Before the test: Familiarize yourself with the test and the type of questions it will likely ask. – Review information about the test. – Clarify things you’re uncertain about. – Discuss the upcoming test with others. Practice with as many previous test questions from old tests as possible. Don’t just look at the answers—that simply loads the

Do your best to set aside enough time for sleep, especially in the days leading up to the test. Even if you struggle to fall asleep on the night before a test, you can tackle test day much better if you’ve stored several nights of good sleep already.

In other words, even while you’re building new connections, you’re still practicing with the older ones. So if you want to advance quickly in your learning, you need to continue forming new connections in long-term memory, and not just reinforce the connections you’ve already made. This means it’s important to keep pushing yourself every day with

Passive learning, on the other hand, such as effortless listening or reading, isn’t very effective. Your neurons just sit still instead of sprouting new connections that form new links.

Watching a movie, going for a walk, and having a meal can all become more fulfilling if we share it with someone we like. That’s because people have a built-in need to be socially connected and to secure the love and respect of others.7 And face it—studying is more enjoyable if you have someone to study together with. If some of your friends are

Pause to think occasionally, or to summarize what you read in your own words. Use the elaboration technique introduced in chapter 3, or find someone that you can discuss the content with. Answer questions about the text. If your reading involves technical material, practice with problem sets. These ways of actively thinking about the material will

interleaving—that approach where you alternate different types of problems—for example, alternating module 3 problems with module 7 problems.

Another way to make a task valuable is to reward yourself when you’ve completed some portion of the task. A reward can be simply taking a break where you listen to your favorite music, or having the chance to watch your favorite television show, to hang out with friends, or even just to go for a walk.

But here are some dietary substances and practices that, as research has shown, have a small but positive effect on learning: