Younis Abdulla

If you’ve ever found yourself reading the same paragraph five times and still not remembering it—or you’ve spent hours revising only to get average marks—you’re not alone. Most of us were never taught how to study effectively. We were just told to “revise.”

But here’s the truth: not all revision is created equal. Some methods work way better than others, and science backs it up. The key is to experiment, find what works for you, and use strategies that actually engage your brain.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through how I revise, backed by evidence and experience. Try it. Tweak it. Make it your own. Own it and spread it!

Preview Lessons

“So always start by going over the content once. It’s best to do it before the lessons so you have a rough idea of what the teacher is going to be teaching you.”

This taps into what psychologists call the “priming effect.” When your brain has seen a topic once before—even briefly—it becomes more likely to absorb and retain new information. You don’t need to understand everything on the first go. Just skim headings, look at diagrams, and read a summary. You essentially want your brain, even if subconsciously, to say, "I've seen this before, maybe I should retain it? Just in case it comes up again"

If you can’t preview it before class, doing a recap during or after is still powerful. The goal is to avoid hearing something for the first time when it really matters. You don't want to cover it once to learn it and then not see it until you're revising for exams.

Snappy Notes

“Create short bullet point notes. These notes should only be reminders to prompt you. They shouldn’t be detailed.”

Alright, how many times have you "highlighted key points" only to come away and find 80% of the page is neon highlighted? Or perhaps you've made bullet points but then realise a single point is an entire paragraph? I know I have.

This is huge. A lot of students make the mistake of rewriting the textbook. But that’s passive learning, and passive learning doesn’t stick.

Instead, aim to make cue-based notes:

One line per key concept.
Use your own words.
Add questions instead of statements (e.g. “What triggers insulin release?” instead of “Insulin is released by…”)

One tactic I've had success with is turning L.O's into exam style questions. This primes your brain for the next stage: active recall.

What You Don’t Know

“Start doing questions, because when you do questions, you test and realise what you know and what you don’t know.”

This is the single most powerful study technique—retrieval practice. Trying to recall information without looking at your notes actually strengthens your memory and highlights your weak areas. As tempting as it might be, don't look at the answer and think, "Yeah, I would've got that!" Be harsh and self-critical. If you missed a keyword, be honest, would you have got the mark? No, so you didn't get that question right; don't assume you'll remember it in the exam with the pressure if you couldn't remember it on a Wednesday afternoon while you casually revise.

How I use this:

After each topic, I do 20–50 questions.
I don’t panic if I get them wrong.
I write down the topics that keep tripping me up.
I even use Excel or AI to track the mistakes to find trends later on.

Now I’ve got a list of what to focus on. It saves time and keeps me from wasting effort on topics I already know.

Use Your Notes, Fill Gaps

“Use the notes you made to remind you of those topics you’re getting wrong in the questions… Then you build on the knowledge.”

At this point, your notes become tools, not just writing exercises. Revisit your summaries for the topics you struggled with in the questions. If there’s something you still can’t get right, make slightly more detailed notes for that specific sub-topic only.

This is how you refine your understanding over time—and stop carrying the same gaps into every exam.

Cycle and Repeat

“Once you’ve done that, just keep doing questions. That’s the best way to learn.”

Once you’ve got the basics down and you’ve identified your weak points, the focus becomes simple: keep testing.

You’re training your brain like a muscle—stretch it, recover, test again.

Still getting specific mistakes, keep making detailed notes on that topic specifically.

Bonus: Build Your Plan

You can take this method and structure it over a few months like this:

Weeks 1–4: Learn the Content + Section-by-Section Practice

Break down the syllabus by topics.
Use your summary notes and do some questions after each section.
Plenty of free resources online show you what to expect.
Focus here is on accuracy, not speed.
Don't get disheartened if some topics are taking longer than others, but don't waste too much time, especially if it's not a high-yield topic.

Weeks 5–8: Questions-Only Phase

Don’t worry if you can’t stick to time—just get through the questions.
Focus on understanding the logic.
This is the phase where you rewire how you think.
You want to ensure you're understanding the questions and know what topics are being tested in each question.

Weeks 9–End: Timed Full Mocks

Now the training gets serious.
Do full mock exams under real conditions: no distractions, noise-cancelling headphones, close the door.
Learn to flag and move on. If you can’t get a question, skip it and return later.
Your mindset here should be: It’s okay to get it wrong, just learn why.
You won't be getting 100%, unless you're a genius... in which case, congrats, but make sure to know why you're getting the questions wrong.

“In your downtime, review the questions you got wrong. Learn what’s wrong with your approach. Learn how you think and what needs to change.”

This is how you actually grow.

Final Thoughts: Study Like a Scientist, Not a Robot

Let’s be honest—no one method fits everyone. Some people like mind maps. Others use flashcards. Others have a conversation with a peer about the topics. Perhaps you teach someone else this topic (my teddy is a frequent flyer patient for my OSCE prep). Some talk to themselves. (No judgment—I do this all the time!)

“You will need to experiment a little bit and find the way that works for you.”

But the science is clear:

Preview first
Summarise simply
Test yourself regularly
Focus on weaknesses
Repeat and refine

The smartest students aren’t the ones who grind 14 hours a day. They’re the ones who figure out what works for them and double down on it.

You’ve got this. Study smarter. Focus harder. And trust the process.

Study Methods That Actually Work: A Science-Backed, Real-World Guide