How I Make the PERFECT Revision Timetable with Spaced Repetition

Summary

The speaker shares their personal study strategy for tackling a large exam syllabus in just 27 days. They emphasize the ineffectiveness of rigid timetables and instead advocate for a flexible, weekly revision plan incorporating space repetition. The method involves categorizing topics, planning revisions in spaced intervals, and adjusting the plan as progress is made. The key is to master topics in fewer repetitions by studying effectively and focusing on practice questions, ensuring a manageable and adaptable study routine.

Takeaways

• 📅 The speaker finds traditional day-to-day timetables for studying ineffective and prefers a flexible weekly revision plan.
• 🧠 Space repetition is crucial for effective learning as it helps the brain retain information by revisiting topics at increasing intervals.
• 📝 It's essential to write out all the topics needed for an exam to get a clear overview and manage the study load.
• 📚 Grouping topics based on how you want to revise them can make the revision process more manageable and less overwhelming.
• 🔍 The speaker emphasizes the importance of tackling weaker areas first to give them more repetitions and solidify understanding.
• 📈 A personal space repetition formula is suggested: revise on day one, day four to five for the second revision, and two weeks later for a third revision if needed.
• 📝 Create a weekly revision timetable that is flexible and allows for adjustments based on progress and understanding of the material.
• 🔄 The speaker advises against revising all topics sequentially and then repeating the process, instead, interweave first, second, and third revisions.
• 📆 Each day, spend a few minutes transferring tasks from the weekly list to the daily calendar, treating the daily plan as a flexible suggestion rather than a strict schedule.
• 📝 Make each revision session specific, with clear goals for what needs to be achieved during that session.
• 🗂️ The speaker shares a personal revision plan as an example, illustrating how to apply the discussed strategies in a real-world context.

Q & A

Why did the speaker find traditional timetables ineffective for studying?

The speaker found traditional timetables ineffective because they are inflexible and can easily become disrupted. Falling behind or having topics take longer than anticipated requires rescheduling, which can be too much effort and can lead to abandoning the plan altogether.

What is the main issue with space repetition according to the speaker?

The main issue with space repetition is the practicality of applying it to a large number of topics. It's easy to space out a few topics, but when dealing with dozens, planning and spacing them over months becomes impractical.

What strategy does the speaker suggest for effectively using space repetition?

The speaker suggests studying so effectively at each revision that topics can be mastered in two or three repetitions. This approach avoids the inefficiency of going through topics multiple times and allows for more time to be spent on practice questions.

Why is the speaker's revision method considered practical?

The speaker's revision method is practical because it incorporates space repetition in a flexible and manageable way, allowing for adjustments as the revision process unfolds and ensuring that the study plan is followed in real life.

How does the speaker plan to categorize the topics for revision?

The speaker plans to categorize topics based on cases, as they are studying medical conditions divided into cases by the med school. This approach simplifies the revision process by reducing the number of individual topics to track.

What is the speaker's formula for space repetition?

The speaker's formula for space repetition is to revise a topic on day one, then revise it again on day four to five, and for easier topics, aim to skip the third revision after two weeks.

Why does the speaker recommend using a weekly timetable instead of a daily one?

The speaker recommends a weekly timetable because it is more flexible and easier to stick to. It accommodates unpredictable weeks and allows for adjustments without the pressure of falling behind.

How does the speaker plan to deal with the second revisions of topics?

The speaker plans to do second revisions of topics 4 to 5 days after the initial study, ideally within the same week or the week after, to adhere to the space repetition formula effectively.

What is the speaker's approach to handling the final week of revision?

The speaker leaves the final week mostly blank, allowing for adjustments based on the progress made in the previous weeks. This approach acknowledges that plans often change and need to be flexible.

How does the speaker suggest using a calendar for daily tasks?

The speaker suggests transferring the most important or appropriate tasks from the weekly list into the daily calendar, treating the calendar as a flexible suggestion for the day rather than a rigid plan.

What is the significance of the Eisenhower quote mentioned by the speaker?

The quote by Eisenhower emphasizes that while planning is essential, the actual plan can become useless over time. It's important to be flexible and adapt the plan as needed, especially during the revision process.

Outlines

00:00

📅 Overcoming Traditional Timetable Challenges

The speaker discusses the common struggle with traditional study timetables, which often fail due to the ease of falling behind or the unpredictability of study durations for different topics. They introduce their alternative approach to studying for an upcoming exam with a significant amount of content and practice questions. The method involves space repetition, a technique that leverages the brain's natural forgetting process by revisiting topics at spaced intervals to enhance retention. The speaker emphasizes the importance of creating a practical, flexible study plan that incorporates space repetition effectively.

