---
type: project
status: active
created: "2026-01-18"
tags:
  - project
  - study-techniques
  - practical
---

# Effective Study Habits

Compile a practical guide to study habits backed by cognitive science research. Target audience: students who want to learn more effectively.

## Evidence-Based Recommendations

### Do More Of

1. **[[Active Recall]]** -- test yourself instead of re-reading. Use flashcards, practice questions, or the blank page method.
2. **[[Spaced Repetition]]** -- spread study over days and weeks. Use [[Anki]] or a similar tool to automate scheduling.
3. **[[Interleaving]]** -- mix problem types during practice. Alternate between topics rather than grinding one.
4. **[[Elaborative Interrogation]]** -- ask "why?" and "how?" after every new fact. Explain it to yourself or a friend.
5. **Sleep** -- [[Memory Consolidation]] requires sleep. Study before bed, get 7-9 hours, don't cram all night.

### Do Less Of

1. **Re-reading** -- feels productive but creates illusions of competence ([[Dunning-Kruger Effect]])
2. **Highlighting** -- passive and low-effort; does not engage retrieval
3. **Massed practice (cramming)** -- violates the [[Spacing Effect]]
4. **Blocked practice** -- studying one topic exhaustively before moving on (contrast with [[Interleaving]])

### Meta-Skills

- Develop [[Metacognition]] -- regularly ask "do I really understand this, or does it just feel familiar?"
- Adopt a [[Growth Mindset]] -- difficulty is a sign of learning, not failure
- Use [[Formative Assessment]] -- seek feedback early and often
- Monitor [[Cognitive Load Theory]] -- if overwhelmed, break material into [[Chunking]] units

## Study Session Template

1. Review previous session's material via [[Active Recall]] (5 min)
2. Study new material with [[Elaborative Interrogation]] (25 min)
3. Interleave practice problems from multiple topics (20 min)
4. Reflect on what was hard and why ([[Metacognition]]) (5 min)
5. Schedule next review per [[Spaced Repetition]] algorithm

## Connections

- Draws on [[Learning System Design]] for workflow structure
- Practical application of all [[Desirable Difficulties]]
- Informed by [[Teaching Methodology Research]] findings
- [[Transfer of Learning]] is the ultimate measure of habit effectiveness
- [[Flow State]] as a goal state during focused study blocks
- [[Working Memory]] constraints shape session design

#project #study-techniques #practical
