How to Make the PERFECT Revision Timetable with Spaced Repetition

Summary

In this video, first-year medical student Zayn from the University of Manchester introduces an effective study technique called spaced repetition for tackling the vast amount of content required for medical school exams. He explains that spaced repetition involves reviewing topics at increasing intervals over time, which enhances long-term memory retention. Zayn emphasizes the importance of active learning methods such as active recall and interleaving, which involve varying study techniques to gain different perspectives on the material. He shares his personal study schedule, which is meticulously planned on a weekly basis, and includes specific techniques for each topic at every repetition. Zayn also provides tips on how to identify weaknesses, understand the exam format, and organize study sessions to maximize efficiency. His approach to spaced repetition not only saves time but also makes the study process more engaging and less monotonous, ultimately leading to better understanding and retention of complex medical information.

Takeaways

• 📚 **Spaced Repetition**: Using increasing intervals between study sessions to improve retention.
• 🧠 **Active Recall**: Testing yourself on the material to reinforce memory and understanding.
• 🔗 **Encoding**: Linking new information to existing knowledge for better cognitive absorption.
• 📈 **Interleaving**: Varying study techniques to gain different perspectives on the same topic.
• 📋 **Efficient Note-Making**: Avoiding passive reading and copying, instead focus on understanding and linking information.
• 🚫 **Avoid Passive Learning**: Not relying solely on highlighting or copying from textbooks, which doesn't engage the brain effectively.
• 🌟 **Identify Weaknesses**: Marking topics you're weak in to focus on during revision.
• 📅 **Create a Timetable**: Mapping out a study schedule that incorporates spaced repetition and specific techniques for each topic.
• 🔍 **Understand Exam Structure**: Knowing the exam format, content weightage, and importance to your future before creating a study plan.
• 📝 **Layered Learning**: Breaking down information into layers from general to specific, making it easier to structure in your brain.
• ⏱️ **Flexible Planning**: Planning on a weekly basis, not minute by minute, to accommodate personal schedules and preferences.
• 🔄 **Technique Variation**: Using different methods for each repetition of a topic to challenge yourself and enhance understanding.

Q & A

What is space repetition and how does it enhance learning?

Space repetition is a learning technique where a topic is reviewed over increasing intervals of time. It enhances learning by making the brain work harder during each review, thus increasing the likelihood of long-term retention of the information.

Why do many students struggle to implement space repetition effectively?

Students struggle with space repetition because it's challenging to manage the increasing number of topics that need to be reviewed at expanding intervals, especially when dealing with a large volume of content.

What is the significance of encoding in the learning process?

Encoding is the process of linking new information to existing knowledge, which is crucial for cognitively piecing information together, understanding it well, and remembering it long-term.

What is active recall and why is it important for learning?

Active recall involves bringing information out of memory and testing oneself on the material learned. It is important because it forces the brain to work harder to remember information, which aids in long-term retention.

What is interleaving in the context of space repetition?

Interleaving is the practice of varying the study methods used during each repetition of a topic. It provides different perspectives on the material and helps prevent getting stuck on a single way of understanding the content.

How does the speaker plan their revision timetable?

The speaker plans their revision timetable by mapping out all topics, identifying weaknesses, and scheduling tasks on a week-by-week basis. They incorporate specific techniques for each repetition and ensure the revision method varies with each review.

What are the three layers of information processing suggested in the first repetition?

The three layers are: 1) Skimming through main headings to get the general gist, 2) Looking at basic concepts while ignoring overly complex specifics, and 3) Processing the complex information and specifics that were initially set aside.

How does the speaker approach the second repetition of a topic?

In the second repetition, the focus is on testing oneself using recall questions or verified flashcards and filling in knowledge gaps with resources like YouTube videos or lectures.

What is the strategy for the final repetition of a topic, according to the speaker?

The final repetition involves general broad testing to stimulate recall, followed by focusing on specific resources to understand and memorize details required for the exam.

Why is it beneficial to vary the revision method for each repetition?

Varying the revision method for each repetition makes the learning process more effective and less monotonous. It also ensures that the brain is challenged in different ways, which can lead to better understanding and retention of the material.

How does the speaker prioritize topics in their revision timetable?

The speaker prioritizes topics by first focusing on weak areas marked with a red star, then addressing fundamental topics to simplify the rest of the revision, and finally, spacing out repetitions for challenging topics more than less challenging ones.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Implementing Spaced Repetition for Medical Studies

The first paragraph introduces the concept of spaced repetition as a learning technique for medical students, emphasizing its effectiveness in retaining information over time. The speaker, Zayn, a first-year medical student, discusses the challenge of managing thousands of pages of content and shares his strategy for creating a spaced repetition timetable. Key points include the importance of understanding the learning technique, identifying weaknesses, and using active recall and interleaving to enhance the learning process. The paragraph also stresses the need for efficient encoding and varying study methods during each repetition to gain a comprehensive understanding of the material.

05:01

📅 Creating a Flexible and Effective Study Timetable

The second paragraph delves into the specifics of creating a study timetable that incorporates spaced repetition and active learning techniques. Zayn outlines a step-by-step process, starting with mapping out all the topics and identifying weak areas. He then discusses scheduling tasks on a weekly basis, allowing for flexibility and personal preference in study timing. The paragraph highlights the importance of being specific about how each topic will be revised and the techniques that will be used at each repetition. It also covers the logic behind spacing out repetitions for challenging topics and the approach to less challenging ones, emphasizing the need for prioritization and effective use of time.

10:04

🧠 Approaching Each Repetition with a Learning Mindset

The third paragraph focuses on the approach to be taken during each repetition of a topic. It emphasizes the importance of starting with a broad understanding and progressing to specifics. The speaker explains that the first repetition is about efficiently encoding information, the second is focused on active recall and filling knowledge gaps, and the third repetition involves testing broader concepts before diving into specifics. The paragraph also discusses the rationale behind not starting with recall questions immediately and the benefits of using different study methods to make each repetition more effective and engaging.

Keywords

💡Space Repetition

Space repetition is a learning technique that involves reviewing material at increasing intervals over time. It is a core concept in the video as it is the method the speaker uses to create an effective revision timetable. The idea is that by revisiting information at spaced intervals, one can improve retention and reduce the likelihood of forgetting. In the script, the speaker discusses implementing space repetition by studying a topic on day one, then day four, day 14, and day 40.

💡Encoding

Encoding in the context of learning refers to the process of organizing and structuring information in the brain, which aids in long-term retention. It is a key concept in the video as the speaker emphasizes the importance of efficient encoding for effective learning. The speaker mentions that understanding information by linking it to previous knowledge is how the brain learns and absorbs information, which is the encoding process.

💡Active Recall

Active recall is a learning method where one actively tries to remember information without looking at the source material. It is highlighted in the video as an effective way to reinforce memory. The speaker uses active recall by testing themselves on what they've learned, covering up materials, and recalling the information, which helps in long-term retention.

💡Interleaving

Interleaving is a study technique where different topics are studied in a single session, rather than focusing on one topic at a time. The speaker discusses the importance of interleaving in the context of space repetition, suggesting that varying the method of study each time a topic is revised can provide different perspectives and deeper understanding. It is used to prevent getting stuck on one way of looking at the content and to prepare for various question types in exams.

💡Revision Timetable

A revision timetable is a schedule that outlines when and how a student will study for an exam. In the video, the speaker shares their personal revision timetable, which incorporates space repetition and specific techniques for each topic. The timetable is crucial for organizing study sessions effectively and ensuring that all topics are covered according to the space repetition method.

💡Weakness Identification

Identifying weaknesses is the process of recognizing areas where one needs improvement. The speaker advises mapping out all topics and marking the ones that are weak with a red star. This step is important as it allows for targeted study and ensures that more time and effort are dedicated to areas that need it the most.

💡Exam Knowledge

Having exam knowledge refers to understanding the format, content weightage, and importance of the exam. The speaker stresses the importance of knowing this information before creating a revision timetable to avoid scheduling excessive study hours that may not be necessary or effective. It helps in prioritizing topics and planning the revision process more realistically.

💡Layered Learning

Layered learning is an approach where information is absorbed in stages, starting with a general understanding and gradually moving to more complex details. The speaker describes this process during the first repetition of a topic, where they start with the main headings, then basic concepts, and finally the complex specifics. This method helps in structuring the information in the brain for better retention.