05:01

📝 Crafting a Practical Study Plan with Space Repetition

The speaker outlines a methodical approach to creating a study plan that includes writing out all exam topics, categorizing them for easier revision, and using a weekly timetable for flexibility. They introduce their space repetition formula, which involves revising topics on day one, then on day four to five, and two weeks later for more challenging topics. The speaker advises against rigid planning and emphasizes the importance of adjusting the plan as one progresses through their studies. They demonstrate how to allocate topics and revisions across weeks, ensuring that each topic receives adequate attention without overburdening the study schedule.

10:03

🗓️ Daily Scheduling for Effective Revision

In the final paragraph, the speaker focuses on the importance of daily scheduling to ensure that the weekly study plan is effectively implemented. They suggest transferring tasks from the weekly list to a daily calendar, treating the calendar as a flexible guide rather than a strict schedule. The speaker shares their personal method of adjusting tasks throughout the day based on their workload and other commitments. They stress the importance of using a calendar to maintain a balance between study and other life aspects, especially during exam season. The speaker concludes by encouraging viewers to watch related videos on the science behind space repetition and its practical implementation in study sessions.

Keywords

💡Spaced Repetition

Spaced Repetition is a learning technique that involves reviewing information at increasing intervals over time, which helps to move the information from short-term to long-term memory. In the video, it is emphasized as a crucial method for effective studying, especially when dealing with a large volume of material. The speaker uses this technique to manage the 'mountain of content' for an upcoming exam, suggesting that revising topics on day one, then day four to five, and two weeks later is an efficient way to learn and remember.

💡Revision Timetable

A revision timetable is a schedule or plan that outlines when and how a student will study for an exam. In the context of the video, the speaker discusses creating a weekly timetable rather than a daily one, as it offers more flexibility and reduces the stress of falling behind. The speaker's method involves organizing topics, spacing out revisions, and actively planning when to revisit each topic according to the spaced repetition strategy.

💡Practice Questions

Practice questions are exercises or problems that students work on to reinforce their understanding of a subject and prepare for exams. The video emphasizes the importance of integrating practice questions into the revision process. After mastering topics through spaced repetition, the speaker suggests focusing on practice questions to solidify learning and identify any remaining knowledge gaps.

💡Mastery

Mastery, in the context of learning, refers to the point at which a student has fully understood and is able to apply the knowledge they have gained. The speaker mentions aiming to master topics in two or three repetitions of spaced revision, rather than going through multiple rounds of review, which can be inefficient. This concept is central to the video's theme of efficient studying.

💡Categorization

Categorization is the process of grouping similar items or concepts together. In the script, the speaker talks about categorizing or grouping topics based on how they want to revise them, which is particularly useful when dealing with a large number of subtopics. This strategy helps in organizing the revision process and making it more manageable.

💡Weekly Timetable

A weekly timetable is a type of schedule that is organized on a weekly basis rather than daily. The video script discusses the advantages of using a weekly timetable for revision, such as increased flexibility and the ability to adjust the plan as needed without the pressure of falling behind on a daily schedule.

💡First Revision

First revision refers to the initial review of a topic after the initial learning phase. In the video, the speaker describes the process of first revising topics, which involves going through the material, creating recall questions, and starting to memorize details. This is the starting point of the spaced repetition cycle mentioned in the script.

💡Second Revision

Second revision is the subsequent review of a topic after the first revision. The speaker in the video outlines a formula for spaced repetition that includes a second revision on day four to five. This is meant to reinforce the memory of the topic before the longer interval until the third revision.

💡Overplanning

Overplanning refers to the act of making overly detailed or rigid plans that may not be necessary or adaptable to changing circumstances. The video script warns against overplanning, especially for the later weeks of revision, as it can be counterproductive and lead to unnecessary stress. Instead, the speaker advocates for a more flexible approach.

💡Calendar

A calendar, in the context of the video, is used as a tool for daily planning and organization. The speaker suggests transferring tasks from the weekly revision timetable to a daily calendar, treating it as a flexible guide rather than a strict schedule. This helps in managing time effectively and ensuring that revision tasks are not overlooked amidst other daily activities.

💡Eisenhower Quote

The Eisenhower quote mentioned in the video is a reference to the idea that while planning is essential, rigid plans are not always useful, especially as circumstances change. The speaker uses this quote to emphasize the importance of flexibility in the revision process, adapting the plan as needed based on progress and changing priorities.

