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5 Study Habits That Actually Work (Backed by Science)

By the Peakly Education Team • April 2026 • 5 min read

Most students study the wrong way. They re-read their notes, highlight textbooks in five colours, and cram for hours the night before an exam. These methods feel productive, but decades of cognitive science research show they are among the least effective ways to learn. Here are five study techniques that are genuinely proven to work—and how to use them.

1. Active Recall: Test Yourself Instead of Re-Reading

Active recall means retrieving information from memory without looking at your notes. It is the single most powerful study technique researchers have identified. A landmark 2011 study published in the journal Science found that students who practised retrieval retained 50% more material than students who simply re-read or created concept maps.

How to use active recall:

• Flashcards: Write a question on one side and the answer on the other. Test yourself repeatedly, removing cards you consistently get right.
• Blank page method: After reading a section of your textbook, close it and write down everything you can remember on a blank page. Then check what you missed.
• Practice questions: Instead of reading worked examples, attempt the problems yourself first, then check the solution.

The key insight is that the effort of trying to remember something strengthens your memory far more than passively looking at it. If it feels difficult, that is the point—difficulty during practice means durability during the exam.

2. Spaced Repetition: Spread Your Study Over Time

Spaced repetition is the practice of reviewing material at increasing intervals rather than in one long session. The "spacing effect" was first documented by psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus in 1885 and has been replicated in hundreds of studies since.

Here is why it works: when you study something once and then revisit it just as you are about to forget it, the act of re-learning strengthens the memory trace more than if you had never forgotten it. Each time you successfully recall the material after a longer gap, it becomes more deeply encoded.

A practical spaced repetition schedule:

1. Day 1: Learn new material.
2. Day 2: Review it for 10 minutes.
3. Day 5: Review again.
4. Day 12: Review again.
5. Day 30: Final review before the exam.

Apps like Anki automate this process using an algorithm that schedules reviews at optimal intervals. But even a simple calendar reminder system works well.

3. Interleaving: Mix Up Your Subjects

Most students practise by doing twenty algebra problems in a row, then twenty geometry problems, then twenty statistics problems. This is called "blocked practice," and while it feels efficient, research shows it produces worse long-term results than "interleaving"—mixing different types of problems together in a single session.

A 2014 study in the Journal of Educational Psychology found that students who interleaved their maths practice scored 43% higher on a delayed test compared to those who used blocked practice. The reason is that interleaving forces your brain to identify which strategy applies to each problem, rather than mindlessly repeating the same method.

How to interleave effectively:

• In a one-hour maths session, alternate between calculus, probability, and algebra problems rather than doing 60 minutes of one topic.
• When studying multiple subjects in an evening, switch between them every 30 to 45 minutes.
• When revising for an exam, mix up questions from different chapters rather than going chapter by chapter.

4. Elaborative Interrogation: Ask "Why?" Constantly

Elaborative interrogation is a fancy term for a simple idea: instead of just memorising a fact, ask yourself why it is true. This forces you to connect new information to things you already know, creating stronger memory links.

For example, instead of memorising "Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell," ask yourself: Why do cells need a dedicated organelle for energy production? How does the structure of the mitochondria relate to its function? What happens to the cell if the mitochondria stop working?

Research published in the Review of Educational Research shows that elaborative interrogation produces significantly better learning outcomes than simple reading or note-taking, even when total study time is the same.

Practical application:

• After learning any new concept, write three "why" or "how" questions about it.
• Try to explain the concept to someone else (or an imaginary audience) without looking at your notes.
• Connect new material to real-world examples or personal experiences.

5. Dual Coding: Combine Words and Visuals

Dual coding theory, developed by psychologist Allan Paivio, suggests that we process and remember information better when it is presented in both verbal and visual formats. This does not mean you need to be a "visual learner"—the research shows dual coding benefits everyone regardless of their preferred learning style.

How to apply dual coding:

• Diagrams and flowcharts: Turn text-heavy notes into visual diagrams. For biology, draw the process. For history, create a timeline. For chemistry, sketch the molecular structures.
• Mind maps: Start with a central concept and branch out to related ideas, using colours and simple icons.
• Annotated images: Find or draw a relevant image, then label it with key facts and explanations.

The key is that the visual and verbal representations should complement each other, not just duplicate the same information. A diagram of the water cycle with labels teaches more than a paragraph describing the water cycle and a separate picture of rain.

What Does NOT Work (Despite Feeling Productive)

For completeness, here are common study methods that research consistently shows are ineffective:

• Re-reading notes: Creates a false sense of familiarity without building genuine understanding.
• Highlighting: Makes your textbook colourful but does not improve recall in any measurable way.
• Copying notes word-for-word: Engages your hand but not your brain. Paraphrasing in your own words is far more effective.
• Listening to music with lyrics: Splits your attention and reduces the quality of encoding.

Putting It All Together

The best study routine combines several of these techniques. A typical effective study session might look like this: spend 25 minutes on active recall for subject A (testing yourself with flashcards or practice problems), then switch to 25 minutes of elaborative interrogation for subject B (reading new material and asking "why?" questions), then finish with 10 minutes of spaced review for material you covered last week. This interleaved, active approach will consistently outperform three hours of passive re-reading.