The Most Powerful Way to Remember What You Study

Summary

This video script introduces spaced repetition, a powerful learning technique that enhances memory retention by spacing study sessions over time. It explains the science behind the spacing effect and the Forgetting Curve, and offers practical advice on implementing this method using both paper flashcards with the Leitner System and digital apps like Anki. The script also highlights the benefits of this approach, such as maximizing learning efficiency and personalizing study intervals.

Takeaways

• 📚 Spaced repetition is a powerful technique to enhance memory retention while reducing study time.
• 🧠 The technique leverages the 'spacing effect,' which helps our brains form stronger connections by spacing out learning sessions.
• 📅 Spaced repetition works by progressively increasing the intervals between study sessions for better retention.
• 💡 Forgetting is an essential part of the learning process; the harder it is to recall information, the stronger the learning.
• 🃏 The Leitner System is a paper-based method for spaced repetition using boxes or bands to organize study intervals.
• 📱 Anki is a highly customizable spaced repetition app with a large community and support for multiple platforms.
• 🖼️ Anki allows users to add media, such as pictures, to flashcards, which can help improve memory retention.
• 🖋️ Other spaced repetition apps include TinyCards, Flashcards Deluxe, Memrise, SuperMemo, and Quizlet.
• 📖 A more detailed explanation of the memory science behind spaced repetition can be found in the accompanying blog post.
• 👕 The video also promotes a College Info Geek t-shirt, designed with input from the community, available for purchase online.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video?

The main focus of the video is to demonstrate how to remember more of what you learn by using a technique called spaced repetition, which involves spacing out study time to improve memory retention.

What is spaced repetition and how does it work?

Spaced repetition is a learning technique that involves increasing the time intervals between study sessions. It leverages the spacing effect, a memory phenomenon where the brain makes better connections and remembers information more effectively when learning is spaced out over time.

Who is Hermann Ebbinghaus and what did he contribute to memory science?

Hermann Ebbinghaus was a psychologist who launched the field of memory science in the late-1800s. He conducted an intense study on memory by memorizing long lists of nonsense syllables, which led to the development of the Forgetting Curve and insights into how spacing out memorization efforts can reduce the amount of study time needed.

What is the Forgetting Curve and what does it describe?

The Forgetting Curve, developed by Hermann Ebbinghaus, describes how memories decay over time. It illustrates the rate at which information is forgotten after the learning period.

Why does the spacing effect enhance learning?

The spacing effect enhances learning because it allows time for new neural connections to solidify. It also incorporates a degree of forgetting, which makes the retrieval of information more challenging and thus strengthens the learning process.

What is the Leitner System and how does it apply to spaced repetition?

The Leitner System is a method for organizing flashcards into different boxes representing varying study intervals. Cards graduate to the next box when answered correctly, increasing the time between reviews, while incorrect answers send the card back to the first box. This system maximizes learning through the spacing effect and studies more efficiently by focusing on cards that need more attention.

What is Anki and how does it relate to spaced repetition?

Anki is a popular spaced repetition app that allows for customizable flashcards and uses an algorithm to schedule reviews based on the difficulty of each card. It tracks individual cards, adjusts the review intervals based on user performance, and is available on multiple platforms.

What are some alternatives to Anki for spaced repetition?

Alternatives to Anki for spaced repetition include TinyCards, Flashcards Deluxe, Memrise, SuperMemo, Mnemosyne, Eidetic, and Quizlet. These apps offer various features and interfaces for implementing spaced repetition.

How does the video suggest one can use spaced repetition with paper flashcards?

The video suggests using the Leitner System with paper flashcards for spaced repetition. This involves organizing cards into boxes that represent different study intervals and moving cards through the boxes based on whether they are answered correctly or not.

What is the significance of forgetting in the context of spaced repetition?

In the context of spaced repetition, forgetting is significant because it allows for the strengthening of learning when the material is revisited. The act of retrieving information after a period of forgetting is what allows learning to build and consolidate, similar to how an exercised muscle grows stronger.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introducing Spaced Repetition for Efficient Learning

The video introduces the concept of spaced repetition, a technique to enhance memory retention by studying with increasing intervals between sessions. It is based on the spacing effect, which shows that our brains make better connections and remember more effectively when learning is spaced out over time. The video promises to explain the history behind this technique, its relation to memory, and how to implement it with flashcards and apps. The Forgetting Curve by Hermann Ebbinghaus is mentioned, which describes how memories decay over time, and how spaced repetition can reduce the amount of study time required for memorization. The importance of forgetting as part of the learning process is also highlighted, as it strengthens learning when we retrieve information after some time has passed.

