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Spaced Repetition (Anki Method)

cognitive · easy · 15-30 minutes per day of reviews

What is Spaced Repetition (Anki Method)?

Exploit the spacing effect — the cognitive phenomenon where information is better retained when review sessions are spaced out over increasing intervals. Anki's algorithm schedules reviews right before you'd forget, making long-term memorization of any material 10x more efficient than cramming.

Is there evidence for it?

EVIDENCEstrong

How do you do Spaced Repetition (Anki Method)?

  1. 1.Download Anki (free) and create a deck for what you want to learn — languages, medical facts, programming concepts, anything
  2. 2.Write cards following the 'minimum information principle': one fact per card, clear question, concise answer
  3. 3.Review your daily due cards every morning — Anki calculates optimal intervals automatically (1 day, 3 days, 7 days, etc.)
  4. 4.Add 10-20 new cards per day maximum to avoid review pile-up. Consistency beats volume
  5. 5.After 3 months of daily review, you'll retain 90%+ of material that would otherwise be forgotten within weeks

How long does it take?

15-30 minutes per day of reviews.

Is it hard to start?

easy.

Source: Piotr Wozniak — SuperMemo research (1985); Hermann Ebbinghaus forgetting curve (1885)
memory · learning · spaced-repetition · study · retention
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