Close Your Course Notes: Active Recall in Practice

The revision technique that 90% of students never use (but that actually works)

You want to retain what you revise?

Then stop rereading. And start recalling.

We already talked about this a few months ago. It's called active recall — and it's probably one of the only methods that truly works for long-term memorization.

So we're putting it back in front of you. Because this can make a huge difference right now.

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What is active recall? 🤔

It's the act of forcing yourself to recall what you've learned, without looking at your notes.

In other words: you close everything, grab a sheet of paper, and try to reproduce the outline, the concepts, the formulas, the main ideas... from memory.

Even if you haven't retained everything.

Why is it so powerful?

Because recalling activates the memory circuits far more than rereading.

• You strengthen neural connections with each attempt
• You spot what's fuzzy, what's solid, what's missing
• You train yourself to do exactly what you'll do on the exam: retrieve information without any support

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How to use it during exam period:

🎯 Step 1: Pick a chapter you think you've "covered"

It doesn't need to be perfect, just a chapter you've already worked on.

🧠 Step 2: Close your notes, grab a sheet or open a notes app

Write down (or say out loud) everything you remember:

• Concepts
• Definitions
• Course outline
• Important elements, examples, formulas, etc.

🔍 Step 3: Compare with your notes

• What did you forget?
• What did you remember easily?
• What did you think you knew... but actually didn't?

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Bonus: you can do it with a partner 👥

Do a recall session with a friend:

1. One person explains a chapter out loud
2. The other asks questions
3. Then you switch

It's incredibly effective, and it forces you to reconstruct the information, not just recognize it.

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In summary

• Rereading is not enough.
• Recalling is what creates memory.
• Even if you'd forgotten about it, this method can save you right now.
• Active recall = your brain in active mode, not passive mode.

Try this today, even on a small chapter.

You'll see the difference immediately. And you'll understand why rereading 4 times without testing is pointless.

Good luck with the rest 💪

L'équipe iBlocus

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Want to go further? Check out our complete blocus guide: planning, study methods, mistakes to avoid and free template.