05:00

🔍 Implementing Spaced Repetition with Flashcards and Apps

This paragraph delves into the practical application of spaced repetition, starting with the Leitner System, a method for organizing flashcards into different boxes based on study intervals and difficulty. Cards that are answered correctly move to the next box, requiring less frequent review, while incorrect cards are moved back to the first box for more frequent study. The benefits of this system include maximizing learning through the spacing effect and studying efficiently by focusing on cards that need more attention. The paragraph then discusses digital alternatives like Anki, a popular spaced repetition app known for its customization and media integration. Anki's ability to rate cards by difficulty during study sessions is highlighted, allowing for personalized review intervals. Other apps like TinyCards, Flashcards Deluxe, Memrise, and more are mentioned as alternatives, with a brief note on the community-designed College Info Geek t-shirt available for purchase.

Keywords

💡Spaced Repetition

Spaced repetition is a learning technique that involves increasing the intervals between review of previously learned material to enhance retention. It is central to the video's theme as it is presented as a method to study more efficiently and remember information better. The script describes this technique as leveraging the 'spacing effect' to make better neural connections over time, as opposed to cramming, which is less effective.

💡Spacing Effect

The spacing effect is a psychological phenomenon where learning is more effective when it is spread out over time rather than studied in a single session. In the video, this concept is foundational to the explanation of why spaced repetition works, as it is said to allow for better neural connections to solidify and for memories to be strengthened through the process of forgetting and retrieving information.

💡Forgetting Curve

The forgetting curve, introduced by Hermann Ebbinghaus, illustrates how memory retention decreases over time if information is not reviewed. The video references this concept to explain the importance of revisiting material at spaced intervals to counteract the natural decay of memory and to improve long-term retention.

💡Leitner System

The Leitner System is a method of using flashcards that employs the principles of spaced repetition. It organizes cards into different 'boxes' based on the intervals at which they should be reviewed. The video describes this system as a way to maximize learning through the spacing effect and to study more efficiently by focusing on cards that need more attention.

💡Anki

Anki is a popular spaced repetition software that helps users memorize information through intelligent scheduling of flashcards. The video highlights Anki as a tool for implementing spaced repetition, noting its customization options, media support, and the ability to rate cards by difficulty to optimize the learning process.

💡Flashcards

Flashcards are a study tool consisting of a set of cards with information on them, typically used for memorization and review. In the video, flashcards are used as an example of how to apply spaced repetition, both in a paper format using the Leitner System and digitally with apps like Anki.

💡Memory Science

Memory science is the study of the psychological and neurobiological aspects of memory. The video mentions the field's inception with Hermann Ebbinghaus's work on the forgetting curve, emphasizing the scientific basis for the techniques discussed, such as spaced repetition and the spacing effect.

💡Efficiency

Efficiency in the context of the video refers to the ability to study in a way that maximizes learning with minimal time and effort. The script discusses how spaced repetition and the Leitner System can make studying more efficient by focusing on material that is harder to remember and less on material that has already been well-learned.

💡Retention

Retention is the ability to remember information over time. The video's main theme revolves around improving retention through the use of spaced repetition, as it is said to lead to better memory connections and more effective long-term memory.

💡Customization

Customization refers to the ability to tailor tools or methods to individual needs or preferences. The video mentions Anki's high level of customization as a benefit, allowing users to create flashcards with various types of media and adjust the learning algorithm to suit their learning style.

💡Algorithm

In the context of the video, an algorithm refers to the systematic process used by spaced repetition apps to determine when to show flashcards based on their difficulty and the user's past performance. The script explains how Anki uses such an algorithm to optimize the spacing effect and improve memory retention.

Highlights

Spaced repetition is a technique to enhance memory retention by studying with progressively longer intervals between sessions.

The spacing effect is a memory phenomenon where learning is more effective when spread out over time.

Pierce J. Howard emphasizes that higher mental functions benefit from spaced learning to allow neural connections to solidify.

Hermann Ebbinghaus' research introduced the Forgetting Curve and demonstrated the benefits of spaced repetition for memorization.

The Forgetting Curve illustrates how memories decay over time without reinforcement.

Ebbinghaus found that spaced repetition required fewer repetitions to achieve the same level of memorization.