💡Knowledge Gaps

Knowledge gaps refer to areas in one's understanding where there is a lack of knowledge or comprehension. In the video, the speaker talks about filling these gaps during the second repetition of a topic by using resources like YouTube videos or lectures to understand concepts that were previously unknown or not well understood.

💡Broad Concepts

Broad concepts are the general ideas or principles that form the foundation of a subject. The speaker emphasizes testing oneself on broad concepts before moving on to specific details during the final repetition of a topic. This approach helps in reinforcing the main ideas and provides a solid base for understanding more complex or detailed information.

💡Effective Study Techniques

Effective study techniques are methods that maximize learning efficiency and retention. The speaker discusses various techniques such as making flow charts, doing practice questions, and constructive teaching. These techniques are used to engage the brain actively and make the learning process more effective, which is essential for the space repetition method to work well.

Highlights

Zayn, a first-year medical student at the University of Manchester, is creating a space repetition revision timetable for his upcoming medical school exams.

Space repetition is a learning technique that involves increasing the duration between topic revisions to enhance memory retention.

Zayn emphasizes the importance of understanding information by linking it to previous knowledge, a process called encoding.

Active recall is crucial for learning, which involves testing oneself on the material to reinforce memory.

Interleaving, or varying study techniques during each repetition, helps gain different perspectives on the topic and prepares for trick questions.

Zayn suggests mapping out all topics and subtopics for the exam to identify weaknesses and structure the revision plan.

Understanding the exam format and content weightage is essential before creating a revision timetable.

A week-by-week planning approach is preferred for flexibility, allowing for personal scheduling preferences.

Zayn uses Google Sheets to plan his revision timetable, incorporating specific techniques for each topic revision.

Focusing on weak topics first and then fundamental topics makes the rest of the revision process easier.

Each revision session should have a clear, specific goal and method to ensure effective learning.

For challenging topics, Zayn's formula includes two repetitions in the same week with a two-week gap for reassessment.

Less challenging topics may only require two repetitions spaced out over the four-week revision period.

The first repetition focuses on understanding and encoding information efficiently.

The second repetition aims to test recall and fill knowledge gaps, using resources like videos and lectures.

In the final repetition, broad concept testing is done before focusing on specific details for the exam.

Zayn provides a template for his revision timetable in the video description for viewers to replicate.

Active studying and making each repetition different increases the efficiency of space repetition.

Zayn's method aims to help understand and retain information effectively even with a large volume of content to cover.

