Whether you’re getting ready for your finals or enrolled in a GAMSAT prep course such as https://gradready.com.au/gamsat-physics, there’s nothing worse than spending hours studying only to realize you don’t remember anything after the fact. Here’s how you can help your brain remember what you are learning.

Step #1 - Clear away distractions

Brains aren’t good at focusing on command. So as you start to study, your attention to what you’re doing slowly rises until it peaks. And every time you get distracted, you need to gather up your focus again, limiting your ability to absorb what you’re reading. So you should make sure there are no distractions around your study area.

Step #2 - Take breaks

Your ability to stay focused on one task for long periods is also limited. So make sure you’re taking a 10-minute break every hour or so to give your mind and focus some time to relax and recover. You can use that opportunity to stretch and hydrate yourself.

Step #3 - Master the revision

You should close every study session with a short revision of what you saw that day. And then revise what you learned that week once a week. Going back to get a refresher on what you just learned will significantly increase your chances of actually remembering these topics later, whether it be in a month or a year.