Keep the reflection short.
When a study session ends, it’s easy to close the notes and lose track of what still needs attention. A short reflection leaves you something useful for the next time you sit down.
Pick one or two questions from this list. You can answer in a notebook, a notes app, or a session log. A few words are enough; you don’t need to turn every session into a long journal entry.
A simple pair to start with
What did I finish?
What should I review next time?
One question records the session. The other gives the next one a beginning.
Seven prompts to choose from.
What did I finish?
Name something concrete: worked through six practice questions, outlined an essay section, or reviewed a chapter. This gives your session a useful label when you come back to it.
What can I explain in my own words?
Pick one idea and try a short explanation without copying your notes. If you can only name the topic, that’s a useful place to begin the next review.
Where did I get stuck?
Be specific about the step, term or example. “I got lost when the equation changed signs” gives you something clearer to revisit than “the whole chapter was difficult.”
What should I review next time?
Turn an unfinished question into a starting point. Write the page, problem or concept you want to return to, so your next session has a first task.
How focused did this session feel?
A 1–5 rating is enough. Use a meaning that stays fairly consistent for you, and add a few words of context if you want to remember why you chose it.
What helped me settle in?
Note something you’d like to repeat: a clear task, a quieter spot, a practice question, or a useful break. Keep the answer grounded in this session.
What will I change for the next session?
Choose one small change you can actually make. It might be a shorter task, a different place to sit, or starting with the question you left unanswered.
What a short answer looks like.
You don’t need polished sentences. A note such as this can be enough:
“Finished problems 1–6. Got stuck on changing the signs in question 4. Start tomorrow by working through that example again.”
That note tells you what happened, identifies one problem, and names the next step. If you track time alongside it, you also have a record of how long the session took.
Write what’s useful to you. You can leave out a rating, skip a question, or keep only the next step on a busy day.
Use the questions in Burrow.
Create an activity named Study, Deep work, or the subject you’re learning. Tap it when you begin; when you finish, Burrow asks for a rating and a note.
Rename the note question to “What should I review next time?” if that’s the prompt you want to see. The thought you jot down while the timer runs is waiting in the note when you finish. Your answers are saved with the session in History.
With Burrow Pro, you can use the Study reflection template, add every kind of question, and choose their order. A number question might record problems attempted, a yes/no question could ask whether you took a break, and tags can add a topic. Keep the questions you want to answer.
Pro also includes deeper charts and insights based on your record. A time log and a focus rating describe what you saved; use your own judgment about what to change next.
Leave the next session one clear task.
Before putting your notes away, choose the first thing you want to do next time. “Review chapter three” may be enough, but “try question four again without looking at the worked example” gives you a more specific start.
You can change your prompts as your course or project changes. If a question never gives you a useful answer, replace it or remove it. The reflection should help you come back to the work.
See Burrow’s study timer and reflection workflow, including a short app walkthrough.