Transcripts

right i have my medical school exams

coming up in a few weeks time them

there's thousands of pages of content to

get through so i think it's finally time

to make my space repetition revision

timetable hey guys welcome back to the

channel my name is zayn and i'm a

first-year medical student at the

university of manchester a lot of us

know about space repetition but no one

really knows how to implement it

effectively and cleverly plan their

revision in these spaced intervals so in

this video i'm going to show you my

study schedule for the next few weeks

i'll show you my exact thought process

when making it and i'll show you how i

make the space repetition timetable

actually work before we dive in space

repetition is a learning technique that

involves you repeating and revising a

topic over a duration time where this

duration is increasing after every

repetition the core idea is by studying

something on day one then day four then

day 14 and then day 40 by revising in

these spaced intervals by revising in

these space intervals you increase the

chances of you forgetting that

information so that when you come back

to revisit it your brain will have to

work a lot harder and it's much more

likely to actually stick i know it

sounds simple but the reason that most

students aren't able to actually use

space repetition in their revision

despite how effective it is it's

impossible to do with all of your topics

it's all good to repeat one or two of

the topics in those space intervals but

what do you do if there's 25 of them all

needing to be repeated every week those

repetitions increasing over time as well

but the thing is there is a smart way to

cleverly plan your revisions and do them

using space repetition simply reduce the

amount of repetitions that you need to

do by making the method that you're

using during each repetition a lot more

effective for each of these points of

repetition let's say you're doing

studying that is passive in ways that

don't engage your brain like if you're

passively reading for example again and

again the same paragraph if you're

making notes just copying the textbook

if you're highlighting the textbook but

if you're doing these sorts of things to

revise yes it feels like you're doing a

lot but none of them will help you

cognitively piece information together

understand it well learn it and then

remember it long term the better ways to

learn the information just involves two

simple things in coding efficiently and

then doing active recall aim to

understand information by linking it to

your previous knowledge because that's

literally how our brain learns and

absorbs information the first time it

comes across it it's called encoding and

if you learn to do that efficiently if

you organize and structure information

well in your brain you will remember it

for a lot longer and that will make your

sessions down the line a lot more

effective do that the first time then

the second time and third time focus on

active recall bring information out of

your memory test yourself on what you're

learning cover it up and then recall it

again the ways you're doing active

recall would involve recalling your

questions doing practice questions

making flow charts doing constructive

teaching any method that forces you to

forces your brain to work harder to

remember the information that you learn

in that first session the second thing

that i always try to make myself think

about when i'm actively revising in

those base intervals is how i'm making

my method different every time at every

repetition this is called interleaving

it should be varied it should be

challenging it's basically just studying

the same topics at those different space

intervals with a different technique so

that you gain a different perspective on

that topic so for example in one session

you do questions in the next one and the

next time you repeat it you make a

diagram on the board instead or in the

next one you do a discussion not

interleaving and revising the same way

using the same method for every single

topic is a mistake and that's the reason

most students don't do well with trick

questions or get stumbled up very

quickly in their exams it's because they

aren't used to looking at that content

from multiple angles they're just

they're just used to studying it you're

using that one lens so always rely on

effective study techniques and then just

vary them each time you do that

repetition that's all you need to do if

you do that you'll understand and

remember the information really well

even if you only go through it two or

three times before your exams now let's

jump into the actual revision timetable

i'm gonna try and break it down and be

as specific as possible step one is

mapping out the subject listing out

every single possible topic that needs

to be studied for that exam literally

add all the chapters and broad topics of

your subject or module onto a paper or a

board and list all the subtopics

underneath them i've done this by

dividing my content up into anatomy

clinical skills and all the cases that i

had to study during my term and then

after that i labeled the topics that i

felt particularly weak in with a red

star the first tip i have for this step

is that you need to identify your

weaknesses point them out on the board

circle them start them whatever you need

to be able to know them so that you can

effectively space and think about your

vision out later a lot better the second

tip i have before we jump into actually

creating the timetable is to arm

yourself with exam knowledge the format

the amount of content the weightage of

the paper how much this actually matters

to your future trust me you want to do

this before you actually start making

that timetable so you don't end up just

meaninglessly scheduling 10 plus hours

of studying every single day for the

next few weeks step two is scheduling

and spacing out all the topics and tasks

that need to be completed before the

exams to do this i've made a timetable

for the final four weeks of my revision

on google sheets i've planned it all out

to incorporate space repetition and i've

made it a lot more effective by

including the specific techniques that

i'd be using at each repetition for

every single topic but instead of trying

to schedule my life minute by minute for

the next four weeks what i prefer so

much more is planning on a week by week

basis so for every remaining week before

the exams i have a list of tasks and

topics that i need to complete at the

end of every single week and that makes

a lot more flexible you have the whole

week to get a list of tasks done if you

don't feel like working on monday or on

wednesday you still have thursday friday

saturday sunday all of those four days

to get your stuff done it leaves enough

room for your personal preference and

your personal schedule it doesn't

require heavy planning minute by minute

all you need to do is get those tasks

done by sunday have them completed that

is the deadline and if as long as you're

strict with yourself about that i think

this plan is very effective as you can

see i have a column of all the topics

divided into my pbl cases clinical

skills and anatomy just like i did on my

board anyone can replicate this i'll

