Start Each Study Session by Reviewing What You Learned Last Time

Spend the first five minutes of every study session recalling what you covered yesterday, without looking at your notes. This does two things at once: it strengthens yesterday's learning through retrieval practice, and it warms up your brain for today's new material. The effort of remembering is the exercise that builds retention.

Most people jump straight into new content, and yesterday's material slowly fades. Five minutes of review compounds over weeks into dramatically better long-term retention. It feels like a slow start, but it's the opposite — it's making sure every previous session actually counts before you stack new information on top.