1. BLANK PAGE METHOD
   Close your notes → write everything you remember → check gaps
   Best for: after reading a chapter

2. FEYNMAN TECHNIQUE
   Step 1: Pick a concept
   Step 2: Teach it in simple words (as if to a child)
   Step 3: Identify gaps where you stumbled
   Step 4: Return to source, fill gaps
   Step 5: Simplify and use analogies
   Best for: understanding complex topics

3. SELF-TESTING
   Cover answers → test yourself → check
   Use flashcards, past papers, practice questions
   Wait at least 24h before reviewing same material

4. BRAIN DUMP
   Write everything about a topic in 5 minutes
   Unfiltered. Don't edit. Just dump.
   Then organise and fill gaps

5. PRACTICE RETRIEVAL
   Read a section → close book → write key points
   Even getting it wrong is better than re-reading!

EBBINGHAUS FORGETTING CURVE:
  After 1 day → 60% forgotten
  After 7 days → 80% forgotten
  After 30 days → 90% forgotten

REVISION SCHEDULE (after first learning):
  Review 1:  Same day (1-2 hours later)
  Review 2:  Next day
  Review 3:  3 days later
  Review 4:  1 week later
  Review 5:  2 weeks later
  Review 6:  1 month later
  Review 7:  3 months later

  Each review strengthens the memory trace!

ANKI FLASHCARD SYSTEM:
  'Again' → shows again in 1 min
  'Hard'  → shows again in 10 min
  'Good'  → shows in 1 day
  'Easy'  → shows in 4 days

  Key: Daily Anki practice (20-30 min)
       Beats 3-hour marathon once a week

CLASSIC POMODORO:
  🍅 25 minutes focused work
  ☕ 5 minute break
  After 4 pomodoros: 15-30 minute long break

DURING A POMODORO:
  • No phone, no notifications
  • One task only
  • If interrupted → note it → continue
  • If finished early → review/improve

MODIFIED VERSIONS:
  Deep work:  50 min work + 10 min break
  Light tasks: 15 min work + 3 min break
  Exam prep:  90 min work + 20 min break
  (Ultradian rhythm = 90-min cycles)

APPS:
  Forest, Focusmate, Toggl, simple phone timer

TASK BEFORE STARTING:
  Write exactly what you'll do:
  'Read Chapter 5 and make summary notes'
  NOT: 'Study biology'

1. CORNELL METHOD:
┌──────────────────────────────────┐
│ Cues/Questions │    Notes        │
│                │  Main content   │
│                │  during class   │
│ Write questions│                 │
│ after class    │                 │
├────────────────┴─────────────────┤
│ Summary (write in own words)     │
└──────────────────────────────────┘

2. MIND MAPPING:
  Central topic → branches → sub-branches
  Use colors, images, symbols
  Best for: brainstorming, connecting ideas

3. OUTLINE METHOD:
  I. Main topic
     A. Subtopic
        1. Detail
        2. Detail
     B. Subtopic

4. CHARTING:
  Category | Details | Examples
  Best for: comparing multiple items

5. SENTENCE METHOD:
  Write every new thought as complete sentence
  Fast for lectures but harder to review

BEFORE READING (SQ3R):
  Survey:   Skim headings, intro, conclusion (3 min)
  Question: Turn headings into questions
            'Types of Memory' → 'What are the types of memory?'

DURING READING:
  Read:     Answer your questions
  Recite:   Close book → recall answer
  Don't highlight everything — underline max 10%

AFTER READING:
  Review:   Summarise in your own words
            Test yourself

FAST READING TIPS:
  • Read 3-4 words at a time, not word by word
  • Don't sub-vocalise (saying words in your head)
  • Focus on nouns and verbs — skip filler words
  • First and last sentence of paragraph = key ideas

DIFFICULT TEXTS:
  1. Skim once for overview
  2. Read actively with questions
  3. Summarise each section
  4. Review with retrieval practice

MNEMONICS:
  ROY G BIV → Colours of rainbow (Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet)
  BODMAS → Order of operations
  'Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally' → Parentheses Exponents Multiply Divide Add Subtract

METHOD OF LOCI (Memory Palace):
  1. Visualize a familiar route (your house, school)
  2. Place items to remember at specific locations
  3. Walk through the route mentally to recall
  Best for: lists, speeches, foreign vocabulary

ACRONYMS: ROY G BIV, HOMES (Great Lakes), NASA

ACROSTICS: 'King Philip Came Over For Good Soup' (taxonomy)

CHUNKING:
  Phone: 0300-1234567 NOT 03001234567
  Credit: 4532 1234 5678 9012 NOT 4532123456789012

VISUALIZATION:
  Make it: BIG, COLORFUL, MOVING, WEIRD, EMOTIONAL
  Boring facts → vivid mental movie

STORY METHOD:
  Link items in a ridiculous story to memorise in order

WEEKLY PLANNING (Sunday night):
  1. List ALL tasks and deadlines this week
  2. Estimate time for each
  3. Schedule into calendar (time-blocking)
  4. Protect 2-3 deep work blocks daily
  5. Leave 20% buffer for unexpected

DAILY SYSTEM:
  MIT (Most Important Tasks): 3 tasks maximum
  Do hardest task first (eat the frog!)
  Check email/messages at fixed times only

EISENHOWER MATRIX:
  ┌─────────────────┬──────────────────┐
  │ URGENT+IMPORTANT│IMPORTANT,NOT URG │
  │ DO NOW          │ SCHEDULE         │
  │ (crises,deadlns)│ (planning,study) │
  ├─────────────────┼──────────────────┤
  │ URGENT,NOT IMP  │ NOT URG,NOT IMP  │
  │ DELEGATE        │ ELIMINATE        │
  │ (interruptions) │ (social media)   │
  └─────────────────┴──────────────────┘

NO MULTITASKING:
  Costs 40% of productivity. Single-task always.
  Turn off all notifications during work blocks.

4 WEEKS OUT:
  Make mind map of entire syllabus
  Identify weak areas → prioritise
  Create revision timetable

2 WEEKS OUT:
  Active recall from syllabus: blank page method
  Start past papers — timed conditions
  Mark with official mark scheme
  For each wrong answer: understand WHY

1 WEEK OUT:
  Only past papers + targeted review of weak areas
  No new topics!
  Sleep 8+ hours every night

2-3 DAYS OUT:
  Light review of key formulas/facts only
  No cramming
  Prepare practically: stationery, ID, route to exam

DAY BEFORE:
  Light review only — no new info
  Sleep on time!
  Lay out everything you need

EXAM DAY:
  Eat proper breakfast
  Arrive early
  Read instructions carefully
  Brain dump on scrap paper first (formulas, key facts)
  Easy questions first → come back to hard ones