PDF Summary:The Only Study Guide You'll Ever Need, by Jade Bowler

School is one of the biggest stressors that young people face. Receiving good grades impacts career success, and as a result, the education system expects school to be students’ top priority despite their non-academic obligations. This pressure often makes young people chronically overwhelmed, and they consequently struggle to perform well in school. However, in The Only Study Guide You’ll Ever Need, Jade Bowler explains that school doesn’t have to be this way. If students learn how to effectively manage their mindset, study habits, and time, they can minimize their stress and live a balanced life while excelling in school.

This guide will discuss how to manage your mindset so that prominent issues like fear of failure, lack of motivation, and procrastination don’t sabotage your success. We’ll also discuss science-backed time management and study techniques that will help you ace your exams. Throughout the guide, we’ll supplement Bowler’s advice with recommendations from productivity experts like Neil A. Fiore (The Now Habit) and David Allen (Getting Things Done).

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(Shortform note: In Peak, Anders Ericsson agrees that easy tasks don’t do much to improve our abilities—practice must be difficult and push you out of your comfort zone if it’s going to help you improve. This is the fourth tenet of his “purposeful practice” framework, which explains how to make practice (like studying) the most productive. In addition to making the practice hard, he recommends having a specific goal for improvement, giving the practice your undivided attention, and seeking feedback from others.)

Use Brain-Approved Study Methods

Bowler discusses four main study methods based on the above cognitive processes that will help you maximize your learning in as little time as possible.

Method #1: Flashcards

While flashcards are a popular method for studying, Bowler explains that they’re ineffective if not created and used correctly. For flashcards to improve your understanding, they must incorporate your brain’s preferred learning methods.

First, flashcards should require deep engagement. There are a few ways you can do this. One of the easiest ways is to create cards with a question on one side and an answer on the other—before flipping the card over, you must answer the question yourself. This will make studying with flashcards harder than simply flipping through your cards and rereading information.

Another way to encourage deep engagement is to use as many symbols as possible on your cards in place of words and phrases. Using symbols rather than words requires you to recall more information than what’s explicitly written on the card. For example, imagine you want to remember that the Rashidun Caliphate was the first caliphate and lasted the shortest amount of time, the Umayyad was second and lasted longer than the Rashidun, and the Abbasid was the last and lasted the longest. You could write “Rashidun < Umayyad < Abbasid.”

Your flashcards should help you make connections with concepts you already know—Bowler explains that using images and symbols you’re familiar with is a great way to do this. For example, to remember the order of three of the major Medieval Islamic caliphates—the Rashidun, Umayyad, and Abbasid—you could draw a picture of a radish to remind you of “Rashidun,” a picture of your friend Maya to remind you of “Umayyad,” and the name of the band Abba to remind you of “Abbasid.”

Finally, the key to boosting learning with flashcards is to study them repeatedly over time. For example, if you have a quiz in one month’s time, rather than waiting until the week before the exam and studying for 30 minutes every day, make your flashcards and start studying as soon as you find out about the exam.

Flashcard Techniques That Boost Learning

Experts echo Bowler’s suggestions on how to create and use flashcards to boost your study productivity and learning. However, they emphasize a few additional techniques that make studying with flashcards even more effective and prevent outcomes that could negatively impact learning. By incorporating these ideas alongside Bowler’s recommendations, not only will you boost your productivity, but you’ll also ensure that you aren’t accidentally sabotaging your learning.

1) Read the information on the card out loud—the more senses you involve in your flashcard practice, the deeper you’ll engage with the material, and the better you’ll understand and retain it.

2) Shuffle your deck of cards regularly, especially if you’re studying them repeatedly—this will prevent you from memorizing the order of the answers rather than the concepts on them. You’ll avoid experiencing false productivity by making the task harder and increasing your level of engagement.

3) Quiz yourself backward when possible. For example, rather than routinely reading the question on the front of the card and then guessing the answer on the back, read the answer on the back first and try to guess the question on the front. This will make you think harder and engage deeper with the information.

4) Use apps like Canva or Flashcard Machine to add complex visuals and even audio to your card. This can be more effective for visual or auditory learners who would benefit from more complex sensory stimulation than simply drawing a basic drawing or symbol can provide. You can also use Canva’s stock images function to find complex images that represent connections to ideas you already know.

Method #2: Memory Testing

Bowler explains that testing your memory and understanding is extremely helpful when studying because recalling the information requires deep engagement. Testing also allows you to gauge what you know, what you don’t know, and what you need to work on. She recommends two ways of testing your memory.

