19 Study Hacks That Actually Work (Because Your Brain Deserves Better)

Byfirstclassuni.com

Dear caffeine-fueled, sleep-deprived, degree-chasing student,

Let’s be real: Studying in college often looks like staring at a textbook, refreshing your brain feed and your TikTok feed, crying a little, calling your mum for support, re-reading the same paragraph five times, then deciding it’s snack time. Again.

But what if studying didn’t have to feel like a slow death? 

What if you tried some study hacks that actually work—like, scientifically proven, student-approved, stress-saving hacks?

Buckle up. 

We’re about to turn your study life from chaos to CEO mode.

1. Blurting (a.k.a. The “Fake It Till You Remember It” Method)

It’s simple. You close your notes, grab a blank sheet, and write everything you remember about a topic—no peeking.

Why It Works:

  • Forces your brain to recall, not just recognize info.
  • Shows you exactly what you don’t know (a.k.a. what to study more).
  • Super satisfying when you realize you remember more than you thought.

How to Use It:

  • After learning a topic, take a break.
  • Then, write down what you remember—formulas, facts, keywords.
  • Compare with your notes and fill in the gaps.

If you can’t explain it like you’re on a podcast, you probably don’t know it well enough. Blurting = free rehearsal.

2. Lo-Fi + Noise-Cancelling Headphones = Heaven

The elite pairing of brain-soothing beats and blocking out every single annoying library whisperer.

Why It Works:

  • Lo-fi music has no lyrics to distract you.
  • Helps get you into flow state (science says it’s real).
  • Headphones signal your brain it’s focus time.

How to Use It:

  • Find a playlist on YouTube or Spotify (search “lo-fi girl” or “study beats”).
  • Noise-cancel or turn it up just enough to drown out dorm drama.
  • Use it only when studying so your brain associates it with productivity.

Buy different headphones for studying only. Use your regular headphones for regular music and vibing. That way, you associate those particular headphones with study time. It helps.

3. The Study Sprint Method (a.k.a. Trick Your Brain Into Studying)

You tell yourself you’re only going to study for 10 minutes. That’s it.

Why It Works:

  • Getting started is 90% of the battle.
  • 10 minutes turns into 30. Then 60. Then, boom, you’re in the zone.

How to Use It:

  • Set a 10-minute timer.
  • Open your book/notes and go.
  • After 10 minutes, if you’re feeling it, keep going.
  • If not, at least you did something.

This is how to trick yourself into studying on Sunday nights when you’d rather be in bed watching conspiracy TikToks. 

4. Spaced Repetition (The Fancy Hack That Nerds Use and Aces Love)

Instead of cramming, you review info in increasing intervals (day 1, day 3, day 7, etc.)

Why It Works:

  • Helps move info from short-term to long-term memory.
  • Beats cramming every single time.

How to Use It:

  • Use flashcard apps like Anki, Quizlet, or RemNote.
  • Review cards daily based on what you’re forgetting.
  • The algorithm handles the scheduling; you just vibe and revise.

This is how med students memorize entire textbooks. If it works for them, it’ll work for your bio final.

5. Teach It to Your BFF (or Your Stuffed Animal. We Don’t Judge)

This is actually called the Feynman Technique. You just explain a concept you studied in simple terms to someone else.

Why It Works:

  • Forces you to understand, not just memorize.
  • Reveals what you don’t know.
  • Talking out loud helps retention (even if it’s to your plant).

How to Use It:

  • Pick a topic.
  • Try to “teach” it to a friend, your mirror, or even a voice memo.
  • If you get stuck, revisit the material and try again.

“Explaining” makes the info stick better than re-reading 50 times. It works even better if the person or stuffed bear asks you questions. 

6. Highlight AFTER You Read, Not During

Read first, then highlight what mattered. Not every single word you lay eyes on.

Why It Works:

  • Prevents passive reading (you know, when your eyes move but your brain’s on autopilot).
  • Forces you to engage with the material first.

How to Use It:

  • Read a section fully.
  • Ask yourself, “What was actually important?”
  • THEN go back and highlight just that.

Your textbook is not a coloring book. Highlight with purpose, not chaos.

7. Plan Backwards Like a Baddie

Instead of planning what to do each day, figure out what needs to be done by the deadline and work backwards.

Why It Works:

  • You always know what you should be doing.
  • No more last-minute “Why did I do nothing for two weeks??” panic.

How to Use It:

  • Look at the syllabus or exam date.
  • Break tasks into chunks (revise notes, make flashcards, practice problems).
  • Assign them to days leading up to the deadline.

Try Notion, Google Calendar, or a good old-fashioned planner. Planning is cool, okay?

8. Sleep. Yes, Really.

The thing you’re skipping with Red Bulls and coffee.

Why It Works:

  • Memory consolidation happens during sleep.
  • Sleep-deprived brains = 40% less retention (actual science).

How to Use It:

  • 7–9 hours. You deserve it.
  • No screens 30 mins before bed.
  • Try a sleep mask, white noise, or even melatonin if needed.

No hack will save you if your brain is running on 2 hours of sleep and sadness.

9. Record Yourself Explaining Concepts — Then Listen While You Walk or Cook

Turn your phone into your personal lecture podcast. Record yourself explaining a topic and listen to it like you’re tuning into a true crime series.

Why It Works:

  • Audio learning reinforces memory through repetition.
  • Multitasks your brain while doing chores or walking to class.
  • Makes you feel like you’re the professor. Period.

How to Use It:

  • Use voice memos or the app Otter.ai (bonus: it transcribes too).
  • Keep it short (2–5 min per concept).
  • Listen while folding laundry, commuting, or fake cleaning your dorm.

10. Study in Costume (Trust the Psychology)

Dress like a CEO, doctor, or “hot girl in a Pinterest study board” to hack your brain into performance mode.

