Ranking Studying Methods (STOP re-reading and highlighting)

You're wasting hours on study methods that don't work.

Some techniques you use every day are keeping you stuck. Others are insanely powerful if used correctly.

Let me rank them from worst to best based on real research and real exam results.

The Tier System

S-Tier: Must-use (90-100% exam scores) A-Tier: Very strong (80-90%) B-Tier: Decent (70-80%) C-Tier: Meh (60-70%) D-Tier: Almost useless (50-60%) F-Tier: Please stop (leads to failing grades)

F-Tier: STOP USING THESE

Re-reading and Highlighting

You open the textbook. Read. Highlight random sentences. Feels productive.

Forget everything 2 days later.

Research reality: Three study groups were tested.

• Group A: Highlighted text, took exam
• Group B: Learned from Group A's highlighted text, took exam
• Group C: Just took the exam without highlighting

Result? All three scored approximately the same.

Highlighting is fake work. It feels like studying but doesn't stick.

Only moves to D-tier if you use it to skim before class, then follow with active recall.

D-Tier: BETTER THAN NOTHING (BARELY)

Watching Videos and Recorded Lectures

YouTube. Lecture captures. Online courses.

Most people press play, take notes, call it studying.

Problem: It's passive. Your brain doesn't have to work.

How to move it to C-tier:

Pause every 3-4 minutes. Ask: "If the exam started now, what would they ask about this?"

Convert that into practice questions. Test yourself on them.

Studying with Music

Especially music with lyrics. It competes with the words you're reading.

Your brain has to split attention, which lowers memory and accuracy.

Research shows: Studying in silence equals or beats studying with music, especially for complex tasks.

If you must have sound: Binaural beats or classical/lo-fi without lyrics.

C-Tier: MEH

Summarizing

Takes forever to write summaries of all chapters.

Problem: Still not active recall. You're mostly copying from the textbook, just with less text.

How to move it to B-tier:

Write summaries from memory after reading. Or convert summaries into practice question banks.

Brain Dumping

Take a blank page. Write everything from memory.

Good for early learning stages. But you're not testing yourself at the level you'll face on exams.

Do it once or twice, then move to higher-tier methods.

B-Tier: DECENT

Flashcards

Great for memorization. Not enough for critical thinking.

If you're in medicine: You won't just be tested on definitions. You'll need to evaluate patients, compare diseases, make decisions.

Flashcards alone don't build that skill.

How to move to A/S-tier:

Combine flashcards with case studies and complex practice questions.

Mnemonics

Acronyms, little sentences, weird images to remember large chunks of information.

Example: "Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain" = Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet (rainbow colors).

Great for medical, law, engineering students with complex formulas.

Still not as powerful as learning under exam pressure.

Pomodoro Method (25 min work, 5 min break)

Works well if you're training focus and have shorter attention span.

Problem: Your brain needs 20-25 minutes just to warm up. Then you break.

How to move to A/S-tier:

Extend sessions to 40-60 minutes of work, then 10-15 min breaks.

Deep focus requires longer blocks.

A-Tier: VERY STRONG (80-90% scores)

Pre-Studying (Priming)

Learning starts BEFORE class, not during or after.

Your brain has "rejection" - if it's never seen information before, it forgets easily. No neural pathway exists yet.

The system:

Before class: Identify core concepts, main topics, questions you have.

During class: Be specific with questions, fill knowledge gaps.

Use the SQ3R method (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review).

Active Recall

Guaranteed 80-90% if done throughout your learning journey.

Close your book. Write everything from memory. Test yourself constantly.

How to move to S-tier:

Increase difficulty of your recall questions.

Move from "remembering" and "understanding" questions to "applying," "analyzing," and "evaluating" questions.

Feynman Technique

Teach a topic like you're explaining to a 5-year-old.

Identify knowledge gaps. Re-study. Teach again.

Spaced Repetition

Spread learning over extended periods.

The schedule:

• Study today
• Repeat 1-2 hours later
• Repeat 1 day later
• Repeat 1 week later
• Repeat 4 weeks later

Critical: Combine with active recall and increasing question difficulty. Don't just do flashcards on repeat.

S-Tier: MUST-USE (90-100% scores)

Mock Exams Under Real Conditions

Nothing beats testing yourself as if it's the real exam.

Build the muscle of performing under pressure.

The system:

1-2 weeks before exam: Take first mock exam (not the day before)

Identify knowledge gaps with plenty of time to fix them

Take 2-3 full mock exams before the real one

The critical part:

Spend TWICE as long reviewing mistakes as you spent taking the exam.

How to create mock exams:

Use AI (ChatGPT, Claude) with your syllabus

Find past papers from your course

The guarantee:

Students doing 2-3 mock exams before the real one almost always score 90%+.

Not because they're smarter. Because they practiced the actual skill being tested.

The Bottom Line

Stop using F and D-tier methods.

Move to A and S-tier.

Your grades will reflect the change immediately.

Same brain. Better methods. Completely different results.

What tier are your current study methods in?

Watch a full video I made about this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G1j7bU3w2A

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