Active Recall: The Best Way to Learn
"Active recall is basically quizzing yourself, it was my secret weapon through medical school and even now as a doctor."
12 Ways to Use Active Recall
Pretest
- Use active recall before studying.
- Get old papers/practice problems.
- Small quizzes to benefit from the hypercorrection effect (learn from mistakes).
Stop and Recite
- Use before class when reading textbooks/videos.
- After every section, pause and recite what you learned.
- Write, type, or speak out loud.
Write Out Questions
- Do it during class to stay engaged.
- Turn topics into questions (What, How, Why).
- Use lecture objectives/review questions.
- Later use these questions for recall practice.
Immediate Review
- After class, review questions you've written.
- Quickly run through without peeking at notes.
- Alternatively, explain slides/concepts.
Use Note-Taking Apps
- Use toggles in apps like REMNote.
- Organize topics and nest under chapters.
- Test yourself on questions; check answers.
- Helps see big picture contextual fit.
Mind Maps
- Ideal after understanding the bigger picture.
- Brain dump everything about a topic on paper.
- Link ideas for relational recall.
Teach Each Other
- In study groups, explain material to peers.
- Teach from memory, don't peek at notes.
- Can pretend to teach a child, outsider, or nosy person.
Flashcards
- Best for memorizing details.
- Use digital flashcards like REMNote.
- Features include mobility, time-saving, randomness, and spaced repetition.
- Download pre-made decks if available.
Enumeration
- Practice recalling in specific order for processes and series.
- Use mnemonics to assist.
Occlusion
- Useful for images, graphs, charts.
- Cover parts of images and recall details.
- Can also use for fill-in-the-blank style questions.
Practice Questions
- Important for all subjects, particularly math/problem-based.
- Understand why answers are right/wrong.
- Turn parts of multiple choice questions into flashcards.
- Use essay prompts for humanities.
Practice Tests
- Mimic actual test conditions (timing, breaks, attire).
- Identify strengths/weaknesses.
- Focus recall practice on weak areas before the test.
Additional Resources
- Check out spaced repetition techniques (second best science-based study strategy).