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Learn to Learn: Study Strategies for a Better Routine

Learning is a skill you can develop. Whether you’re preparing for a test, exploring a new subject, or returning to a topic that has always felt difficult, a thoughtful routine can help you use your study time more purposefully.

Our digital guide, Learn to Learn: A Meta-Learning Guide, brings study strategies and planning together as a starting point. You can use the ideas below to choose a goal, try a few methods, and adjust your approach as you discover what helps you engage with the material.

What Does It Mean to Learn How to Learn?

Learning how to learn, sometimes called meta-learning, means paying attention to your learning process. Instead of simply reading a chapter and hoping it sticks, you choose an approach, notice how it goes, and make changes when needed.

Start with a clear goal. “Study biology” is broad; “explain how photosynthesis works without looking at my notes” gives you something specific to work toward. Once you have a goal, you can select a strategy that fits it and decide how you’ll check your understanding.

Reflection doesn’t need to be complicated. After a session, ask yourself: What can I explain now? Where did I get stuck? What should I revisit? These questions turn a vague feeling of progress into useful information for your next session.

We offer Learn to Learn as a starting point for building a personal routine. Your plan can change as your subject, schedule, and goals change.

Put Useful Study Strategies Into Practice

Reading and highlighting can introduce you to a topic, but it’s also useful to practice bringing information to mind. With retrieval practice, you close your notes and try to recall an idea, answer a question, or explain a process. Then you check your notes to see what you missed. The Learning Scientists’ retrieval practice guide offers more ways to put this approach to work.

Spaced practice means revisiting material over several sessions rather than relying on one long session. For example, you might review a concept today, return to it later in the week, and revisit it again the following week. Allow enough time between sessions for the review to feel like a fresh attempt, while keeping the schedule practical for you.

Another option is self-explanation: put an idea into your own words and describe how its parts connect. If your explanation becomes fuzzy, that’s a useful signal to look back at the source material. Researcher John Dunlosky discusses these and other approaches in Strengthening the Student Toolbox.

A Simple Study Strategy Planner

Strategy	How to try it	When it can help
Retrieval practice	Answer questions from memory, then check your notes	After reading or reviewing a topic
Spaced practice	Return to the material across multiple days	When preparing for a future test or task
Self-explanation	Explain an idea in your own words	When working through a difficult concept

You don’t need to settle on one fixed learning style before you begin. Try different approaches and judge them by how well they help you work with the material and move toward your goal. A diagram may be useful for understanding a process, while practice questions may be better for checking what you can recall.

Create a Learning Plan You Can Revisit

Choose one specific goal and divide it into sessions that fit your week. If you want to learn a set of new terms, for example, start with a small group rather than trying to master the whole list at once. Decide what you’ll do in each session and when you’ll return to the material.

Here’s a simple weekly rhythm you can adapt:

Monday: Learn a small section of new material and write down a few questions about it.
Wednesday: Answer those questions from memory, then check your notes and correct any gaps.
Friday: Revisit the most challenging ideas and explain them in your own words.
Weekend: Briefly review what felt clear and choose a focus for the following week.

Keep a short record after each session: what felt clear, what needs more practice, and what you’ll try next. If a session runs too long or a strategy isn’t helping, adjust the plan rather than abandoning it. A routine you can return to is more useful than a perfect schedule you can’t maintain.

Explore Learn to Learn

Our Learn to Learn: A Meta-Learning Guide is a digital learning guide PDF and study strategies eBook with a learning style planner. It’s designed for people who want a more intentional approach to educational self-development, whether they’re studying a familiar subject or beginning something new.

The guide is listed at $6.99. Explore Learn to Learn: A Meta-Learning Guide to see the product page.

If your learning goals also include making space for family conversations, our Talk & Connect: Parent-Child Communication Workbook offers a separate resource focused on conversation starters and emotional connection.

FAQ

Who is Learn to Learn for?

The guide is for people interested in study strategies and building a more intentional learning routine. You can use it as a starting point and adapt your approach to your goals.