Forgetting is an essential part of the learning process, as it increases the effort to retrieve information, thus strengthening memory.

Benedict Carey explains that some forgetting is necessary for the benefit of further study and strengthening of learning.

Spaced repetition is a complementary learning technique that can be applied with other methods to optimize study time.

The Leitner System is a paper-based method for implementing spaced repetition using boxes to categorize flashcards based on study intervals.

Anki is a popular digital spaced repetition app known for its customization and algorithmic scheduling based on difficulty ratings.

Anki allows for the addition of media to flashcards, which can improve retention.

Anki's strength lies in its ability to track individual card difficulty and adjust study intervals accordingly.

Alternatives to Anki include TinyCards, Flashcards Deluxe, Memrise, SuperMemo, Mnemosyne, Eidetic, and Quizlet.

The video script is a condensed version of a more detailed blog post available for further reading on memory and the spacing effect.

College Info Geek has released an official t-shirt designed with community input, available on DFTBA.com.

Transcripts

Hey, what is going on, guys?

So I think we can all agree that studying takes

far, far too much time so what I wanna do in this

video is show you guys how you can remember more

of what you learn, even if you're spending fewer

actual hours studying, and the way to do that

is by spacing out that study time.

This is a technique called spaced repetition

and to do it you add progressively longer

and longer time intervals in between each

of your study sessions.

So in this video I wanna show you exactly how

you can do that, both with your paper flash cards

and with apps both for smartphones and computers.

But first I wanted to get into why this technique

is so powerful and also talk to you a little bit

about the history behind it and how it relates

to our memories in general.

Spaced repetition leverages a memory phenomenon

known as the spacing effect, which describes how

our brains make better connections and overall

remember things more effectively when we space

out our learning over time.

How's how Pierce J. Howard, the author of my

least favorite book to haul into coffee shops,

puts it: "Work involving higher mental functions,

"such as analysis and synthesis, needs to be

"spaced out in order to allow new neural

"connections to solidify.

"New learning drives out old learning when

"insufficient time intervenes."

And we've actually known about this effect

for quite a long time.

Back in the late-1800s a psychologist named

Hermann Ebbinghaus basically launched the field

of memory science itself by embarking upon

an intense study where he made himself memorize

long, long lists of nonsense syllables.

And through that research he eventually came

to develop what's called The Forgetting Curve,

which describes how memories decay over time.

But what he also learned was that by spacing out

his efforts to memorize these lists,

he could put in less actual study time to get

them memorized perfectly.

For example, for one list of 12 syllables he found

out it took him 68 repetitions on one day and then

seven repetitions the next day to memorize

it perfectly, but by spacing out his studying

over the course of three days he found he could

achieve his same level of perfection in only

38 repetitions.

Over the past 130 years since he published his

findings, lots of other studies have been able

to replicate this same positive results, which leads

us to the question, "Why does the spacing effect work?"

Well to put it in simple terms, it turns out that one

of the most important parts of learning process

is actually forgetting.

Now what forgetting truly is is a subject for another

video that I'll publish in the future, but the most

important thing to note here is that the more we've

forgotten something, that is the harder we have

to work to retrieve it since we last learned it

or studied it, the greater the increase

in learning will be.

To make this a bit more clear, here's how the author

Benedict Carey, who wrote the book "How We Learn,"

explains it: "Some amount of breakdown must occur

"for us to strengthen learning when we revisit

the material.

"Without a little forgetting, you get no benefit

"from further study.

"It is what allows learning to build,

"like an exercised muscle."

And that's the main reason why Carey calls

spaced repetition one of the most powerful methods

for remembering what you've learned in his book.

And I would add to that the fact that you can do

this with basically any other learning technique.

It's entirely complementary because it's all about

just modifying the time periods in which you study.

You can do anything within those time periods,

you're just using the time periods

as intelligently as possible.

With that being said, now I wanna get into how you

can put spaced repetition into action and implement

it into your own study systems.

And we're gonna talk about apps and computer programs

that you can use in a minute here but first I want

to talk about a system that you can use with your

paper flash cards, which is called the Leitner

System, and here's how it works.

The first step is to decide on the number

of boxes that you're gonna use to hold the cards

in your system.

Now I don't actually own little boxes so I've just

substituted rubber bands and sticky notes that say

"Box," but that actually works just as well

and actually makes the system more portable,

so that's pretty cool, and from there each

individual box is going to represent a different

study time interval.

