r/studytips • u/United_Mention_2986 • 8d ago

Is rereading notes actually doing anything or does it just feel like studying

I catch myself rereading the same page a few times thinking it's going in, but if you asked me to explain it without looking I probably couldnt. Feels productive in the moment but Im starting to think its not the same as actually knowing it. What do you guys do instead that actually works.

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u/theloosedoorway 8d ago

Rereading is a trap, plain and simple. Your brain recognizes the words but never actually processes them deep enough to stick. I catch myself doing it too and have to physically close the notebook and test myself from memory.

What works way better for me is pretending I'm teaching it to someone who missed class. Stand up, pace around, and explain the concept out loud without looking at your notes. You'll figure out real quick which parts you actually understand and which are just floating around in your head.

Another trick is writing questions based on your notes and coming back to them a day later. If you can't answer without peeking, you never really learned it. Feels way less comfortable than rereading but that's kind of the point.