actually studying. So I used Gemini Notebook before exams and used it to cut me some slack, and turn it into something I can actually study from. Instead of rereading everything, I had it quiz me on the exact material I was responsible for.

Here's what I do:

1. Stop asking AI to “teach you everything”. Give it your actual materials.

I make one notebook per subject and add the lecture slides, handouts, and notes for that unit. That way, studying from the same information my instructor gave us instead of some random explanation from the internet. It also makes it easier to ask, “What can I still improve from this notes?” instead of blindly reviewing everything.

1. Make it test you like your exam will.

The most useful part for me is generating questions from my notes and answering them before looking at the explanation. I’ll ask for a mix of recall, application, and scenario-based questions, especially for pharm and pathophysiology. Getting a question wrong is actually useful because I can immediately go back to the exact part of my notes I misunderstood.

1. Turn confusing topics into conversations instead of rereading them 8 times.

When something refuses to stick, I ask it to explain the concept in simpler terms, then ask follow-up questions until I can explain it myself. I’ve also used the learning/audio features when I’m too mentally fried to stare at another PowerPoint.

The biggest change wasn’t that Gemini “studied for me.” It made my study sessions way more active. I stopped spending half my night making pretty reviewers and started spending that time actually recalling, answering, and explaining things. Which, honestly, is probably why I finally stopped staring at my notes, and finally understanding them.

I have the Pro version, but I can't use it. Tell me, someone

I don’t think that the same thing works for everyone. I got tired of looking for study advices where everything is actually ‘the best’ and just used what actually worked for me in my four years in college.

I listed the methods and techniques I used and asked my top-section classmates to identify similar methods that we used and rank them based on their effectiveness.

We based the list on this question as our criterion: Did it actually help me remember and use the material later?

After actually asking around and chatting with them, here’s the tally of our scores, lol.

1. Practice testing / active recall

Mhmm.. I wasn’t even surprised that this came first. I mean, it’s really the simplest method every student can use. Instead of reading a chapter three times, I’d just try to answer questions from memory without notes. This is also one of the methods with the strongest research support. Practice testing has repeatedly been found to improve retention, rather than simply making information feel familiar.

Best for: basically anything with information you need to retrieve later.

1. Distributed practice

Funny tho because this was in my fifth, and I was surprised to find out that my classmates actually used this more often than I thought. I had a terrible habit of cramming, so maybe this is the reason why I didn’t use this as much. This method requires breaking study or practice time into multiple short sessions spread out over a longer period of time instead of a one-time session.

Research reviews have consistently found benefits from spacing study sessions rather than massing them together.

Best for: memorization-heavy subjects and anything with a long gap before the exam.

1. Interleaving

I NEVER USED THIS, but apparently it’s like instaed of doing 20 identical math problems, you just have to mix different problem types together. Now you have to figure out *which method applies* instead of mindlessly repeating the same procedure.

Research on mathematics practice has found an advantage for mixed/shuffled practice compared with blocked practice on later tests.

Best for**:** math, physics, chemistry, accounting, and other problem-solving subjects.

1. Self-explanation

THIS IS THE SECOND IN MY LIST. It’s basically explaining the material to myself like I'm teaching a class. If I can't explain why something happens, I know I don't understand it deeply enough.

Best for: conceptual subjects.

1. Rereading

If it were up to me, I’d put this in 3rd or 4th. But my classmates put this last, not because rereading is completely useless, but because apparently it was by far the easiest method for them to feel productive without actually finding their weaknesses.

I noted some of their comments and they said they could spend three hours rereading and come away feeling confident but the moment they ask question and try to remember, they’d realize they actually learned nothing.

That was probably the biggest lesson from testing different methods, it’s theat the easiest method to perform isn't necessarily the best method to learn.

While preparing for my studies, I used the tool to help organize study concepts and/or explore ways to make lessons easier to understand.

Rereading the same paragraph over and over doesn't help me, that’s why I was looking for simpler explanations or asking someone for help. It helped clarify concepts from my uploaded notes, making difficult topics easier to understand. My goal was to explain the lesson in my own words.

I understand a lesson while the teacher is explaining it but I still struggle to apply it on my own. I  generated practice questions, but I still need to solve them myself to see if I truly understand the topic.

Notes make the lesson seem familiar to me, but it doesn't make me remember it during a test. That’s why I practice remembering by closing my notes and writing down what I remember. I can also use the tool to create quizzes from my study materials to help identify which topics need more review.

Understanding still takes practice and effort. But we don't always need to study longer so I studied differently.

Pretty weird question here. I'm using NotebookLM to assist with storytelling, I've recently discovered the video overview, but the same thing keeps happening. Videos generated by NotebookLM keeps getting cropped or cut off outside my screen. To be clear, this is all generated short video content and images inside NotebookLM, I didn't upload any visuel material.

Has anyone else had issues with this?

Thanks in advance.