So Box 1 might be studying every day, Box 2 might

be studied every other day, and so on.

And when you're studying the cards in the boxes,

every time you get a card right it's gonna graduate

to the next box, so you're gonna see it less

and less often.

But if you get a card wrong, it's gonna go all

the way to box number 1, no matter where it was.

And by using this system you get two main benefits.

Number one, you're maximizing your learning through

the spacing effect, but number two, you're also

studying more efficiently because you're spending

more time on the cards that need the most attention

and less time on the ones you know really well

rather than studying every single card equally.

Now this paper system works really well for both

of those goals but if you wanna take advantage

of more advanced scheduling algorithms and other

features, you're gonna need to find yourself

a space repetition app and there are a lot

of contenders in this area but I wanna focus

first on what is probably the most popular one

right now and that is called Anki.

Anki has a huge community, it's insanely customizable,

and best of all, it has apps for almost every

platform out there and almost all of them are free

with the exception of the iPhone app, which oddly

costs a whopping $25.

Now I think the price is that high because it's their

way of basically letting people support the app since

it's free everywhere else but if you're on an iPhone

and you don't wanna pay that much, fear not because

Anki also has a companion web app called AnkiWeb,

which is accessible from mobile Safari.

So you can use that free if you want.

Now with Anki, creating cards is really, really

easy and I really like the fact that you can add

basically any kind of media you want to your cards,

including pictures, which is awesome because adding

pictures to your flash cards can really help

increase retention.

However, the killer feature of Anki is the ability

to rate cards based on difficulty when you're

studying them.

So essentially, when you turn a card over, you can

tell the program how hard it was for you to dredge

the answer up from the depths of your memory

and it will use that data to decide how long it's

gonna be before you see that card again.

And that's really the main strength of space

repetition apps versus a paper system.

Each individual card can be tracked, can have

a difficulty rating, and can be adjusted

in the algorithm so you're getting the most

benefit of the spacing effect.

Anki is definitely not the only space repetition

app out there, though, so if you're looking for

alternatives, I've got a few things in mind

for you to take a look at, number one being an app

called TinyCards, which I showed off in my previous

video on how to make better flash cards.

Now TinyCards is only for the iPhone, unfortunately,

but there should be an Android version coming soon,

and honestly, when compared to Anki I think it's

a lot more simple, a lot prettier, and the process

of making cards is more fun and faster because

they have an excellent system for adding images

to your cards.

Aside from TinyCards there are also apps like

Flashcards Deluxe, Memrise, SuperMemo, Mnemosyne,

Eidetic, Quizlet, and probably a bunch of others

that I don't even know about right now but I'm

sure you will let me know about down in the Comments.

So before I wrap this video up I have a couple

more things I wanna mention, number one being

the script I wrote for this video is actually

about half the length of the blog post I wrote

so if you want a lot more detail, especially

pertaining to the memory bits and how the spacing

effect works, you can click the blog post link

in the description down below or on the card

on screen right now and read to your heart's content.

Also, and I have been really excited to announce

this for quite a long time now, there's now

an official College Info Geek t-shirt on

DFTBA.com and I'm super, super stoked about this.

I've already ordered mine and there's gonna be

a link down in the description, also a card so

if you would like to get your very own shirt,

which may or may not grant superpowers, you can

click either of those links and order one.

Now one cool thing about these shirts' design

is it was actually created by the College Info

Geek community.

My good friend Ashley did the hand-lettered design

itself but the mantra or saying on the shirt was

actually decided upon by people in the College Info

Geek community over on Reddit, which I think is

really, really cool, and I would love to continue

to play up this community aspect so if you get

a shirt I would love to see you tweeting awesome

pictures of you wearing it to send to me over

on @TomFrankly and I will probably retweet them.

You can also put them in the Reddit as well if

you like and other than that, that's all I have

for this video, guys, so thanks so much for watching.

And if you found it useful, give it a Like

to support this channel and you can also Subscribe

with that button right down there if you wanna

get new videos on being a more effective student

every single week.

You can also get a copy of my book on earning

better grades by going to the picture of the book

right there and clicking your mouse button.

You can find the previous video right over there

which was about how to use flash cards more

effectively and if you wanna find that awesome

article which is way more detailed than this

video was, go to the Full Article thing right there.

If you'd like to connect with me you can use

the social media links down below but there's

also a non-zero probability that you can connect

with me by yelling into a conch shell,

so maybe give that a try too.