Close the book, then remember
Read a short section, close your book, and get out everything you can remember. Then open the book and check.
You may know this as blurting or active recall.
How to do it with your own book
- 1Pick one small piece of today’s topic, about one or two pages of your book.
- 2Read it once. Then close the book and write or sketch everything you remember for 3 minutes. Messy is fine.
- 3Open the book and check. Mark each piece got it or not yet.
- 4Write the not-yet pieces on a card. They come back tomorrow, book closed first.
Why it helps
- Rereading and highlighting feel productive, but a large research review rated them low-utility. Practice testing, which is what closing the book is, was one of the two strategies it rated high-utility. (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013)
- Checking matters. Practicing from memory carried over to new questions best when it came with feedback that explained the answer. Your book is that feedback. (Pan and Rickard, 2018)
- Sketching counts. Drawing from memory and then checking against a good diagram helped college students understand a science text. Try it for skin layers, the hair shaft or nail structure. (Zhang and Fiorella, 2021)
These studies were done with students in other settings, not cosmetology students. They show why the habit is worth trying, not what your score will be.
In your Lisensa plan
Every session starts here. The app asks you to close your book before you write, then asks how much came back: most, some or not yet.
Want a plan built around these habits?
Send me your test date and I’ll make your free day-by-day plan, using your own book.
Get my free planOn Instagram? DM PLAN to @lisensaapp.