Study Hacks School Doesn’t Want You to Know

relearnsmarter
2 days ago
2 min read

School teaches you facts. It teaches you rules. It teaches you how to pass exams. But it doesn't really teach you how to actually learn efficiently, focus deeply, or retain information for the long term. For years, I used to spend hours studying every single day. Notes, flashcards, rereading chapters - I tried everything I could think of. But somehow, the moment exams came, my brain became blank. I would highlight my entire textbook, binge watch “study hack” videos, rewrite my notes a couple of times… and somehow forget everything the next morning.

Turns out, that wasn't really the real way to study. I just needed smarter ways to study, strategies that actually work, even if your teachers never mention them.

Here’s a complete guide to the study hacks school doesn’t want you to know, based on what I’ve tried, failed at, and finally learned.

Mining your weaknesses

Studying what you already know feels like a piece of cake. But that's not really the real way of studying. It's just your ego kicking in.

Test yourself. Close the book. Recall concepts from memory. Quiz yourself. Explain it to a friend, or even a plant. If you can’t, that’s what you need to study more. Or study better.

Spaced repetition

You probably hate cramming the night before an exam. And your brain does too. It loves repetition over time

Study, wait a day, review, wait two days, review again. That makes your knowledge stick like glue. Not the last minute, overnight study session.

Embracing boredom

Boredom feels like torture. But it could actually become the next superpower to you if you use it correctly.

See, when your brain isn’t constantly fed distractions - TikTok, Discord, random scrolling - it starts to think for itself. That’s where real ideas, connections, and understanding happen.

So next time you’re tempted to grab your phone or open another tab, sit with the boredom instead. Let the boredom sink in. 5 minutes later, something will hit differently. You will be locked in.

System Reset

I was stuck in a loop. Studying felt like going through motions, and I felt smaller with every page. Then I stopped. I hit reset.

I asked myself: Why am I even learning this?

Not for grades. Not for teachers. But for my future.

And then something shifted. Everything connected. My brain woke up. I was curious again. I was alive.

Your System Reset looks the same: stop chasing numbers. Find your reason. Connect knowledge to life. That’s when studying finally makes sense. (Not cringy, I promise)

Stop studying for grades. Study to understand, to grow, to challenge yourself. Focus on your weak spots. Test yourself. Space it out. Mix it up. Sit with boredom. Connect what you learn to your life.

👉 If you want to stack even more hacks, I wrote about