How to Actually Study Effectively (Without Falling into the “Productivity Aesthetic” Trap)
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably had one of those days where you spent 4 hours reorganizing your Notion dashboard, choosing the perfect pastel highlighter palette, and watching a few “Study With Me” videos on YouTube.
And then, at the end of the day, you realize… you’ve learned absolutely nothing.
Been there. Done that. Still sometimes doing it.
But here’s the thing:
Looking productive ≠ Being productive.
And if you want to actually remember the things you study (not just make your desk look Instagrammable), the science is pretty clear on what works.
So here’s my no-nonsense, evidence-based, fluff-free guide to studying more effectively — especially in the age of distractions and digital perfectionism.
The Big Problem: We Confuse Aesthetics with Effectiveness
We all love that dopamine hit from making our notes look beautiful, tweaking our study playlists, and optimizing our productivity apps.
But the harsh truth? Your brain does not care how pretty your Notion dashboard looks.
What it does care about is this:
🧠 How often you retrieve information.
⏳ How well you space things out over time.
🤯 How much you actually think while you study.
3 Science-Backed Strategies That Actually Work (According to PubMed, Not TikTok)
Active Recall
Active recall is basically the idea of forcing your brain to drag information out of your head without looking at your notes. It’s like doing mental pull-ups — painful at first, but incredibly effective for long-term learning.
What the science says:
People who actively test themselves remember way more than people who just passively reread notes.
Roediger & Butler, 2011: Retrieval practice = huge gains in long-term retention.
How I use it:
Flashcards (Either traditional index cards/digital solutions like Anki gang ✌️)
Blurting (write everything I know from memory before peeking at notes- tip: you may discuss lessons with a friend too!)
Teaching things aloud to myself like a weirdo (yup. it works- at least for me)
2. Spaced Repetition
Cramming feels productive because you’re “doing a lot” all at once. But if you want the information to stick, you need to revisit it over time — ideally just before you forget it. This is spaced repetition in action.
What the science says:
Physicians using spaced repetition had higher retention after 6 months — 58% vs 43%. That’s not a small difference. Price et al., 2025
How I use it:
Anki decks on autopilot
Calendar reminders to revisit topics (If you love writing things down physically a planner works too!)
Rotating subjects weekly (instead of cramming one to death)
3. Combining Both (The Winning Combo)
Active recall + spaced repetition = chef’s kiss.
If you’ve ever wondered why medical students are obsessed with Anki, this is why.
What the science says:
Combining these strategies in medical education led to significantly better outcomes. Marinelli et al., 2022
How I use it:
Create Q&A style cards
Stick to the spaced schedule (even when it’s boring)
Review, forget, relearn, repeat
The Harsh Truth: Aesthetic Studying ≠ Effective Studying
✨ Pretty notes don’t matter.
📒 Perfect Notion templates won’t save you.
🎵 Lo-fi beats can’t replace retrieval practice.
Your brain doesn’t learn through passive exposure. It learns through effort. Through struggle. Through pulling answers out of the mental void and making mistakes along the way.
Quick Tips to Stay Focused (Even with TikTok Whispering Your Name)
Time-block study sessions and batch distractions for later.
Use website blockers like Cold Turkey or Forest.
Stop obsessing over tools — pick one and stick to it.
Measure output, not hours. (What did you learn today?)
Build boring consistency > flashy motivation.
Final Thoughts:
Keep It Simple. Do What Works.
You don’t need a $500 productivity system set-up.
You don’t need a rainbow-colored and calligraphy-impregnated note-taking strategy.
You just need to show up, do the work, and trust the science.
Active recall. Spaced repetition. Hard focus.
