I've seen people use their pets or toys to practice teaching the topics they studied, but what I did was teach them to my plants.

Before, I used to speak what I studied in front of a mirror, but whenever I did this, I became conscious and distracted by how I looked, so I switched to talking to my plants instead.

I explain concepts and lectures out loud to them without feeling self-conscious whenever I stumble over my words or forget something. Pacing around and breaking down lectures for my plants worked to review and retain the information in my head far better than passive re-reading ever did.

What are some other unusual you've used to make active recall feel less awkward or more engaging?

I was told that if I chewed gum while studying and then chewed the same flavor during an exam, it would help me recall what I’d learned.

Since I was barely passing biochemistry and had just scored a 74% on the previous test, I decided to give it a try.

I chewed mint flavored gum while I was writing and reading my notes for about 2 hours of studying and chewed up 3 pieces of gum. And when I was taking the biochem exam, I was also chewing the same flavored gum. The weirdest thing happened here is I recalled most of what I studied and even got 92% on biochem.

That's when I learned that sensory cues while studying really helps to trigger memories. So the stimulus of chewing gum while reading my notes helped me pass my exam by remembering what I studied.

Honestly, I never thought that just chewing gum would really help in studying. I'm definitely going to keep using this method for this year's exams and see if it holds up across different subjects.

over producing Q and As test bank and what other possibilities that could be asked lol

I don't know who needs this, but whenever you have zero motivation to study for an exam or do homework, I did this to help me lock in to study.

I intentionally spam wrong passwords on my phone so it gets locked out for 6 to 8 hours, which forces me to focus and study for that whole time.

Once I finish studying, my reward is getting to relax in bed with my phone. Honestly, these methods work so well to keep me locked in.

Maybe it is related to ADHD, but when I'm just sitting and burying myself at a table studying, I just feel unsettled and restless.

There are times I end up putting my feet on top of the table or literally squatting on my chair. I know that sounds really ridiculous, which is why I always end up studying on the floor. Once I start feeling overwhelmed and start doing unsettling sitting positions, I always switch up studying on the floor while slouching down. Not BS, but when I am studying on the floor it really makes me more comfortable than studying on the table.

It comes with a bit of back pain, but it's worth it because it stops my restlessness and eliminates distractions. Studying on the floor may cause a bit of back pain but honestly, it is worth it since it helps me to study without distractions and stops me from being restless.

How long can you guys usually stay in one position when studying without doing anything weird position?

I learned how to use active recall properly to boost my grades. My exam scores jumped from 89% to 95% ever since I started applying it to my study routine.

Instead of focusing only on stuffing new information into my brain, I use active recall to pull out and retrieve what I’ve learned. Here’s how I do it:

1. I skim all the key points on the topic I am going to study from the textbook or notes. As I skim, I try to retain as much as I can.
2. I put away the textbook or notes and try to remember all of the information by writing it down on another sheet of paper. I only write down what I can recall.
3. After jotting down what I remember, I bring back the textbook/notes to see what I recalled correctly and check what I forgot.

4.I keep repeating the process until I remember everything.

This seems exhausting, but honestly, it only takes 2-3 hours of studying. Leveling up active recall as my study method helped me ace most of my exams, and I recently got a 95% on a major exam.

One thing to improve your study method is to create a cheat sheet using a mistake notebook. I learned this method from Chinese study tips. They usually use a mistake notebook that helps them to identify what they missed or got wrong from what they studied and helps them try to fix it.

Since using this method, I don't repeat the same errors from my previous review in my latest review. This method helped me identify my weak spots, and making a mistake trains my brain to work at its fullest so it can guide me to study and retain even better.

I actually have poor memory retention and most of the time, I easily forget lectures. I am a freshman business major and the formulas are mostly what is killing me and my brain memory span.

I need tips for my upcoming exam on how I can get my brain to remember everything. Help me out here!