The first method involves trying to condense a concept into its most crucial components from memory alone. Then, compare what you’ve written to your full notes to see how well you understand the concept and identify anything that you forgot or misrepresented. This facilitates engagement and application. (Bowler calls this technique “summarization from memory.”)

(Shortform note: This method for memory testing is likely effective because it mimics and possibly expedites the second stage of your brain’s learning process. In Make It Stick, the authors explain that during the first stage of learning, your brain encodes new information in your short-term memory. During the second stage, your brain transfers knowledge into long-term memory through consolidation: It revisits your encoded memories and fills in logic gaps, draws connections, and identifies crucial components. Bowler’s recommendation to condense concepts into their most crucial components, review what you missed, and fill gaps in your memory helps and likely expedites consolidation by forcing you to actively go through it.)

Bowler’s second testing method involves writing down every single thing you can remember about a concept. To do this, start by writing down a few words that will remind you of the concept. Then, use those prompts to jog your memory and write down everything you can remember about the concept. Once you’re done, compare your exercise to your notes and identify what you left out—these are likely the areas you need to work on. (Bowler calls this method “blurting.”)

For example, if you have a Spanish exam on words used in the kitchen, you might write a few prompts to help jog your memory about the themes of the vocabulary: “los cubiertos (eating utensils)” and “comida (food).” Then, you can list out every vocabulary word you remember based on these themes: “tenedor (fork),” “cuchillo (knife),” “manzana (apple),” “naranja (orange),” and so on. Compare your list to your notes to ensure each term is spelled and translated correctly, and make note of anything you forgot.

(Shortform note: Blurting has become such a popular method of studying that teachers have created blurting worksheets and templates. These papers are specifically designed to help students test their knowledge and then actively reflect on what they remember and what they need to spend more time revising.)

Method #3: Create Connections

Bowler recommends creating connections between new concepts that you’re learning and your prior knowledge through storytelling. She presents three different ways you can do so:

First, you can sort pieces of information into groups and connect each group in a logical narrative format. Bowler recommends this method because it connects the information you’re learning in a way that makes sense to you, making it easier to recall. (Bowler calls this method “chunking, chaining, and telling a story.”)

For example, if you’re studying for your Spanish exam, you can sort the vocabulary words for food into one group, cooking utensils into another, and table utensils into another. Then, tell a story about making dinner and use each group as a part of the process: First, you gather the food; then, you gather the cooking utensils; and once the meal is done, you eat with the table utensils.

Second, you can connect elements of a concept you’re learning to elements of a routine you perform regularly—this is especially helpful for processes you have to memorize or elements that have a particular order. (Bowler calls this method “Sherlock’s mind palace.”)

For example, you can connect each color of the rainbow to an action or object of your morning routine: First, you wake up underneath your red duvet. Next, you put on your orange slippers. Then, you go to the bathroom which has yellow walls. In the bathroom, you pick up the green toothpaste tube and use your blue toothbrush. Finally, you put on your indigo robe and say good morning to your mother, who is named Violet.

Third, you can connect elements of a concept to parts of a physical object—when you look at the object, it will help you remember the elements of the concept. For example, connect the three main stages of the hydrologic cycle to your water bottle: First is evaporation—you can connect this stage to the top part of your water bottle that’s foggy because of evaporation. Next is condensation—you can connect this to the water droplets inside your bottle and imagine that they’re the product of condensation, like raindrops. Finally, connect precipitation to the water sitting at the bottom of your bottle—imagine this is the rainwater that has fallen and collected.

Why Chunking and Ordering Information Improves Our Memory

In A Mind For Numbers, Barbara Oakley suggests that the underlying reason why turning information into a story aids memory is that it replicates the brain's system of storing information and transferring it from the working memory to long-term memory. All three of Bowler’s recommendations—creating an original story to connect pieces of a concept, connecting parts of a concept to a routine, and connecting parts of a concept to an object—mimic this process.

Oakley explains that when our brain first absorbs information, it stores it as a “chunk” in our working memory—where information is stored while we process it. “Chunks” are bits of information that are bound together by a common theme or meaning—for example, the food-related vocabulary words for your upcoming Spanish exam might form one chunk, and vocabulary about the rooms of the home might be another chunk. The more we build connections between the bits of information in these chunks, the stronger the neural pathways within the chunks get; the deeper the chunk gets ingrained into our long-term memory; and the easier it is to recall the information within it.