Why It Works:

It’s called enclothed cognition — dressing the part influences how you think. You feel sharper and more focused just by switching out your 3-day-old hoodie.

How to Use It:

  • Save one outfit as your “study uniform.”
  • Put it on when you’re about to tackle intense material.
  • Bonus: You’ll be camera-ready if someone FaceTimes you mid-cram.

11. Chew a Unique Flavor of Gum While Studying AND During Your Test

Pair a specific flavor with your study session, then use it again during the exam to cue recall.

Why It Works:

It’s called context-dependent memory. Your brain associates info with external stimuli like taste or scent.

How to Use It:

  • Choose a flavor you never chew otherwise (like mango chili mint or something wild).
  • Use it only when studying one subject.
  • Pop the same gum before your exam. Voilà, memory magic.

12. Use “The Protégé Effect” — Pretend You’re Teaching a Kid, Not a Classmate

This is like the Feynman technique’s chaotic little sibling: Explain topics in the dumbest, most child-friendly terms possible.

Why It Works:

  • It simplifies complex info so you truly understand it.
  • You identify fluff and jargon real quick.
  • Turns studying into a mini improv session. Bonus fun.

How to Use It:

  • Try explaining gravity like you’re on Sesame Street.
  • Use crayons and draw diagrams if you need to. Go full kindergarten mode.
  • Laugh at yourself = retain more.

13. Use a “Shadows Notebook” for Mistakes ONLY

Your normal notes are cute, but this is your roast me notebook — the place you document all your failed quiz questions, wrong flashcards, missed practice problems, etc.

Why It Works:

  • You track your weak spots like a boss.
  • Focusing on your mistakes is proven to increase learning and memory consolidation.
  • Helps avoid repeating errors in exams.

How to Use It:

  • One small notebook or Notion page.
  • Every time you mess up, write what you got wrong, why, and the correct answer.
  • Review this baby before tests. It’s gold.

14. Make a Vision Wall — But Make It Academic

Build a visual manifestation of your academic goals. But cuter.

Why It Works:

  • Keeps motivation in sight (literally).
  • Great for visual learners.
  • Acts like your aesthetic accountability partner.

 How to Use It:

  • Make a mood board on Canva or your wall: dream career, GPA goal, favorite quotes, post-exam treats.
  • Use pics, memes, and Pinterest vibes.
  • Hang it above your desk so your future self stares back at you.

15. Use the “Brain Dump” Technique BEFORE Studying

Before you even open your books, dump everything you think you know about a topic onto paper.

Why It Works:

  • Identifies gaps before you dive in.
  • Gets rid of mental clutter so you can focus.
  • Helps anxiety by “offloading” thoughts.

How to Use It:

  • Set a timer for 5 minutes.
  • Write down every term, fact, formula, or diagram you remember.
  • Compare later. You’ll be surprised how much sticks.

16. Use Multiple Study Locations for One Subject

Don’t just camp in the library. Rotate your study spots within the same week.

Why It Works:

  • Changing locations improves retention (again, context-dependent memory!).
  • Boosts creativity and focus.
  • Plus, you won’t get stuck in “library zombie” mode.

How to Use It:

  • Try: your dorm, a café, outside, a quiet classroom.
  • Bring the same materials (notebook, textbook, tablet).
  • Bonus points if you dress like the main character every time.

17. “Eat the Frog” First — AKA Start with the Hardest Thing

The frog is your ugliest, hardest, soul-draining task. You tackle it FIRST thing.

Why It Works:

  • Your energy is highest early on.
  • Knocking out your toughest topic first builds momentum.
  • Everything after feels like a breeze.

How to Use It:

  • Write down 3 tasks each day, star the hardest.
  • Do it before checking social media, texts, or emails.
  • Reward yourself with something small afterward (coffee, dopamine, TikTok scroll — if you won’t fall into doomscroll mode).

18. Clean Before You Study (Yep, I Said It)

Tidy space = tidy mind. Spend 10 minutes cleaning your desk or room before you start.

Why It Works:

  • Physical clutter creates mental clutter.
  • Cleaning gives your brain a transition cue into focus mode.
  • Plus, clean sheets just hit different before a study session.

How to Use It:

  • Do a 10-minute “speed clean” to music.
  • Make your study space feel deliberate (light a candle if you’re fancy).
  • Watch your focus multiply.

19. The Pomodoro Technique (a.k.a. The Procrastinator’s Dream Fix)

25 minutes of focused study followed by a 5-minute break. After 4 rounds, you take a longer 15–30 minute break.

Why It Works:

  • Gives your brain time to breathe.
  • Stops you from doom-scrolling during study time.
  • Makes starting less scary (‘cause it’s just 25 mins, not your whole life).

How to Use It:

  • Set a timer (or use apps like Focus Keeper or Pomofocus.io).
  • Pick one topic.
  • NO distractions during the 25 minutes.
  • Use your 5-min breaks to stretch, hydrate, or scream into a pillow (your choice).

During your 5-min break, don’t go on TikTok. Trust me. Five minutes becomes an hour real fast.

Address Root Problems

Would you like to know what hacks someone with a fractured leg could use to win a marathon?

That sounds crazy, right?

Because it’s impossible. You have to heal first before you can run a race.

Studying is kind of like a race. And if you’re not at 100% physically — and that includes brain and mind too — then you can’t run that race well. 

If you suspect you have neurological or psychological blocks, you should work on that first. 

Not every medical/psychological problem needs drugs. It could be effects of unresolved traumas or even plain ol’ burnout that has morphed into a monster and your brain has basically shut down.

Figure out what the issue is and take SAFE steps to solve it. Then come back and learn hacks to make studying easier.

Wishing you peace, health, and funds,

Dee

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