actually leave a template down in the

description you can replicate this if

you want to just replace the headings

with your topics or your modules now

after i have a look at my weak topics

those star topics that i focused on

initially and after i make sense of the

fundamental topics that i want to get

done first so i can make the rest of my

revision a lot easier after i focus on

those i'll use those and start adding

them to my first week unlike most

timetables however you can see the tasks

that i add for every revision of every

topic you can see how specific it is on

there i say exactly how i'm going to

revise that topic to make sure the

revision is varied throughout each

repetition and that i am revising

effectively at each point and to make

sure that i'm revising effectively right

from the beginning instead of just

saying yeah i'm gonna revise asthma on

monday what you do instead is you say

review powerpoint six seven and nine and

make questions on them as soon as you do

that you immediately clarify exactly

what you need to do four weeks in

advance and now you basically ensure

that your revision is effective at every

point of your

every repetition and that will reduce

the amount of time that you put in

anyways for me at least if i know

exactly how i'm going to be studying and

if the way i'm going to be studying is

already laid out i'm much less likely to

actually avoid doing it as you can see

i'm very particular about how much i'm

revising a particular topic the way in

which i'm doing it and how i'm applying

space repetition as well for some of the

topics i'm doing two repetitions of the

topic in that same week which usually

means that i'll do something on day one

and then um i'll leave three to four

days gap in that same week and then

attempt to repeat that topic again using

the specific techniques listed and then

after i do these two repetitions in that

one week i leave it leave that topic for

like two weeks i come back to it and by

that point i've forgotten so much of it

so that then me testing myself is a lot

more effective so for challenging topics

my formula is usually day one then day

three to four and two weeks later

basically as for the handful of less

challenging topics i've only given them

two repetitions in the four weeks and

obviously it's spaced out but i'm making

the decision to not repeat it three or

four times because i want to be able to

prioritize my weaker topics for those

extra time that i have anyways that's my

logic with space repetition it's quite

easy to implement and it will be very

effective even if you have those few

weeks and all of those hundreds of pages

of content to get through now that

you've made your timetable what are you

going to do at each repetition of the

topic as you can see from my timetable

the way i revise at each point differs

because each topic has to be approached

in a different way at the first point or

the first repetition my focus is

understanding my main focus is always

going to be in coding efficiently trying

to take that information in layer by

layer and then side by side make my

questions the ones that i'm going to use

for future revisions this first

repetition can be done through reading

notes your textbook your anatomy skills

class whatever it is you need to be

taking the information in layer by layer

this means spending the first 10 minutes

looking through the main bolded headings

getting the general gist and the

understanding of that chapter that's

what i think of as the first layer

skimming through the content then the

second layer would be you looking at the

basic concepts of the chapter ignoring

the overly complex specific stuff then

after you've established that baseline

that's when you'd go to the third layer

and process that information the

information that is overly complex the

specifics the things that you don't

understand you need to be able to have

this learning mindset when you're

reading something the first time because

that is how your brain organizes and

structure the structures the information

it makes it a lot easier for it to take

knowledge and if you're giving your

brain easier information first then

medium then harder because now it can

structure and make links between all the

things that you're learning at the

second repetition as you can see from my

timetable my goal my priority is always

going to be testing myself using my

recall questions or some verified

quizlet flash cards and then filling my

knowledge gaps of the stuff i didn't

know using a good youtube video by ninja

nerd or watching some important lectures

at this point i've left enough time

between my first and second repetitions

to kind of forget what i've learned so

that my brain has to work harder to

recall the knowledge if i don't know the

concept if i have gaps i make sure to

start that and start those weaker

concepts and then i make sure to just

fill in those gaps in that revision

session itself and at the final

repetition the third one since it's been

a while since i last attempted that

topic probably what i focus on is doing

an activity that helps me generally test

myself on the broader concepts first and

then i come back and look at some

resources and read the specific details

that i need to know or wrote memorize

for my exam the reason i don't just jump

into my recall question straight away in

that third session is because i now

realize that after it's been two weeks

since i've studied that topic i'm not

gonna remember most of it even if i try

my hardest which means that most of my

questions will just end up being read

and because of this i always start with

a general testing the general broad

testing could involve an active

discussion making mind maps something

that is going to force me to construct

whatever i know from scratch without

having any questions or anything but

just a name of the topic and me having

to just talk about that topic that i

feel like is a really good way of

stimulating your brain to remember and

recall things and then help your brain

very much understand those main concepts

and then after i've done this after i've

just tested myself using this that's

when i look at specific resources that's

when i focus down and read through the

things that i need to really know and

memorize for the exams the drug names

the channels all of that sort of stuff

and then to finish off the sessions yes

i do then go over my recall questions

and make sure my understanding is top

notch it isn't hard to study like this

it's a lot more effective and it's a lot

less boring than just studying something

from your book i'm doing effective

active studying for every topic and

making every repetition of that topic

different which makes my space

repetition a lot more efficient and if

you do this properly you will understand

and retain the information literally

after two or three times of going

through it before your exams i know we

have exams coming up so to learn to

quickly memorize large amounts of

information in a short period of time

check this video out i go through two

effective methods that i use back in the

ib for my content based exams and for my

more problem-based exams as well thank

you so much for watching i really hope

this helps and i'll see the next one