When you actively break a chunk of information down into pieces and reconnect those pieces using a strongly connected narrative, routine, or object, as Bowler recommends, you’re providing your brain with a tool that will expedite the process of strengthening the chunk. Not only will this help you recall this information more easily and intuitively, Oakley explains, but it will also free up space in your working memory. Your working memory can only contain a few chunks of information at a time, so once you transfer chunks to your long-term memory, you’ll have more space to memorize and learn new concepts.

Method #4: Practice Taking the Exam

Finally, Bowler recommends completing past papers—real exam papers from previous years—or taking a practice exam on the subject you’re studying for. These methods provide the experience of answering the types of questions on the real exam.

Past papers are often available online or can be provided by your teacher or the exam board. If you don’t have access to past papers, create your own practice exam. To do this, look at past essay prompts, homework assignments, textbook review sections, and any revision guidelines the teacher has provided, and pick a prompt that might mimic a real exam. For example, if your exam will ask you to write a two-page essay about Macbeth in 60 minutes, choose a past essay prompt similar to a real exam question and practice writing the timed essay at home. If your exam is on the history of the Islamic empire, create an exam out of the textbook review questions for the chapters you’ll be quizzed on.

(Shortform note: Using past papers and practice exams to prepare for real exams is one of the most popular and highly recommended study strategies out there. Numerous sites now offer detailed past papers, model answers, and revision notes. Using these pre-collected resources will save time you would have otherwise spent combing through the internet or old notes for study inspiration. Sites like Save My Exams are tailored to help you ace the exact exam and subject you’re preparing for. American students preparing for nation-specific exams like the SAT or ACT can visit resources like Khan Academy for study guides and practice exams. Other nation-specific exam prep tools can also be found with a quick Google search.)

Part 3: Make a Schedule

In this final part of the guide, we’ll discuss the importance of making a schedule. Bowler claims that scheduling will ensure you’re making the best use of your time, helping you accomplish your schoolwork while maintaining free time for extracurricular and non-academic activities. Her scheduling method will help you identify your priorities, allot blocks of time to complete important tasks, and determine which study techniques will optimize your learning.

(Shortform note: In Eat That Frog!, Brian Tracy reiterates the importance of scheduling, citing the 10/90 rule as evidence: spending 10% of your time on a task planning it (for instance, by prioritizing it, scheduling it, and determining how you’ll complete it) will reduce the time required to complete it by 90%.)

Bowler’s method for making a schedule can be broken into four steps.

Step #1: List Your Obligations

Bowler explains that the first step when creating your schedule is to write down every obligation you must complete each month (like projects, exams, and so on); their deadlines; and all the tasks that are required to complete them. You should amend this list whenever you receive a new obligation or deadline. For example, your November list might look like this:

November:

• Obligation: Science homework, November 2
  • Task: complete 3 equations
• Obligation: Swim meet, November 5
  • Task: leave the afternoon free, reschedule group study session
• Obligation: History exam, November 30
  • Tasks: memorize each caliphate of the Islamic Empire and its time span, learn the five most impactful caliphs and their major beliefs and accomplishments

The Benefits of Using a Calendar to Keep Track of Obligations

In Getting Things Done, David Allen recommends recording your monthly obligations using a calendar rather than a written list. A calendar format allows you to easily add new obligations without having to reconfigure your list every time something new crops up, making staying organized easier.

Allen also recommends supplementing your calendar with a tickler system of strategic reminders of distant deadlines. For example, if it’s currently November and you note in March’s calendar page or task list that you have a summative exam on March 24th, you might not see the obligation again until March arrives and you look at your monthly overview. By then, it’ll be too late to revise effectively. But if you place a tickler to remind you to start studying on January 15th, you’ll be better prepared.

Step #2: Make Plans

Once you’ve listed your obligations, deadlines, and tasks, Bowler suggests analyzing which study methods would best help you accomplish each task. These will be the plans you need to enact to complete the task effectively.

For example, the plans (study techniques) for your history exam might include:

1. Create flashcards—one hour
2. Study flashcards—30 minutes per session
3. Create a story to remember when each caliph lived, his accomplishments, and his beliefs—one hour
4. Perform a memory test about each caliph—40 minutes per test
5. Take a mock exam—one hour

Effective Plans Require Detailed Information

In Scrum, Jeff Sutherland explains that when listing the actions (plans) that are necessary to accomplish a vision (your tasks that fulfill obligations), you should also record the resources needed, the effort required, and what the standard for completion is for each action. For example, you might note “Make flashcards—requires: library textbook rental, medium effort, 1 card per vocab term, 1 hour of time.”

