Spaced Repetition

SPACED REPETITION is one of the most powerful learning techniques known to science. Instead of cramming, you REVIEW material at INCREASING INTERVALS — just before you'd be likely to forget it. This dramatically boosts long-term retention. The technique was first studied by Hermann Ebbinghaus (1885), and modern apps (Anki, Quizlet, SuperMemo) automate the timing. Medical students, language learners, and chess masters use spaced repetition.

How it works. After learning, you forget rapidly at first, then more slowly (the "forgetting curve"). Each review STRENGTHENS the memory, making it last longer. So review just before the predicted forget time, then space the next review longer. Over time, items move from daily review to weekly to monthly to yearly. Hours of cumulative study become decades of retention. The technique is more efficient than passive re-reading.

Best practices. (1) USE FLASHCARDS — physical or apps (Anki is free). (2) WRITE good cards: question on front, answer on back. Atomic — one fact per card. (3) DON'T re-read passively; ACTIVELY retrieve. (4) Trust the timing — review what the app schedules, even if it feels too easy/hard. (5) BE PATIENT — first weeks feel slow; long-term gains are massive. Spaced repetition is one of the highest-leverage skills you can build.

Spaced repetition is the closest thing to a learning superpower. Time invested compounds for years.