Rereading is the most popular study method and the least effective. Here is what to do instead

The problem with rereading

Rereading produces a strong feeling of familiarity. The second time through, everything looks obvious, so you conclude you know it. Studies that compare rereading with other methods find small or no gains on delayed tests, while the feeling of confidence rises sharply. That gap between confidence and performance is where exam disappointments come from.

Three replacements

Self-testing. Close the notes and write down everything you remember about a section. Then open the notes and fill the gaps in a different colour. The gaps are your study plan.

Elaboration. For each key term, answer two questions: why does it matter, and how does it connect to the previous term? Explaining connections builds the kind of memory that survives a reworded exam question.

Interleaving. Mix topics inside one session. Studying chapter three, then four, then three again feels harder, and that difficulty is exactly what improves your ability to choose the right method under exam conditions.

Using notes the right way

Generated notes are a reference, not a script to reread. Use the TL;DR to self-test, the key-terms table for elaboration, and the quiz to interleave. Rereading is fine as a final check the night before, when you want to confirm rather than learn.