Practical study tips

A partner keeps you honest and fills the gaps in your notes. To get the most from one:

• Pick someone on the same course, and agree on one goal per session: a chapter, a problem set, a past paper.
• Take turns explaining. If you cannot explain a step out loud, you do not know the step yet.
• Meet at the same time each week, so the session happens without new planning.
• Keep chat for after the session. Mute the rest while you work.

Work in blocks with short breaks. The 25/5 and 50/10 timers in StudyNest rooms follow this pattern.

• Write down what you will finish before you start the timer.
• Use the first 2 minutes to say your goal out loud to your partner.
• In each break, stand up and look away from the screen.
• End with 5 minutes to note what is left for next time.

Rereading feels productive but fades fast. These two habits do more for the same time:

• Active recall: close the book and write or say what you remember, then check. Quiz your partner and let them quiz you.
• Spaced repetition: revisit a topic after 1 day, then 3 days, then a week. Each return takes less time than the last.
• Past papers: do them under a time limit, then mark them together.

Nour, the StudyNest study buddy, helps most when you do the thinking first.

• Try the problem yourself, then ask Nour to check your working step by step.
• Ask for a simpler explanation, or an example from daily life.
• Send your slides as a PDF and ask for 10 practice questions on them.
• Ask for a revision plan with your exam dates and the hours you have free.

Work backwards from the exam date.

• List every topic, and mark each one as known, shaky or new.
• Spend most of your time on shaky topics. New topics come first in the week.
• Book sessions with your partners in advance, one per course, with a set length.
• Sleep. Late cramming costs you more marks than the extra hours gain.