{"id":6553,"date":"2025-06-20T09:11:43","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T23:41:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-health-and-well-being\/?p=6553"},"modified":"2025-06-20T09:11:43","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T23:41:43","slug":"like-lo-fi-late-nights-the-perfect-study-combo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-health-and-well-being\/2025\/06\/20\/like-lo-fi-late-nights-the-perfect-study-combo\/","title":{"rendered":"Like Lo-fi & Late Nights: The Perfect Study Combo"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Want to actually remember what you study? Combine retrieval practice with spaced repetition for a powerful, brain-friendly learning boost.<\/p>\n

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Not to get overly religious but let me start with a confession. Talking about study strategies isn\u2019t really my job. That honour belongs to my very capable colleagues over at the Student Learning Support Service<\/a>. They\u2019re the true ninjas \ud83e\udd77\ud83c\udffb of learning (although if you think about ninjas being silent, they might have great memories but we’d never know).<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s how I justify swaggering into their territory\u2026<\/p>\n

When your studies are going well, life generally feels better. You\u2019re less overwhelmed, more confident, and have more mental space to enjoy the rest of your life. And since my job is all about promoting mental health and wellbeing as this post explains<\/a>, supporting good study habits feels like mission-aligned work.<\/p>\n

My bleary-eyed scroll through my morning news feed turned out to be quite rewarding today. A couple of great articles that I’ll be digesting for different purposes.<\/p>\n

The one that inspired this blog post? “Testing between intervals: a key to retaining information in\u00a0long-term<\/span> memory<\/a>” by \u00c9milie Gerbier<\/span><\/a> <\/strong>over at The Conversation.<\/p>\n

The article is simple but it covers a big idea: combining two powerful, evidence-based learning strategies<\/strong> to improve long-term memory and reduce study stress.<\/p>\n

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The Combo: Retrieval Practice + Spacing<\/h2>\n

If your goal is to actually remember<\/em> what you learn \u2014 not just cram and forget (which given I am writing this as exams approach, many of you are cramming right now) \u2014 this pairing is for you.<\/p>\n

1. Retrieval Practice:<\/strong>
This means deliberately trying to recall what you\u2019ve learned \u2014 without looking at your notes. Think: flashcards, practice tests, explaining things to yourself out loud (yes, talking to yourself counts).<\/p>\n

2. Spacing (Distributed Practice):<\/strong>
Instead of reviewing material in one marathon session, you spread your revision out over time. You review topics multiple times, with a few days (or more) in between.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udca5 Put them together<\/strong> and you get a winning formula:<\/p>\n

Essentially, you test yourself on material at spaced intervals over time. Ideally:<\/p>\n