The test
Does this tool make me produce something from memory? If no, it is not a study tool. It might be a useful *tool*, but it is not doing the thing that causes learning, and you should stop counting time spent in it as revision.
Apply it
| Tool | Makes you retrieve? | What it actually is |
|---|---|---|
| Spaced repetition app | Yes | A study tool |
| Practice question generator | Yes | A study tool |
| Blank page and a pen | Yes | A study tool, and free |
| Note-taking app | No | Storage |
| Highlighter | No | A decoration |
| Summariser | No | A reading aid |
| Second brain / note graph | No | Mostly a hobby |
| Pomodoro timer | No — but it gets you started | Scaffolding, and useful |
Storage, reading aids and scaffolding all have their place. The mistake is counting the hours you spend in them as studying, because they feel like studying and they are not.
The switching trap
Researching a better tool feels productive, is entirely painless, and produces a genuine sense of progress. It is avoidance in its most respectable form — you are, after all, working on your studying.
A mediocre tool used daily beats a perfect one you're still evaluating. If you've switched note apps twice this term, the apps were never the problem.