Spaced Repetition: The Study Trick That Survives Your Calendar
Spaced Repetition: The Study Trick That Survives Contact With Your Calendar
Spaced repetition is the rare study method that works even when Tuesday becomes “back-to-back meetings plus a mysteriously urgent dentist appointment.” Instead of cramming a fact ten times tonight, you review it briefly just before you’re likely to forget it. The sessions stay short; the memory gets sturdier.
I’ve found it especially useful for language vocabulary, certification terms, and names—things that vanish the moment you need them at a pub quiz.
Start embarrassingly small
Make 15 to 20 cards, not 200. In Anki, use a basic front-and-back card: “What does abogado mean?” on one side, “lawyer” on the other. Add context when possible: “Mi hermana es abogada.”
Set new cards to 10 per day. That sounds modest because it is. Modest is good; modest still exists three weeks later.
Put reviews where your calendar has gaps
Don’t reserve an imaginary 45-minute “study block” at 6 a.m. unless you are genuinely a 6 a.m. person. Attach reviews to something already dependable:
- 10 minutes after lunch, Monday through Friday
- 5 minutes while waiting for the kettle or train
- 15 minutes on Sunday to clear any backlog
- One recurring Google Calendar reminder at 8:30 p.m., labeled simply “cards”
Aim for 20 minutes maximum on a normal day. If Anki says you have 83 overdue cards, do 20 anyway. Panic-reviewing them all is just cramming wearing a fake moustache.
Use intervals that fit real life
For a paper system, try this schedule: review a new card after 1 day, then 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, and 30 days. If you miss a review, don’t restart the whole sequence. Review it when you return and move on.
For Anki users, the default settings are a respectable starting point. Resist spending your first evening tuning ease factors. You are learning French verbs, not maintaining a small spacecraft.
Make difficult cards smaller
A card should test one idea. Replace “List the causes, dates, and outcomes of the French Revolution” with separate cards for 1789, the Estates-General, and the Reign of Terror. If you repeatedly fail a card, rewrite it rather than blaming your brain.
FAQ
### What if I skip several days?
Open the app, do the first 20 minutes of reviews, and stop. Resume your usual daily limit tomorrow. Consistency beats a heroic recovery session followed by another disappearance.