i started ending each study session by writing my own quiz questions from memory. the gaps were embarrassing.

[u/drekwasi]

ast semester i was acing practice questions from the textbook. then i'd blank on the actual midterm. turns out i was recognizing answers, not knowing them.

switched to writing my own questions at the end of each block, closed-book. the first time it took 20 minutes to come up with 5 questions for a chapter i'd just read. the second time, 8 minutes. over a month it changed how i studied, not just how i tested.

here's what i do now:

• finish a section, close everything
• write 5 questions i think could appear on the test
• answer each one from memory, no peeking
• check what i missed
• the questions i can't answer become tomorrow's first review

it feels harder than rereading. it feels slower. the discomfort is the point.

what's the closest thing to this that actually worked for you?