Space it out

Studying the same material in one long session the night before, often called cramming, can get you through a test but you forget most of it soon after. Spreading study over several days, with gaps between sessions, leads to much better long-term memory.

This is called the spacing effect, and it is one of the most reliable findings in learning research. A simple plan: review new material the next day, then a few days later, then a week later. Flashcard apps like Anki do this automatically, showing you cards just before you are likely to forget them.

Spacing matters most for subjects that build on themselves, like maths, programming and languages.