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Become a better student

Short guides on how learning actually works, written by teachers. Every claim links to the research behind it.

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Begin Module 1: Memory →

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The research in one picture

Ten ways to study, ranked by the evidence

A team of psychologists reviewed hundreds of studies on ten common techniques. Two came out on top. Rereading and highlighting, the habits most of us grew up with, rated low.Psychologists reviewed hundreds of studies. Two techniques came out on top.

Low utility Popular, but weak

Source: Dunlosky, Rawson, Marsh, Nathan and Willingham (2013), Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques, Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1). Read the paper

Free course with certificate5 modules · 15 lessons · 1h 25m

Become a better student

Lessons unlock one at a time, so each one builds on the last. Each ends with something to try tonight.

Get a certificate when you finish A Brainhub certificate of completion. It is not a formal qualification.
16 min

Module 1

Memory

Why re-reading fools you, and the two habits that make things stick: testing yourself and spacing out revision.

15 min

Module 2 · Unlocks after Module 1

Body and brain

What sleep, exercise and phones do to focus and memory, and the small changes that help most.

  • Sleep is part of revisionLocked
  • Exercise and focusLocked
  • Phones and attentionLocked
17 min

Module 3 · Unlocks after Module 2

Revision that works

Swap highlighting for methods with evidence behind them: mixing topics, and flashcards you will actually use.

  • Why highlighting feels usefulLocked
  • Mix it up: interleavingLocked
  • Flashcards that actually workLocked
19 min

Module 4 · Unlocks after Module 3

Exam technique

Turn what you know into marks: read the mark scheme like an examiner, time each paper and plan six-mark answers.

  • Read the mark schemeLocked
  • Timing a paperLocked
  • Six-mark questionsLocked
18 min

Module 5 · Unlocks after Module 4

Plan, monitor, review

Spot what you don’t know yet, build a timetable you’ll stick to and make homework count.

  • Thinking about your thinkingLocked
  • A revision timetable you’ll keepLocked
  • Homework that countsLocked

All guides

Guides for students

Showing 10 of 17 guides ·

Students Parents Stop re-reading. Test yourself instead. Why closing the book beats highlighting it, and three ways to start tonight. Cites Roediger & Karpicke 2006; Dunlosky et al. 2013 6 min Students Athletes Spread it out: how spacing beats cramming The same hours, split across weeks, stick for longer. How to plan the gaps. Cites Cepeda et al. 2006 5 min Students Mix it up: interleaving in maths Mixing question types feels harder in the moment. That struggle is the point. Cites Rohrer & Taylor 2007 6 min Students Schools Plan, monitor, review: thinking about your thinking The habit behind independent learners, and how to teach it at home or in class. Cites EEF Toolkit, metacognition 7 min Students Athletes Parents Sleep is part of revision Teenagers need 8 to 10 hours a night. Why exam season is when it matters most. Cites American Academy of Sleep Medicine 2016 5 min Parents Students How to choose the right tutor Personality fit, teaching fit and what to watch for in a trial lesson. Cites Roorda et al. 2011; Lepper & Woolverton 2002; EEF Toolkit, feedback 6 min Students Parents Asking great questions Students ask far more questions one-to-one than in class. How to ask better ones. Cites Graesser & Person 1994; Chin & Osborne 2008 5 min Students Parents Tell your tutor how you learn best Why “learning styles” isn’t the answer, and six things worth telling your tutor. Cites Pashler et al. 2008; Clark & Paivio 1991 5 min Parents Students How to choose A-Levels Interest, ability and where they lead: three questions for every subject. Cites UCAS 6 min Students Read the mark scheme like an examiner Command words, levels and where marks quietly go missing. Cites AQA, Edexcel and OCR published mark schemes 7 min

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