These additional components will arguably help you accomplish the task more efficiently by ensuring you have the materials and time necessary to complete it in one go. Reflecting on these components will also improve your ability to effectively prioritize and schedule your plans (which we’ll discuss in Step #3 and Step #4). For example, a high-effort plan might require a buffer of recovery time before you can start your next plan for the day.

Step #3: Prioritize Your Tasks and Plans

Next, Bowler recommends prioritizing your tasks and plans based on 1) your level of understanding of the topic and 2) each task or plan’s deadline. To do this, devise symbols that indicate each task’s priority level and write the correct symbol next to each task and plan. For example, you might write three exclamation points next to high-priority items, two next to medium-priority items, and one next to low-priority items.

How do you know which tasks to prioritize? Bowler notes that if your understanding of a task or plan’s topic is lacking, the task or plan is important to focus on and will require a larger time commitment than something you already understand well. Therefore, these tasks and plans will be of higher priority. However, you must also take into account your deadlines—tasks and plans with immediate deadlines, like homework that’s due the next day, will usually have higher priority than plans that can be completed later in the month.

However, tasks with impending deadlines might not always take the highest priority. For example, imagine that you have two upcoming obligations: two homework assignments due in five days, and a history exam next month on topics that you don’t yet understand fully. While the homework is due sooner, you’ll need a long time to fully master the exam content.

To prioritize your plans for these obligations, determine what needs to get done first to both meet deadlines and improve your understanding in time to pass the exam. In this case, you should spend an hour creating flashcards for the exam first, because you need as much time as possible to memorize them before the exam; then, you should do the homework, because it's the most immediate deadline after that.

Bowler’s Interpretation of the Common Urgent/Important Principle

Bowler's recommendation for prioritizing tasks closely aligns with a popular prioritization method that’s dominated the self-help and productivity genre for the past few decades: the Urgent/Important Principle.

This principle, popularized by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954, argues that you should prioritize tasks by considering their urgency and importance:

• Urgent and important tasks should be prioritized first.

• Important but not urgent tasks should be prioritized second.

• Urgent but unimportant tasks should be prioritized third.

• Unimportant and not urgent tasks should be prioritized last and avoided if possible.

This method has been recommended by numerous productivity experts, including Stephen Covey, Tony Robbins, and Brian Tracy.

The Urgent/Important Principle follows the same general outline as Bowler’s recommendation—to consider your level of understanding (importance) and the deadline (urgency) when prioritizing tasks. However, Bowler’s method doesn’t mention the possibility of avoiding tasks entirely if they’re deemed unimportant and not urgent. This is likely because Bowler sees all tasks that appear on your list—school requirements, extracurriculars, and social events—as important, and thus worth completing at some point.

Step #4: Schedule Your Tasks

Once you know the priority levels of your tasks, schedule a time to complete them. Bowler recommends scheduling tasks week by week for up to a month in advance. You should revisit your schedule at the beginning of each week to make a daily and hourly schedule.

Bowler notes that you should consider spaced repetition when scheduling your study times. For example, “study flashcards” might be one task on your list, but scheduling and performing it only once won’t improve your understanding of the material. Instead, use the spaced repetition technique by scheduling multiple flashcard sessions at regular intervals.

Bowler’s Scheduling Method vs. David Allen’s

Bowler and David Allen (Getting Things Done) both recommend creating a clear schedule to boost your productivity, with Allen particularly emphasizing the importance of weekly scheduling. Following these tips from Allen’s GTD Method in addition to Bowler’s suggestions will arguably help you schedule your week more effectively than simply following Bowler’s framework alone, boosting your productivity.

• Set a specific day and time each week to make your weekly schedule. This will ensure you have sufficient time to complete the task and remember to do it.

• While making your weekly schedule, review all your future tasks and obligations to determine whether there are any you can unexpectedly get done in the upcoming week or make immediate progress on.

• Be sure to update your tasks and obligations, crossing off (or deleting) anything that’s completed.

• Re-assess the importance and urgency of tasks and plans to ensure you’re using your time wisely. For instance, if you’ve scheduled a spaced repetition session for this week but still remember the information perfectly, delay or skip the session.

• Review your tasks and plan to determine whether there are any items you need to follow up on. For example, do you need to follow up with a teacher about sending you a past paper or with a team member about their part of a project?