How to study
The methods with the strongest evidence behind them, what each one is, how to do it yourself, and where Study Desk already does it for you.
01 · the most important one
Test yourself instead of rereading. Pulling an answer out of your memory strengthens it far more than looking at it again. Rereading feels productive but mostly isn't.
On Study Desk: every lesson asks you a question at every step, then five on your own. The flash cards and the question of the day on the desk do the same.
02
Review a topic just as you're about to forget it, with the gaps getting longer each time: about 1 day, then 3, then a week, then a few weeks. Ten minutes spread over a month beats an hour in one go.
On Study Desk: every topic you pass now comes back as a warm-up question at the top of its lesson page on that schedule. The Spaced review card on the desk shows what's due today. The flash cards also space themselves.
03
Mix different topics in one practice session instead of doing twenty of the same thing. It feels harder, but it trains you to spot which method a question needs, which is what the exam tests.
On Study Desk: practice papers mix topics at random, and the warm-ups mix questions from different topics.
04
After studying a topic, write down everything you can remember on a blank page, then check it against your notes. What you missed shows you exactly what to reread.
On Study Desk: before the five questions in every topic there's a brain dump box, with a button to jump to the recap so you can compare.
05
Explain the topic in simple words, as if to a 12-year-old. Wherever you get stuck or use jargon you can't explain, you've found a gap in your understanding.
On Study Desk: write your explanation in the brain dump box and tap Check what I got. It shows which key points from the recap you covered and which you missed.
06
Work in focused blocks of 25 minutes with a 5-minute break after each, and a longer 15 to 30 minute break after four. It keeps your focus sharp and makes starting easier.
On Study Desk: start the stopwatch at the top and it reminds you to take a break every 25 minutes.
07
When something is new, study a fully worked example first, then do one where some steps are left for you, then one on your own. Beginners learn faster this way than by struggling with problems straight away.
On Study Desk: this is how every lesson is built. The tutor walks you through, then hands more steps to you until you do it alone.
08
For every fact, ask "why?" and "how does this connect to what I already know?". Linking ideas makes them stick, and in Business and Economics it's exactly what earns analysis and evaluation marks.
On Study Desk: every Business topic ends with an Exam angle that trains these chains, and writing practice checks for them.
09
Pair words with a diagram, graph or sketch. Your memory then has two routes to the same idea.
On Study Desk: lessons include diagrams for graphs and shapes. Redraw each one on paper without looking.
10
The single best exam preparation. You learn the style of questions, what examiners reward and how to manage the clock.
On Study Desk: practice papers for maths, writing practice for Business, and links to the real Cambridge papers on the desk. Start real past papers about three months before each exam.
11
Keep a list of every question you got wrong and why. Most marks are lost to the same few mistakes repeated, so fixing them is the quickest win.
On Study Desk: weak spots keeps this log for you automatically.
12
Your brain files away what you learnt while you sleep. Pulling all-nighters or studying exhausted wastes the hours you put in.
Putting it together
| 0:00 | Warm-up (10 min). Do the spaced review warm-ups that are due, then one round of flash cards. |
| 0:10 | New maths (2 × 25 min). One lesson topic, with a 5-minute break between blocks. |
| 1:05 | Brain dump (5 min). Explain the topic simply, then tap Check to see what you missed. |
| 1:10 | Break (20 min). Away from the screen. |
| 1:30 | New Business (2 × 25 min). One lesson topic, including the Exam angle. |
| 2:25 | Mixed practice (2 × 25 min). A practice paper or a written answer on writing practice. |
| 3:25 | Weak spots (25 min). Clear one from the list. |
| 3:50 | Plan tomorrow (10 min). Note the topic to start with, so you begin without thinking. |