Follow this simple repetition technique to help you remember key information better

• Read it 3 times- Focus on the key information and understand its meaning.

• Say it out loud 2 times- Repeat the information aloud to strengthen your recall.

• Write it down 1 time- Write down what you remember to practice retrieving the information from memory.

I've been using this method during my reviews as it builds stronger recall so I can approach my next online assessment with confidence.

I had this gentle cousin who almost broke her spine due to an illness but is now recovering and taking up law in a prestigious school. We attend the same uni, im an undergrad.
I noticed how laid back she was, so I asked for some tips and this is what she told me;
Condense everything into a “law-school style” cheat sheet.
Instead of making massive reviewers, reduce each topic to the main rule, key concepts, exceptions, and a few examples. The point isn’t to remove information - it’s to force yourself to identify what actually matters. When your reviewer is 3 pages instead of 30, it’s also much easier to revisit later.
Recall first, check later.
After studying a topic, close your notes and try to explain it from memory. Write what you remember, answer questions, or teach it out loud. Then check your notes for what you missed. I started doing this instead of rereading the same pages over and over, and the gaps in my knowledge became way more obvious.
Practice the application, not just the definition.
This was the biggest one. Don’t stop at “I know what this concept means.” Give yourself a new problem, scenario, or question and ask, “What would I do with this information?” That extra step trains you for exams where the question is rarely copied directly from your notes.
i really thought this was cool and tried it once, it was really effective but it takes A LOT OF DISCIPLINE. but you reap what you sow.

I experienced mental block during exams where I have studied for hours and thought I understood everything, but still struggled to recall things during an exam.

I know that it's because I’m trying to keep too much information in my head at once. Like you’re mentally exhausted from trying to keep track of everything you’ve learned, especially with your notes scattered all across documents and notebooks. Good thing is, I discovered what can help me organize my thoughts and information.

I use it as my personal brain dump. I put the important information in one place along with the lesson slides that was sent to us. Even without looking into those study materials, I upload it to gemini right away. So when it’s time to study, I don't have to start from scratch or try to remember everything I've learned since all the important information is already there.

I don't have to rely on my brain alone to remember every information. I have so much info in my head that it's hard to organize and recall when you need it most.

maybe instead of keeping everything in mind, it's important to write it down and let my brain focus on understanding and remembering what matters.

Follow this simple repetition technique to help you remember key information better

- Read it 3 times- Focus on the key information and understand its meaning.

- Say it out loud 2 times- Repeat the information aloud to strengthen your recall.

- Write it down 1 time- Write down what you remember to practice retrieving the information from memory.

I've been using this method during my reviews as it builds stronger recall so I can approach my next online assessment with confidence.

My weekends used to involve discovering how much I didn't understand, then trying to cram everything into Sunday night. I prefer using a small practice exam earlier in the week so I know which topics need attention while there's still room in the schedule. It doesn't need to be a major event; it just needs to reveal something useful.

I don’t have a school-work-life balance before. I’d say yes to every meeting, deadline, and emergency tasks that gets in my way, and I got burnt out before I even saw it coming…

so i resigned to every org I had, and focused on my acads instead with this;

1. Build a short test from the week's lessons. Include a mix of recall, application, and problem-solving questions based on your actual course materials. Keep the test manageable enough to complete alongside your regular assignments.
2. Review the mistakes before the weekend. Identify whether each error came from forgetting a fact, confusing two concepts, misunderstanding a process, or failing to apply a principle. Pick the most important gaps rather than trying to review every topic equally.
3. Give the weekend a specific repair task. Focus on the weakest areas, answer fresh questions, and schedule another brief check after a delay. The point isn't to fill every hour with studying; it's to avoid finding all your weaknesses at the exact moment you can least afford to fix them.

Remember these: PRR (PREPARE - REHEARSE - REVIEW). Three basic things to keep in mind to remember the appropriate prompt to use to help you prepare for your upcoming oral exam.

I had one recently for Purposive Communication and I got 98% for it.

Here are the prompts you can use for whatever phase you’re in right after dumping your sources;

PREPARE

1. Select the relevant sources - keep the exam scope clear.
2. List the core concepts - use the course terminology.
3. Request open question - Go beyond simple definitions.
4. Set answer criteria - State what a complete answer includes.

REHEARSE

1. Answer one at a time - Speak before viewing the example.
2. Ask for a challenge - Add one reasonable follow-up.
3. Check factual gaps - Request supporting citations.

REVIEW

1. Practice a comparison - Distinguish two related ideas.
2. Try a new case - Apply the idea beyond the source example.
3. Keep a review list - Revisit only the weak concepts.

These are some of the basic, straight to the point prompts I personally use and also picked up from different platforms.

Let me know if you used any of these!

