Teachers React To Viral TikTok Study Trends

Blurting

(Quickly reading a section of a textbook or study guide then closing the book and jotting down as much information as you can remember)

Lucy Kirkham, Head of Maths and Revision Expert at Save My Exams thinks blurting is an effective technique to check your understanding.

 “Writing out everything you know about a topic is a great way to check what you already know about the subject. It’s a helpful technique as it can help you organise and connect the dots within a topic, check for any knowledge gaps and then let you focus on filling the gaps or correcting any mistakes that you made. Save My Exams revision notes are definitely a great knowledge checking point during your revision.”

Richard Boole, Chemistry Content Creator at Save My Exams agrees. He thinks it works best when there is a specific focus. 

Ric says: “One key thing about blurting is that you have to review your blurts later on or else it’ll just become a waste of time, appearing to be a revision session.”

Studying until the candle goes out

(Lighting candles before undergoing study sessions, using the candle as a timer for how long you plan to study for)

Lucy wouldn’t recommend this method - studying until the candle goes out would be ineffective as your brain doesn’t have enough time to rest and digest. 

“Even though many people think studying until the candle goes out is a great way to digest all the knowledge before your exams, your brain needs time to process and organise all the information. Make sure you get enough sleep after a studying session rather than pulling an all-nighter”

Ric also agrees, and thinks it’s a fad: “Studying solidly while the candle is burning is also scientifically proven to be less effective as breaks are required to increase concentration and retention level. The candle, which is easily replaced by a timer, can sometimes be an added distraction trying to accidentally make it go out”.

Scribble with the non-dominant hand while studying with dominant

For Lucy, this studying method might not be as useful as it seems to keep you from being distracted. She says: “Keeping focus is hard when studying but it’s better to keep things simple”.

She suggests a few other ways students can avoid distraction and stay on top of their revision such as:

• Breaking your study timetable into smaller chunks

• Leaving your phones behind. 

• Take breaks, have your meals and stay hydrated!

Ric says: “Scribbling with your non-dominant hand might be ineffective as it can be a distraction, depending on how your mind works”. Ric also suggests a few alternatives such as "Double doodle" or "Lazy 8's" to calm the mind before your revision session or "Finger Switch Challenge" if you need an energy boost.

Using transparent sticky notes

Both Lucy and Ric think this study trend would only be effective when used in the right way; to enhance processing and retention and not just make your revision notes look pretty and aesthetically pleasing. There are many different ways to organise your revision notes such as highlighting, sticky notes, creating flashcards etc but these need to be combined with memory and recall techniques to properly process and retain the information to make your revision worthwhile.

Finding new ways to study is always a good thing and some trends work better for some people than others. Find ways that work for you - you can access a wealth of revision tools here.