Instead, they study smart—planning ahead, quizzing themselves on the material and actively seeking out help when they don’t understand it. Eileen says she struggled with a practice test and realized that she didn’t know how to study. High-achieving students take charge of their own learning and ask for help when they’re stuck, according to a 2017 study of 414 college students. Students who formed study groups and quizzed each other weekly on material presented in class posted higher grades than those who used other study techniques, says a 2015 study of 144 students. Retrieval practice often works best when students practice recalling the facts at intervals of a few minutes to several days, research shows.

Source: Wall Street Journal August 15, 2017 15:22 UTC