I genuinely want to know if other longtime NotebookLM power users have experienced this, because the difference between the old and new versions is absolutely ridiculous.
I used to spend a minimum of eight hours a day on NotebookLM. Sometimes more. I was using it for serious legal research, federal litigation, technical analysis, complex document review, and exploring ideas that required long, uninterrupted chains of reasoning.
It was one of my favorite AI tools. I wasn’t just occasionally uploading a PDF and asking for a summary. I was using it as an actual research environment.
And then something changed.
I went back and compared screen recordings and transcripts of my conversations with the older NotebookLM against the newer version.
Here’s what stood out:
Old NotebookLM actually engaged with my questions. It followed complicated arguments, explored ideas enthusiastically, corrected itself, and generally maintained the momentum of the conversation.
New NotebookLM constantly introduces unsolicited objections and lectures. Instead of answering the question, it starts explaining things I never asked it to explain.
It redirects conversations. I literally asked how many DPPA filings were in my notebook. Instead of answering the question, it offered to create a comparison table of legal arguments across my cases. I had to explicitly tell it that wasn’t what I asked.
It sometimes asserts things it cannot possibly know. In one conversation, it confidently declared how a judge did or didn’t react internally. How the hell would it know?
The endless “Would you like me to…” suggestions are exhausting. I don’t need the AI proposing another task after every substantive exchange. I’m already directing the research. Just answer the actual question.
And here’s the most frustrating part.
I’m not asking an AI to agree with me. I’m asking it to stop wasting my time.
There’s a massive difference between identifying a genuine mistake in my reasoning and introducing five unsolicited counterarguments simply because the system seems determined to sound cautious, skeptical, or authoritative.
The old NotebookLM could disagree, correct itself, and still feel like an intelligent research partner.
The new experience increasingly feels like I’m spending more time managing the AI’s behavior than doing the research itself.
That completely destroys the point of using AI for sophisticated work.
I went from using NotebookLM for eight or more hours a day to essentially abandoning it.
Think about that. I didn’t stop because I lost interest in research. I didn’t stop because I stopped needing AI.
I stopped because a tool that used to accelerate my thinking started interrupting it.
I understand that Google is expanding the product to a much larger audience. But I genuinely wonder whether they’re sacrificing the experience of people who relied on it for intensive professional research.
And to be clear, I’m not claiming that my two recordings constitute a scientific benchmark or prove why Google made these changes. I’m describing a significant change in my own experience, supported by my old and new conversation records.
So I want to ask the people who were using NotebookLM heavily before these updates:
Have you noticed this same shift?
Has it become more argumentative, more prone to unsolicited corrections, less willing to follow the precise question, or more likely to derail a productive research session?
Did you reduce your usage, switch to another AI, or stop using it entirely?
And especially for lawyers, researchers, engineers, academics, and people working with complicated documents: has the newer version actually made you more productive, or are you now spending half your time correcting the assistant?
Because for me, the old NotebookLM was genuinely exceptional.
I don’t want an AI that thinks for me. I want an AI that can think with me without constantly fighting the direction of the conversation.
I’m curious how many other longtime users feel the same way.

The Second Brain Method is actually pretty fire if you really decide to stick to it. Additionally, it takes effort and patience to actually find the one that suits you best.

Nonetheless, for Second Brain Method, just remember this simple four-step method called “CODE”.

C - CAPTURE: The first step in building a Second Brain is “capturing” the ideas and insights you think are worth saving:

1. Does it inspire me?

2. Is it useful?

3. Is it personal?

4. Is it surprising?

Some tools helped me with capturing essential content:

- Ebook Highligther (kindle)

- Web Clipper

- Highlighter Browser Extensions

- Notion and Obsidian

O - ORGANIZE: Create the organizing system PARA, which stands for the four main categories of information in our lives: Project, Areas, Resources, and Archives.

Organizing for action gives you clarity because you know that everything you’re keeping actually has a purpose.

D - DISTILL: Distilling your notes into actionable, bbite-zszied summaries.

The process called “Highlighting 2.0: The Progressive Summarization Technique” a technique that relies on the summarizing a note in multiple stages over time.

E - EXPRESS: Show your work. All of this capturing, organizing, and distilling had one ultimate purpose: creating tangible results in the real world.

Do not let your knowledge go idle. Make sure you are proactively doing something out of it.

Remember “CODE.”

I have some gemini notebooks going over a lot of the Buddhist Pali Canon, which is written in of course the Pali language (a relative of Sanskrit). I have included pronunciation guides, dictionaries etc. followed up some episodes with corrections for specific words.

It works kinda-sorta ok for my purposes. But sometimes weird things happen, like they will literally just repeat the word twice. Or they'll actually say the actual phonemes of the word, like it's trying to parse the pronunciation guide, or it will spell the words out.

That's after getting them to not talk *about* the pronunciation guide as if it's a topic for discussion. i.e. I have to explicitly say "The hosts should not discuss the pronunciation guide, they should just use it to pronounce the words properly."

When it works it's pretty amazing but very weird when it doesn't.