Your study session, step by step

Seven stages you can run tonight. Pick what you need, or walk them in order. At each stage: a clear goal, something to try, and when to move on.

Before you start

Set up first

Goal: Decide what you’ll attempt and when you’ll meet it again. Write the plan down before you open notes.

What to try: Ask AI to help you set a revisit schedule from where you usually forget, not from a blank calendar.

B10 Spaced schedule design Learning impact Highest-leverage moveLearning evidence Strong research tradition E9 Strategy selection coaching Learning impact Strong changeLearning evidence Credible with caveats E15 Implementation intentions Learning impact Reliable gainLearning evidence Strong research tradition A14 Advance organisers Learning impact Reliable gainLearning evidence Credible with caveats F7 Research question refinement Learning impact Reliable gainLearning evidence Credible with caveats

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Help me set a revisit schedule for [TOPIC] based on where I usually forget, not on the calendar.

Move on when… You know the first attempt you’ll make, and any schedule or constraints are written down.

When something feels wrong

Diagnose

Goal: Find the earliest missing link before you grind the wrong chapter.

What to try: Have AI ask probe questions until it finds the first idea you cannot explain. Stop there.

A1 Prerequisite diagnosis Learning impact Highest-leverage moveLearning evidence Strong research tradition A23 Prerequisite chain walking Learning impact Strong changeLearning evidence Strong research tradition H1 Diagnostic pre-test Learning impact Strong changeLearning evidence Strong research tradition H2 Misconception elicitation Learning impact Strong changeLearning evidence Strong research tradition M8 Visual misconception probe Learning impact Strong changeLearning evidence Strong research tradition

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Ask me probe questions about [TOPIC] until you find the earliest idea I cannot explain. Stop there.

Move on when… You can name the earliest missing link, not just the topic that feels hard.

First time through

First pass

Goal: Meet the idea with support that matches your level. Restate it in your own words.

What to try: Ask for the idea at three levels. After each, restate it. Stop at the level where you break.

E6 Self-explanation prompting Learning impact Highest-leverage moveLearning evidence Strong research tradition A8 Worked-example study Learning impact Strong changeLearning evidence Strong research tradition I1 Multiple representations Learning impact Strong changeLearning evidence Strong research tradition M1 Diagram on demand Learning impact Strong changeLearning evidence Strong research tradition I11 Worked-example annotation Learning impact Strong changeLearning evidence Strong research tradition

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Explain [TOPIC] at three levels. After each, ask me to restate it. Stop at the level where I break.

Move on when… You can restate the core idea without looking, even if it’s rough.

While you practise

Practice

Goal: The learning event is your effort: attempt, retrieve, get targeted feedback, try again.

What to try: Ask for one problem with no solution shown. After your attempt, have AI name the first error and what you seem to believe.

A2 Contingent hinting Learning impact Highest-leverage moveLearning evidence Strong research tradition B1 Free recall Learning impact Highest-leverage moveLearning evidence Strong research tradition B7 Immediate targeted feedback Learning impact Highest-leverage moveLearning evidence Strong research tradition B11 Interleaved problem sets Learning impact Highest-leverage moveLearning evidence Strong research tradition B24 Successive relearning Learning impact Highest-leverage moveLearning evidence Strong research tradition

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Give me one problem on [SKILL]. Do not show the solution. After my attempt, name the first error and what I seem to believe.

Move on when… You’ve attempted, received targeted feedback, and re-attempted at least once.

When you want more depth

Go deeper

Goal: Push into argument, mechanism, or sources once the basics hold.

What to try: Ask AI to interview you one question at a time. No explanations. Probe vague words and unsupported claims.

C1 Socratic questioning Learning impact Highest-leverage moveLearning evidence Strong research tradition A6 Analogy stress-testing Learning impact Strong changeLearning evidence Credible with caveats C9 Counterexample hunting Learning impact Strong changeLearning evidence Credible with caveats C10 Boundary probing Learning impact Strong changeLearning evidence Credible with caveats C17 Cross-examining a source Learning impact Strong changeLearning evidence Credible with caveats

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Interview me about [TOPIC]. Ask one question at a time. Do not explain. Probe vague words and unsupported claims.

Move on when… You’ve hit a question you cannot answer and written that gap down.

When checking yourself

Check yourself

Goal: Replace the feeling of readiness with a score and a short list of error types.

What to try: Ask for a short closed-book quiz in your exam format. No answers until you finish.

E18 The illusion-of-fluency check Learning impact Highest-leverage moveLearning evidence Strong research tradition B16 Explain-back Learning impact Strong changeLearning evidence Strong research tradition B18 Exam-condition simulation Learning impact Strong changeLearning evidence Strong research tradition B20 Confidence calibration Learning impact Strong changeLearning evidence Strong research tradition E3 Calibration training, at the level of a whole assessment Learning impact Strong changeLearning evidence Strong research tradition

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Generate a short closed-book quiz matching my exam format for [TOPIC]. Do not give answers until I finish.

Move on when… You have a score and a short list of error types, not just a feeling of readiness.

At the end

Wrap up

Goal: Leave a trail your future self can use: error causes, tomorrow’s re-test, next revisit.

What to try: Paste today’s mistakes. Ask AI to help log each by cause, not by topic heading, and pick one pattern to re-test tomorrow.

E1 Error cataloguing Learning impact Highest-leverage moveLearning evidence Strong research tradition E7 Exam post-mortem Learning impact Strong changeLearning evidence Strong research tradition E4 Study-process audit Learning impact Strong changeLearning evidence Credible with caveats E22 Transfer audit Learning impact Strong changeLearning evidence Credible with caveats F5 Living knowledge base Learning impact Strong changeLearning evidence Credible with caveats

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Here are today's mistakes. Help me log each by cause, not by topic heading, and pick the one pattern to re-test tomorrow.

Move on when… Tomorrow’s one re-test item and the next revisit date are written.