One of the tools to learn something is memorisation. What is even better is spaced repetition. There is no point is reviewing something that you already know.
So this year I’ve been using an app called Anki. There are two simple concepts behind Anki: active recall testing and spaced repetition .
I just want to make a clarification here, the most effective learning is proven to be the repetition of recall, not the repetition of learning.
There is a seemingly subtle but substantive and qualitative difference between the two: basically the repeating attempt at recalling information is much more effective than just repeating the information to yourself. So just writing information down over and over and summarising over and over is not as effective as testing yourself to recall something, over and over.
Studies have shown the physical and chemical structure of the brain is changed through repetition of recall. This is why using spaced repetition of recall is so useful when done with something like flashcards.
My method is reading thru and making notes, then one chapter a night I reread and I ask questions to myself and have to answer it.
My problem right now is the lack of motivation, I know I left it to late to study properly. I have read thru a few times and I know some chapters better than most. But in general I feel like need more motivation and that is the problem, I have no way to really motivate myself. I have gotten to the point where I feel like, meh if I fail so what.
That is what I have been doing, I do sit and go thru my notes, but I really feel like I am not achieving anything. And now that the date is getting closer I am stressing myself out
When I still studied subjects which required recall of fixed answers, I used this (like biology or chemistry). It could be quite time consuming though.
This does not work for maths and stuff though, since you can basically learn how to do it and then it’s pattern recognition when you get to the exam to know which method/formula to apply.