Highlights

The struggle with traditional timetables and the need for a more flexible study plan.

Introduction of a 27-day study plan to tackle a large volume of difficult content efficiently.

Incorporation of spaced repetition into revision for better retention.

The brain's natural tendency to forget and how spaced repetition interrupts this process.

The impracticality of spacing out a large number of topics and the proposed solution.

The strategy of mastering topics in fewer repetitions to allocate time for practice questions.

The importance of writing out all topics for an exam to gain a comprehensive overview.

Categorizing topics based on revision strategy for better organization.

Using a weekly timetable for flexibility and adaptability in study planning.

The method of prioritizing weaker areas or less familiar topics for initial focus.

Space repetition formula: Day 1, Day 4-5, and 2 weeks later for effective revision.

Avoiding the common mistake of revising all topics linearly and the benefits of interleaving.

Planning the revision sessions realistically based on available time and workload.

The process of filling in the weekly timetable with specific revision tasks and dates.

The Eisenhower quote on the uselessness of actual plans but the necessity of planning.

Making each revision session specific and targeted for better focus and efficiency.

Daily task transfer from the weekly list to the daily calendar for immediate action.

Treating the daily calendar as a flexible suggestion rather than a rigid schedule.

The final emphasis on the importance of using a calendar during exam season to manage time effectively.

