How to Study Like Toppers? Study Smarter with Active Recall

Spoiler: It’s not black magic. It just feels like it.

There’s always that one person in your class who seems to remember everything.

They flip through a chapter once and somehow recite it like they wrote the textbook in a past life.

Meanwhile, you’re stuck on paragraph two, wondering what exactly the mitochondria do again.

So, what’s the secret sauce?
Is it a brain implant?
Some elite coaching module from Mars?

Nope. It’s called active recall — and it might be the most powerful (and least talked about) study method out there.

First, What Is Active Recall?

Active recall is a fancy term for pulling information out of your brain instead of stuffing more in.
It’s the opposite of rereading and highlighting (aka the “illusion of learning” gang).

Here’s how it works:

• Passive learning = rereading your notes or watching the same YouTube video again hoping it sticks.
• Active recall = closing your book and asking, “What did I just learn?” and then forcing your brain to retrieve

It’s a memory gym. Every time you “recall,” your brain says,
“Oh, so this info’s important? Better keep it handy next time.”

It’s simple. And way more effective than chasing highlighter rainbows.

Why Toppers Are Obsessed With It
(And Why You Should Be Too):

Toppers aren’t magical creatures. They’re just consistent recallers.

Active recall:

• Burns the info into your long-term memory
• Prepares you better for actual exams (which are, surprise, just recall under pressure)
• Is efficient— you study less but remember more
• Makes you feel like a boss when you answer questions without peeking

And it’s not just opinion. A study on learning techniques found active recall to be one of the most evidence-backed ways to retain information — far better than rereading or summarizing.

Okay, But How Do You Actually Do It?

Let’s get practical. Here’s how to go from “I read the chapter” to “I can teach the chapter.”

1. The Look-Close-Recite Method

• Read a short section
• Close the book
• Ask yourself, “What did I just read?”
• Say it out loud (or write it down) without checking
• Then reopen the book and see what you missed

It’s like playing a quiz against your own memory.

2. Make Flashcards (But the Right Way)

Good flashcard:
“What’s the function of the cerebellum?”
Answer: “Coordinates voluntary movement and balance.”

Bad flashcard:
“Chapter 7: Brain.”
(What do you even do with that?)

Use apps like:

• Anki – Free, spaced-repetition based
• Quizlet– Easier interface, good for beginners

Or old-school index cards, if you’re into that analog aesthetic.

3. Teach It to a Wall (Or a Willing Human)

If you can explain it simply, you’ve mastered it.

Try the Feynman Technique:

• Take a topic
• Pretend you’re teaching it to a 10-year-old
• Use simple words
• Realize you don’t know it as well as you thought
• Go back, fix your gaps, try again

You’ll be amazed how much clearer things become when you have to teach it — even if your audience is your confused pet.

4. Use Past Papers as a Weapon

Solve a question before reading the chapter.

Sounds illegal, right?

It’s not. It’s brilliant.

Trying to answer before studying lights your brain up and makes it hungrier for context. And you’ll remember the correct answer better, because your brain already took a shot in the dark and failed. That pain? Pure memory gold.

You can find tons of free papers on Examrace or your local board’s official site.

Common Mistakes That Kill Active Recall (And How to Dodge Them):

“I’ll just recall in my head.”

Better: Say it out loud or write it down. Silent recall is just daydreaming with extra steps.

“I’ll recall the whole chapter in one go.”

Better: Break it into bite-sized chunks. Digest, don’t drown.

“I’ll start once I finish reading everything.”

Better: Start recall while reading. Don’t wait till the end — it’s not dessert.

Mixing Active Recall with Other Study Methods

You don’t need to abandon your entire study system. Just… upgrade it.