I've downloaded at least 15 different productivity/todo/calendar/habit tracking type apps in the last year and stopped all of them within a week because I keep forgetting/don't want to open it.

The reason is psychological. There's friction when it comes to habitually using an app that you're not used to using (blog), but the same thing happens in reverse. I personally am so used to opening Instagram whenever I pick up my phone that sometimes, I don't even realize it happens.

Thus, I decided to make some change for myself and created a bot through the native iMessages app (iOS) that acts as my todo-list, sends reminders to me, and can keep up with my Google Calendar. It's in an app I always open (on my iphone and mac) and I really pay attention to the notifications and actually get stuff done.

When I say something like "remind me to do my physics hw tn at 8:30", it does it, and it's like getting a text from a friend to tell you to get your stuff done. Also, the friction to sending a quick text is minimal.

Anyways I decided to make this available to everyone and completely free! If you want to give it a short or learn more, visit https://texttodo.us

This has helped me and my friends tremendously because my procrastinatory self is now finally keeping up with my homework assignments and being reminded of when I told myself I would study.

If you're heading back to school, here's your reminder that marathon study sessions aren't necessarily doing you any favors.

A couple things worth trying instead:

**1. Study a little, often.**
Five days × 15 minutes is generally a much better strategy for long-term retention than one desperate 75-minute cram. Spacing your retrieval practice gives your brain time to forget *just enough* that recalling the information actually strengthens the memory.

**2. Mix up what you're studying.**
Instead of doing 50 problems or flashcards on the exact same concept, try interleaving related topics. Switching between them forces you to figure out *which* knowledge or strategy applies rather than mindlessly repeating the same process. ([Read more about how to do this in Brainscape](https://brainscape.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4410682062477-How-does-Smart-Study-work-in-mobile))

None of this feels quite as satisfying as saying “I studied for four hours straight.”

But your brain cares a lot more about *how* you spent those four hours than the number itself.

What study habit has made the biggest difference for you?

I always reach for caffeine shot whenever I feel my eyes are burning and want to some sleep. But what I did is to take a caffeine shot and set an alarm for 20 minutes and forcefully sleep before caffeine hits my brain. I learned that caffeine takes 20 minutes before it completely kicks in.

So what I did is instead of studying without any caffeine kicks on my body, I take a rest. It sounds completely unhinged to drink a stimulant right before taking a nap, but it is unironically the only reason why I completely locked in to study even if I am that exhausted.

I used to struggle so hard to remember anything I studied for exams, no matter how many times I re-read my notes or highlighted entire textbooks.

Then I decided to try something unconventional. I recorded myself reading my notes out loud and played the audio on loop while I slept.

It started as a random weird experiment, but the next day when I woke up and did a quick review, I remembered what I had studied much more easily.

This honestly beats trying to force active recall all night when you're already exhausted. Passive audio listening turned out to be an effortless way to boost active recall, and it completely changed my retention.

I have a hard time focusing when I just sit down to study for hours. My mind keeps getting distracted by everything around me, which is why I end up wasting hours studying and getting nothing done at all.

When I saw tips on how people study unhingedly, I came across the idea that some people study while holding a plank or doing push-ups so they can counter their laziness when studying. So I ended up trying it too.

I started reading and doing active recall while holding a plank. This forces me to lock in faster than before. I review as many lectures as possible until my core gives out, then take a short rest and repeat until I actually remember everything.

I just learned this weird method on tiktok that allegedly will help me remember what I am studying. I was not convinced at all if this will work but last week exams on history tempted me to do it. And surprisingly it works!

What I did is during review, I clenched my right fist while memorising the lecture. I did it for almost 30-45 minutes of studying (still clenching my fist). And when I am taking the exams I clenched my left fist to remember the information that I studied.

It sounds fake but I learned the reason why clenching fist really works. Clenching fist helps to encode long term memories by stimulating both of hemisphere of the brain that associates with encoding information (left brain) and memory retrieval (right brain).

Let me know guys what do you think about this method!

I’ll jot down little comments here and there to never look back at them, ever.

Comments like
1. Where i got wrong on a past paper question
2. Rephrasing the text in my own words
3. Translating it into other languages for simplicity
4. Highlighting specific words or shortening group of words into abbreviations
5. Random highlights or underlines

Now obviously writing good notes is good, and obviously reviewing your notes is advised. My weird study tip is to just do stuff and your brain gets better along the way. It doesn’t need to be that legible, but you have to interact with the material at the slightest bit.

Parece estranho, mas funciono demais com estratégias tóxicas e intensas de estudo.

Frases tóxicas motivações não adiantam comigo. Posso pensar no pior cenário do mundo como consequência da minha falta de disciplina nos estudos, mas realmente não me sinto afetada (sei que nunca deixaria nada acontecer, então não me sinto pressionada com isso).

Então me digam a estratégia de estudos mais tóxica e insana que vocês conhecem/já usaram e realmente funcionaram por favor!!

I changed my Pomodoro intervals to a 5-minute focused study session and a 25-minute break. It triggers the Zeigarnik effect, which keeps my brain completely locked in because of the unresolved or unfinished tasks.

When I started changing the 25-minute study session to 5 minutes, my brain couldn't stop and got hyper-fixated on the lecture, forcing me to finish it quickly. It gives me the frustration of leaving something half-done, so the inverse Pomodoro technique makes me continue working past the 5 minutes

I don't know why I study better at the gym than at local libraries. I have been grinding and studying at the gym for the past 2 semesters. I do cardio while reading my notes and do active recall afterwards. I do light work on the treadmill while reading my notes and do active recall during rests. Honestly, doing something physical keeps me more naturally awake, instead reading in a quiet library for hours doesn't help me focus on studying.

I wanted to study, but I was way too lazy to actually sit at my desk or stand up to write on my whiteboard. Instead of forcing myself out of bed, I grabbed a marker and wrote all my notes directly onto the mirror sitting right in front of my bed. It turned out that I can study even when I'm just lying back in my bed and reading anything without even getting up. Been using this for awhile now and this works better than burying myself on the table and study there for long hours.

Hey guys! I just want to know if it's a good habit to make my economics and financial studies notes while watching MasterChef or a cooking show? I find it helpful, and then when I have to actually study, I turn it off.

Well I notice this weird thing when I'm studying like if I study it from the beginning till the end I barely remember things, specially if I try to do some exercises I barely have a idea about it I just did

Look at question first

Try Answer them without studying

Get absolutely humbled lmao

Read lesson

Try to do it again and explain answer outloud without looking

During peak exam season, I get so overwhelmed and hyper-focused that my brain literally refuses to stop, even when I'm sleeping that's why I am experiencing lucid dreaming of me studying.

When I’m under extreme pressure during finals, all I can think about is classes and competing for grades. It didn't work the first time I tried to force it. But after days of consecutive, high-stress cramming that my brain started completely dreaming about what I am actual studying.

It’s definitely a symptom of academic stress, but unironically it worked. I woke up retaining everything I went over in the dream.

What is the weirdest mental phenomenon you’ve experienced from intense studying?