Transcripts

I used to find it super hard to plan the

studying for a big exam so like you I

started to create these perfect

timetables with this list of things to

do every single day but the reality is

that these Tim taes suck they never work

because it's too easy for you to fall

behind or for a couple topics to take

longer than anticipated and then you

have to reschedule everything and it's

too much effort and you basically start

bothering with the full thing full stop

so instead this is what we're going to

do I have an exam coming up in the next

27 27 days 4 weeks and to be honest I've

not St studied much for it at all so I'm

going to show you exactly how I plan and

manage this mountain of pretty difficult

content as well as thousands of practice

questions that all need to get done I'm

also going to incorporate space

repetition into my revision and I'm

going to show you how you as well can

space out your revisions very smartly

and of course as usual this is a fully

practical method so ideally make your

own revision timetable as I speak

through it follow along that's the best

use of this video the timetable template

I'm using is linked in the description

below now I mentioned space repetition

the reason this is so important to

understand understand is because our

brain actually wants to forget as much

as possible to free up as much space as

possible and that's why you forget most

of what you study unless you repeat the

topic in spaced intervals repeating a

topic interrupts that forgetting process

of our brain and doing it in increasing

space intervals takes it to the next

level but the issue that you and I face

even though we know about space

repetition is how to actually

practically do it especially with this

humongous ton of topics that we have to

get done because it's easy to space out

three topics but when you have 50 of

them then it becomes a big problem it's

way too impractical to plan and

perfectly space them out over months in

advance the solution however is simple

instead of properly trying to go through

topics four to five times each to

somehow force it in your brain I just

thought why not study so effectively at

each revision that I can Master these

Topics in two or three repetitions doing

anything more than that just isn't worth

it I'd rather spend time doing practice

questions and that's exactly the

strategy I've been following the last

few years but it required me to very I

really plan how I'm going to space out

each of the topics repetitions in the

weeks before the exams so Step One is

organizing the revision you start with

writing out the full list of topics that

you need to cover for your exams I don't

care how hard it is or how boring it is

write all of the topics out having it

all there in front of you is essential I

did this with all the conditions that I

need to know from my exam and

immediately even though before this I

was all over the place I got a better

picture a better overall perspective of

what I need to do you can finally start

procrastinating and realiz okay

everything I need to do is in front of

me it's manageable and second you need

to categorize or group all these topics

based on how you want to revise them if

you're doing any normal subject you

don't need to do this just study chapter

by chapter for me this semester I'm

studying a long list of 70 plus

conditions that the med school has

divided up for us into cases 12 cases

this semester each of them having like

five to seven conditions and so

obviously I'm not going to track my

space repetition for all 70 of these

conditions right instead I'm simply

going to be using these 12 cases to then

track my revision and space it out in my

timetable just having these 12 things to

put on my timetable and using that to

space it out makes it very doable and

that's also how I'll be studying on a

day to-day basis Case by case so group

and categorize the subtopics based on

what makes sense for you step two

spacing the revision in real time now

let's put all of these topics onto a

revision timetable and instead of a

day-to-day timetable I'm using a weekly

timetable as you can see this is divided

up into the four remaining weeks before

my exams on this Google sheet I've

linked this freny template below as well

remember to duplicate it and then you

can start editing it for your own

revision when planning in advance like

this I think making a list of things to

get done weekly is much much smarter

than doing it daily that much far in

advance firstly because having a weekly

timetable is much easier to stick to

it's more flexible I find it impossible

to plan what I'm doing on a particular

day a month in advance my weeks aren't

predictable at the moment I'm back in

Pakistan for 2 weeks and then I'm at

placement for the next 3 weeks in

Manchester and the reason it's flexible

is because let's say you don't get stuff

done on Monday and Tuesday you get busy

then you're not going to be all all of a

sudden 2 days behind you still have the

rest of the week to get the remaining

tasks done and that's because you're

following a weekly timetable it's

planned to do at any time during that

week your brain knows it's flexible so

you won't get overwhelmed by being

behind and that means it'll actually end

up being a system that you follow in

real life now let's start with the

actual meat of the method let's start

planning how we're going to do this

before just taking topics from your list

and then putting them on your revision

timetable to just get this done with

slow down and take a few minutes to

think about the order of how you want to

revise this list of topics I.E first

tackle the weaknesses the stuff you

don't know the stuff you've least looked

at this is important because you'll be

able to give more repetitions to the

stuff you do initially for me I've been

studying the gastro conditions on here

in my placement this month so it makes

sense for me to just do this and finish

them off then I think I'm going to focus

on cardio and I'm going to leave the

resp cases for the end because I did a

9we rotation in resp anyways next let's

actively plan the revision based on

rough spaced intervals first let me tell

you my space repetition formula and then

let's go through exactly how I'm going

to space these revision sessions out

these topics so listen carefully my

formula is to revise topics on day one

then do the second revision of the

topics on day four to 5 and then the

third revision 2 weeks later 14 days for

the easier topics my aim is usually to

even skip that third revision if I can

so for those simpler topics I'll just do

day one then day four to 5 and then I'll

do mix practice questions after that is

because as I said going through the

entire topics again and again is just a

waste of time I know for me that I just

need to study better in less revisions

and then focus on banging on posat

practice questions I've been following

this formula of day one day four to 5

and then 2 weeks later for years and it

works very well especially if you have

only one or 1 month to 5 weeks before

the exam now for the actual spreading

and spacing out of the work the most

important thing to understand here one

of the main things that I've learned is

that it isn't really smart to revise all

of the topics one by one and then go

back and revise all of the topics again

one by one and then do it the third time

as well I know for a fact that you've

done this before my friends do I have

but in my experience you're just bound

to forget way more if you don't keep

keep coming back to the topics more

often in between if you're not following

that space repetition formula so let's

do it smartly logically think about the

tasks that you have to get done and

think about the free time you have in

the week and think about what you can

realistically do for me I know I have

these 12 cases that means in the same

week I know I want to cover a few of

these cases each week for the first time

plus do second revisions of the stuff I

did earlier that week or the week before

remember we want to do the second

revisions of them 4 to 5 days after

