Warning: Those "life hack" study methods on TikTok nearly made me fail my midterms

I was trying that whole "study in 25 minute bursts with 5 minute breaks" thing for 2 weeks and my grades actually dropped. Found out the hard way that method only works if you already understand the material, not when you're learning it fresh. Switched to just reading my textbook out loud for 45 minutes straight in my dorm at UW Madison and finally passed my chem exam with a 78. Anyone else figure out the hard way that popular study tricks are just for people who already know the stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

nancyj111mo ago

Same thing happened to me with that Pomodoro garbage.

sandra_bennett591mo ago

Got caught with that Pomodoro thing too back in my freshman year at Ohio State. Was trying to cram for bio and kept getting distracted checking Instagram during those 5 minute breaks. Ended up just sitting in the library with headphones on, reading my notes out loud for an hour straight until my roommate got annoyed and asked me to go study somewhere else. Honestly, the only thing that worked for me was taping my notebooks to my bathroom mirror so I'd read them while brushing my teeth. Not the prettiest system but I went from a D to a B minus in like 3 weeks. Ngl, sometimes the ugliest methods hit the hardest.