Brain Anatomy
This part of the brain is the "CEO," responsible for complex decision-making and your executive functioning skills.
Prefrontal Cortex
In the Eisenhower Matrix, a task that is "Important but Not Urgent" (like starting a project due in two weeks) should be handled this way.
Schedule it / Plan it
The "S" in SQ4R stands for this step, where you look at headings and charts before you start reading the text.
Survey
A student who believes their "math brain" is either something they are born with or not is exhibiting this type of mindset.
Fixed Mindset
This strategy involves crossing out the answers you know are wrong to increase your odds of picking the right one.
Process of Elmination
When you feel a surge of panic during a hard test, this almond-shaped structure has likely triggered your "fight or flight" response.
Amygdala
A goal that says "I want to be better at Spanish" is missing these two specific letters from the SMART acronym.
M and T (Measurable and Time-Bound)
According to the Feynman Technique, you truly understand a topic only if you can explain it in simple terms to this type of person.
A child, a parent, a peer
This "beneficial frustration" occurs when you work on a problem that is just beyond your current ability, forcing your brain to grow.
Productive Struggle
This executive functioning skill allows you to "self-monitor" and realize you’ve spent too much time on one question, prompting you to move on.
Metacognition / Time Management
This concept explains why "practice makes permanent"—it’s the brain’s ability to physically change and strengthen neural pathways.
Neuroplasticity
This method uses a timer to break work into 25-minute intervals to prevent mental fatigue and "burning out" your focus.
Pomodoro Method
These are the first two "Rs" in the SQ4R method that happen while you are actively engaging with the text.
Read and Recite
Re-reading your notes and highlighting text are examples of this "low-effort" type of learning.
Passive Learning
This tactic involves writing down all the formulas, dates, or acronyms you memorized on the scratch paper the moment the test starts.
Brain Dump
If you are practicing a complex dance routine or learning to juggle, this "little brain" at the base of the skull is coordinating your movement.
Cerebellum
This term refers to the mental "weight" or effort required to process information; multitasking significantly increases it.
Cognitive Load
This is what you should do immediately if you realize you can't explain a concept simply while using the Feynman Technique.
Return to the source of the material - review the concept
To move from a Fixed to a Growth mindset, a student should view a "failure" or a bad grade as this instead of a dead end.
Feedback
When a test question is confusing, you should try to do this before looking at the multiple-choice options to avoid being misled.
Predict the answer
While the cerebrum handles your conscious thought, this specific structure is vital for turning your study session into long-term memories.
Hippocampus
In the Eisenhower Matrix, "Urgent but Not Important" tasks—like a social media notification or a minor interruption—belong in this numbered Quadrant.
Quadrant 3
SQ4R is designed to prevent this type of learning, where a student reads words without actually processing or remembering the meaning.
Passive Learning
While a Fixed Mindset views a "mistake" as a lack of permanent intelligence, a Growth Mindset views the same mistake as this—a specific term for the vital info needed to adjust your strategy.
Feedback
This cognitive phenomenon occurs when intense test anxiety causes the Amygdala to "overload" your working memory, leaving no mental "bandwidth" to retrieve information from the Hippocampus—essentially locking your "thinking brain."
Cognitive Overload or Amygdala Hijack