Passive Review Methods - Start Today to Make Studying Easier!

September 20, 2021 Nadya Corscadden

Want to make studying easier? The secret is to keep things as fresh as possible over the course of each term.

While you may not be mentally ready to start studying early, it doesn’t mean you can’t start reviewing! Review doesn’t always have to be hard work if you’re not up for it, so throw away those eye rolls!

15 minutes of regular passive review is still way better than closing each chapter for months on end.

The more you review over the course of each term, the easier your ACTUAL studying will be…so get a head start by incorporating some of these simple passive review strategies into your regular homework routine.

Try out some of these passive review methods tonight!

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1) Flashcards

Flashcards are the ultimate passive review tool. You have to review to create them, and then you have the perfect tool to pick up and self-quiz yourself to fill ANY random time slot.

Feel free to make a random “things I always forget” deck that encompasses many subjects. It’s good for your brain to review information that’s not exclusively one subject all the time.

For more ideas on how to make an use flashcards effectively, check out my post:

Flashcards (and The Secret Leitner Method): Everything You Need to Know to Succeed

2) Make a spelling test

If spelling is a thing you struggle with (let’s face it, autocorrect hasn’t made this skill anny easier…), record yourself saying some of your new words, and make your own spelling tests.

I know this sounds dumb and elementary, but writing out words all the time actually makes learning them way easier. Make multiple versions of the lists in different orders, too. That way, you won’t get used to the same pattern of words.

For the ultimate quiz, make a habit of always saying to yourself what each word means as it comes up. If you don’t know, look it up, and then repeat the definition out loud three times. If it’s not a definition-type word, then say 2 or 3 key facts about it or explain why it’s important for your course.

Why not expand your spelling test while you can???

3) Re-write/type a page of notes

Self quizzes are hard, and more like studying than you might want…so you can always just re-write or re-type some of your notes a few times.

The physical act of writing things out will help you remember them more than simply reading them over and over.

For the most part, writing things out by hand tends to work better…but for the sake of not wasting paper, I won’t judge you if you’d rather type this exercise. Save the writing-by-hand for those things you REALLY can’t remember while you’re actually studying.

4) Ask yourself old questions

Flip back to older sections, and ask yourself some of the questions you answered back then. Try to answer them in your head before checking the answers.

If the answers are challenging (or wrong), re-read the passage four or five times before moving on.

Don’t freak out if it’s still not memorized - sometimes repetition and time is all it needs…and that’s exactly what you’re doing.

If you’re going to do this with random sections, have a way of marking pages so you know which ones you have done recently. While going over the same thing a million times is helpful, it’s worth trying to even out your review process a bit more. This isn’t your true STUDYING studying, and you don’t need to perfect anything at this stage anyways.

5) Repeat lists out loud with actions

If you have lists of things to memorize, make note of them so you can come back to them easily. One of the best ways to review these is to say them out loud with actions/gestures.

The more physicality, the better.

Not only will this help you remember the things, but it will also help you remember how many things there were. That way if you’re missing something you’ll know that there’s more, and you’re missing the more.

Knowing that something’s missing is the first step towards getting the whole thing right the next time.

6) Read a line, then close your eyes and repeat the fact 3 times

If there’s just a bunch of text to read and re-read, break it up into smaller chunks and repeat things. Reading through a whole page 2 or 3 times isn’t going to always be as useful as going through it slowly and repeating important facts throughout it.

Read through it a few sentences at a time, and then close your eyes and repeat the key fact 4 or 5 times. Go through the entire page/section like this, and then do a quick re-read of the whole thing when you’re done.

This sounds a LOT like studying…are you tricking me into studying???

Review doesn’t have to be hard-core studying at all! The purpose of review is to go over things again, but the purpose of studying is to teach your brain to recall the information independently. Reviewing can simply be review…and passive review methods are much better than no review at all.

When it comes to learning and memorization, slow and steady most definitely wins the race!

When you’re reviewing (or pre-studying) keep everything low pressure. If you don’t know something, it doesn’t matter…just re-read it again a few more times and then move on. Save perfection and memorization goals for your ACTUAL studying

There is a time and a place for studying, but your daily review doesn’t have to have this pressure.

One more tip: If you’ve already spent all day sitting and reading in class, veer towards more physical/auditory review processes. It’s really tempting to just re-read and re-read…and while it’s better than nothing, mixing in some different learning techniques will make retention a whole lot easier.

For more on studying strategies for different learning styles, check out my blog post:

Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic Learning: Effective Study Techniques for Students That Actually Work

If you have a tough time motivating yourself to review, get a buddy involved. Flashcards are always an easy thing to do together (just make sure you both have turns asking/answering). You can also practice things like lists together and talk through concepts to make sure you both have the same understanding.

For more help with making studying easier, check out my book:

The Secret to Stress-Free Exams

This essential studying guide covers tried-and-true study techniques, note taking strategies for success, how to defeat studying burnout and much more.

What will you learn?

How to START studying
Study techniques and strategies to improve performance
Tips to improve focus and concentration
Note taking strategies for success
The easiest way to study in your unique learning style
How to abolish studying burnout
How to study smarter, not harder

So what's the secret to stress-free exams? Reading this awesome book, of course

Who is Nadya Corscadden?

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Nadya holds an MA in Musical Theatre and is no stranger to the home learning scene. Having spent a good chunk of her younger years in distance education (and opting for some correspondence electives at university), she has accumulated many tricks to help maintain focus and inspiration. She has a passion for independent learning and wants to help anyone and everyone find their stride in this atmosphere whether it’s homeschooling or simply studying for that next big test!

She is also a triple threat singer, dancer and actress….and can’t wait until stages are alive again!

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