Stop forgetting everything: A spaced repetition system that actually works

Build a manual spaced repetition system using a box with dividers and physical flashcards — no screen required.

1. 1
   Gather materials — Get a small box (like a recipe box), 5 dividers labeled 1–5, and a stack of blank index cards (e.g., 3x5 inches).
2. 2
   Write your flashcards — One question per card, one answer per card. For example, 'What is the capital of Mongolia?' on front, 'Ulaanbaatar' on back.
3. 3
   Start all cards in compartment 1 — Place every new card in the first divider. Review compartment 1 daily.
4. 4
   Move correct cards forward — When you get a card right, move it to the next compartment (1→2, 2→3, etc.). Wrong answers go back to compartment 1.
5. 5
   Set review schedules — Review compartment 1 daily, compartment 2 every 2 days, compartment 3 every 4 days, compartment 4 every 8 days, compartment 5 every 16 days.

Apply a simple manual spaced repetition schedule using a spreadsheet or calendar for exam-specific material.

1. 1
   Create a study calendar — Open Google Calendar or a spreadsheet. List all topics you need to learn. For each topic, mark review days: 1, 2, 4, 7, and 14 days after initial study.
2. 2
   Study the topic for the first time — Spend 30–60 minutes understanding the material. Take notes or make flashcards.
3. 3
   Review on day 1 — The next day, test yourself on the topic. Try to recall key points without looking.
4. 4
   Review on day 2 — Two days after initial study, review again. Spend less time — focus on what you forgot.
5. 5
   Review on days 4, 7, and 14 — Each review should be quicker. By day 14, you should be able to recall the material in under 5 minutes.

Turn your existing notes into a spaced repetition system using the RemNote app, which combines note-taking with flashcards.

1. 1
   Sign up for RemNote — Go to remnote.com and create a free account. RemNote is designed to turn notes into flashcards automatically.
2. 2
   Write notes with cloze deletions — Type your notes normally. Highlight key terms and press Ctrl+Shift+C to create cloze deletions (fill-in-the-blank flashcards). For example: 'The capital of Mongolia is {{c1::Ulaanbaatar}}.'
3. 3
   Organize into folders — Group notes by topic or course. RemNote uses a hierarchy similar to a file system.
4. 4
   Review daily — Open the 'Review' tab. RemNote shows you flashcards based on spaced repetition. Rate each card: Again, Hard, Good, Easy.
5. 5
   Use the 'Queue' for exam cramming — Before an exam, use the 'Queue' feature to pull all cards from a specific folder and review them in one session.

Use a dedicated language app like Memrise that has built-in spaced repetition for vocabulary learning.

1. 1
   Choose a language course — Open Memrise and pick a course for your target language. For example, 'Spanish (Spain) Level 1'.
2. 2
   Start a lesson — Go through the lesson to learn new words. Memrise shows you a word, then asks you to recall it after a few seconds.
3. 3
   Complete the 'Review' sessions — After each lesson, Memrise automatically schedules review sessions. Do them when prompted.
4. 4
   Use the 'Speed Review' mode — Once a week, use Speed Review to rapidly test yourself on all words learned so far. This strengthens long-term memory.
5. 5
   Track your streak — Set a daily reminder to do at least one review session. A 5-minute session every day beats an hour once a week.