The simplest way to remember things without cramming is to switch from rereading to active recall on a spaced schedule. Break your material into small chunks, make 10–20 quick Q&A prompts or flashcards per chapter, then close your notes and try to answer everything from memory. Use a timer: 20–25 minutes of recall, 5-minute break, repeat once. Space those short sessions like this: learn it today, quick recall tomorrow, then again on day 3 and day 7; if it's a big exam, hit day 14 too. Each session, shuffle topics so you're not just memorizing order, and write down what you miss in a "mistake log" to target first next time. Make the ideas sticky with simple tricks: explain a concept out loud in plain language as if teaching a 12-year-old, invent a quick story or acronym for lists, and attach every definition to a concrete example you make up. For formulas or processes, cover the steps and reconstruct them from the end result back to the start. Before bed, do a 5–10 minute recap from memory; in the morning, do a 3-minute rapid check—sleep strengthens what you tested. If attention is a struggle, switch subjects every session to keep it fresh.
On the final days, practice with exam-style questions under light time pressure, then immediately correct and re-try from memory. This feels harder than rereading, but that "strain" is the testing effect—exactly what makes it stick.
