Still just rereading your notes the night before a test? Yeah, that’s not actually studying. Unlock new study modes that will help you upload all that content, store it in your long-term memory and retrieve it when needed.

Get It Out
Choose a topic and review your notes and textbook for just a couple of minutes. Put the materials away and jot down everything you remember. Then open the notes again and highlight anything you got wrong or forgot — these are your highest-priority areas for studying.

Use It or Lose It
You need to do something with the information. This is known as active recall, and it’s the best way to prevent blanking on the test. You can:

• Handwrite typed notes
• (or vice versa)
• Make flashcards
• Create a practice test
• Teach the material to a friend, parent, cat or teddy bear

Unless simple facts are required, focus on big ideas. Practice connecting, comparing and contrasting things — even if they seem very different (like the causes of climate change and World War II, or the traits of squirrels and pizza). Turn everything into a debate and play both sides. Forming counterarguments forces you to analyze, synthesize and infer — all moves for mastery.

Try, Try Again
If you don’t know the answer right away, sit with it. Wrack your brain. Don’t look it up until much later. Struggling to remember is a form of productive stress, and research proves that it’s super effective in helping you retain and retrieve information.