studying them ideally so realistically

here I'll probably be able to do the

first revision of I think five cases per

week because I also want to do a few

second revision sessions from the things

I cover plus practice questions each day

as well that's probably a good strategy

for now so actually let me just do it

right now in front of you let's put on

case 11 10 9 8 and 4 in that first week

itself and then cases 5 7 1 and 2 and 3

in week to let me just add them on now

because I'm only doing the first

revisions of five cases a week I'm

because I'm spreading it all out across

2 weeks I've created enough time in each

week to do the second revisions of the

things I'm revising as well for example

at this point I've gone through all my

resources and made questions and done my

first revision of cases 11 and 10 so

their second revision can be done this

week itself let me just add them on I

also add dates next to each of the

sessions that I do so that then I can

track them in the future as well now

because I did the first revisions of

these cases two days ago I know I need

to get their second revisions done this

weekend itself the same will apply for

cases 9 8 and 5 I'll be trying to do

them their second revisions in the next

week and then so I don't want to explain

one by one let me just fill them all in

and I think for this step in this

process I think this is enough we don't

need to fill every single column out and

make space out every single repetition

just yet because for now I don't know

how much I will need to revise or what

specifically I will need to revise in

week four and later on in week three

even that's why I've left that entire

fourth week blank for now and even most

of three I've realized over time that it

changes way too much in the later weeks

anyways over planning right now is

useless I could obviously just show you

yeah I'm going to perfectly space out

these topics in advance using that

formula day one day four five and then 2

weeks later but the reality is I don't

know what I'm going to find hard at that

point in my revision and that's what's

nice about this method and using this

revision timetable as I go through the

topics and do revisions I'll just start

adding the dates next to them so I'll

always know okay for this case it's been

2 weeks do I need a third repetition if

not which parts of this case is is

specifically the thing that I need

repetition 4 is it the drugs mentioned

is it memorizing the guidelines do I

need to memorize different guidelines of

different cases in conjunction do I want

to combine those study sessions together

there's a very nice quote by Eisenhower

that I want to mention actual plans are

useless but planning is essential

revision is fluid and yes the thing is

strict rigid planning at the start is

very beneficial but the actual plan is

useless after a while for me I change

and alter it as I make progress it will

eventually become a retrospective

timetable where I'll look back at what

I've done decide where I what I'm

lacking and what revision that I find

and deem more important to do at the

moment and the final step of this

process is to make everything as

specific as possible so what I'm doing

in each revision session needs to be as

specific as possible even if it's

obvious or even if I want to change it

down the line it's there to give me

specific direction that first revision I

go through and understand the topic

using various resources and side by side

create my recall questions as well I

start forming a mental picture start to

memorize the details that I need to then

in the second revision session I

actively test myself on these recall

questions that I created in that first

revision session I do it even if I don't

remember much I add more questions if I

need to I focus on what I need to

actually improve in this topic and the

third division is more of the same as

more practiced questions it's more

testing myself it's more actually

filling in the knowledge gaps that

brings us on to the final step step

three scheduling the revision now that

we have a weekly list the topics are all

planned and roughly spaced down in your

revision timetable the final step of the

process and it's crucial to your actual

revision day to-day is to spend 2

minutes every day transferring the most

important or appropriate tasks from your

weekly list into today's calendar that's

it use a calendar you look at your daily

schedule okay look at what you're doing

this is this is busy I have these two

gaps let me just take 2 minutes to add

in the most appropriate TOS the best

toss that I need to get done that day

let me show you for example I looked at

my calendar today I saw that most of my

day was free I needed to film this video

I had to get a few revision sessions

done and I added those in I also noticed

that it's been a few days since I've

done the revision the first revision

sessions for cases 10 and 11 so I added

those on on the on the Sunday and the

Saturday practically speaking this is a

very simple step but the thing that most

people don't do is that they don't use

their calendar just start using your

calendar especially in exam season your

life isn't going to be only studies for

me at least I'm busy with family friends

I have YouTube stuff going on after to

script and film so a calendar is crazy

essential to not let the other parts of

your life take over and let this very

important revision time slip away and so

I'm going to repeat this once the weekly

timetable is made and you have a good

idea of how you're spacing out your

topic ICS then each day take 2 minutes

on the toilet or whatever while eating

just grab a few tasks from this weekly

timetable the ones that are most

appropriate for you to do depending on

how you're spacing or your vision and

just put them in the gaps within your

calendar I've shown you my this week's

calendar too I've changed nothing on it

is not perfect and the reason I'm okay

with that is because I never treat these

tasks on the calendar as set and stone

the bonus tip here is that I treat my

calendar as more of a suggestion for

myself that I set at the beginning of

the day that means for me this stuff is

ideally what I should be doing but there

are things that can come up and I can

Shuffle it around and it's flexible the

weekly timetable the revision calendar

is actually the important thing to

follow so make sure you're getting

everything in that week done make that

the non-negotiable rather than the daily

stuff and that overall is the actual raw

process of how I'm making my revision

plan I've shown you what I did with the

topics as I started and how I put them

onto the weekly timetable this is real

this is the plan this is my plan for the

next month and I wanted to share this

video with you like this in this pretty

casual way is because I wanted to show

you that this is not a perfect method

it's messy it's pretty intuitive

actually and relies on me looking at my

workload beforehand spending 30 minutes

or an hour or so thinking about how I'm

going to do my first revisions how I'm

going to split my time up in the next

few weeks with first revisions the

second revisions as well as doing the

practice questions in the day so that

everything can be covered without

sacrificing the aspect of space

repetition which is very very crucial to

my revision I know and I know I made a

very similar video in the past but it

was around a year and a half ago and

even though people found it very helpful

I still feel like it didn't give you the

reality of how spacing topics works I

just gave you a formula in that video

and expected you to follow it whereas me

talking through it and showing you kind

of a live demonstration gives you a much

better idea or at least I hope it did

I've already made several videos on the

science behind space repetition and what

you can practically do within your study

sessions to implement it as well as

possible check them out right here

somewhere anyways thank you so much for

watching please leave a like spam the

comments help me out with the algorithm

and I will see you in the next one oh

and good luck for your

exams