How to Turn Your Commute Into Focused Revision Session

You're standing on a packed Northern Line carriage, wedged between someone's backpack and a man reading the Evening Standard with his elbows out. You've got 35 minutes until King's Cross and a macro exam in four days. Your notes are in your bag. Your phone is in your hand. TikTok is calling.

Don't open TikTok.

You can waste time scrolling, or you can turn your commute into the most productive revision sessions you'll have.

The Commute Advantage 

Here's what nobody tells you about revision: the best study sessions aren't always the ones where you're at a perfect desk with perfect lighting and a perfectly organised set of notes. Sometimes the best sessions happen in transit, precisely because the constraints force you to focus.

Why commute revision works:

• Fixed time window - You can't procrastinate indefinitely. 
• Built-in deadline - Your stop is coming whether you're ready or not. 
• No distractions - Can't reorganise your desk, make tea, or suddenly deep-clean your kitchen. 
• Forced focus - Limited space means limited options

The key is matching your revision method to the environment. You're not going to write practice essays on the Central Line during rush hour. But there's plenty you can do.

✅ What Works On The Tube

1. 📱 Digital Flashcards (The Gold Standard)

Best apps:

• Anki - Free, powerful spaced repetition (steeper learning curve).
• Quizlet - User-friendly, tons of pre-made sets. 
• RemNote - Combines notes and flashcards. 
• Notion - Can create custom flashcard databases

Pro tip: If using physical cards, get a ring to keep them together - loose cards and the Victoria Line don't mix.

2. 🎙️ Voice Notes & Self-Teaching

Record yourself explaining concepts as if you're teaching someone else. Play them back on your next commute. This works especially well for subjects where you need to understand processes or arguments.

Why it works: Hearing yourself explain a theorem or the causes of the 2008 financial crisis forces you to identify gaps in your understanding.

Important: Use headphones. Nobody wants to hear your thoughts on monetary policy at 8 am.

3. 📖 Strategic Reading

Not the full textbook (too heavy, too dense for a swaying train), but journal articles, case summaries, lecture notes, or essay plans work perfectly.

What to read on the go:

• Journal article PDFs (downloaded beforehand). 
• Case summaries (1-2 pages max). 
• Lecture notes (annotated). 
• Summary sheets from revision guides

Download before you go underground - The Tube has WiFi at stations but not between them, and it's patchy at best.

YouTube channels for bite-sized learning:

• CrashCourse - 10-15 min videos on everything from economics to philosophy. 
• Khan Academy - Focused explanations on specific concepts. 
• TED-Ed - Animated educational content, perfect for commute-length viewing

4. 🎧 Podcasts & Recorded Lectures

If your lecturer records their sessions, listen to them again at 1.5x speed. You'd be surprised at what you missed the first time.

Excellent academic podcasts by subject:

• Economics/Business: Planet Money (NPR) - Makes economics actually interesting. 
• History: You're Dead To Me (BBC) - History with comedians. 
• Philosophy: Philosophise This! - Explains philosophers chronologically. 
• Science: Radiolab - Science storytelling. 
• Law: Lawfare - Legal analysis of current events. 
• LSE specific: LSE Public Lectures Podcast - World-class speakers on campus

❌ What Doesn't Work

Let's be honest about what fails on public transport:

 ✗ Writing coherent essays while standing and being jostled.

✗ Deep, creative dissertation thinking while someone's armpit is in your face.

✗ Reading complex theory for the first time at 7 am while half-asleep.

✗ Anything requiring spreadsheets or detailed note-taking.

Key principle: Commute revision is best for consolidation, not initial learning. Use it for material you've already encountered. Use it for active recall, not passive re-reading.

The Psychological Trick

Here's the real benefit of commute revision: it tricks your brain into thinking you have less time than you do. When you sit down at your desk to revise, it's easy to think, "I have all evening." That false sense of time abundance leads to procrastination. On the Tube, you know you have exactly 20 minutes until your stop. That deadline creates urgency.

Commute revision won't replace proper study time. You still need focused sessions at a desk where you can write essays, work through complex problems, and engage deeply with difficult material. But it can supplement that work beautifully.

If you revise for 45 minutes on your commute each day, five days a week, that's nearly four hours of extra revision without sacrificing any additional time

💡 Final Thought

Next time you're standing on the Jubilee Line, phone in hand, don't scroll. Pull up your flashcards. Listen to that lecture again.

Read that article you've been putting off. Your stop will come soon enough. Might as well learn something before it does.

Last pro tip: Noise-cancelling headphones are worth it. If you're serious about using your commute for revision, invest in decent headphones. They don't have to be expensive; even budget noise-cancelling earbuds make a massive difference.