


However, active recall teaches us to look at testing from another angle. After all, tests and exams can be very stressful because they are usually the main point of measure for your academic success. Most students dread the word “test” for good reasons. Spaced repetition is used in conjunction with other study methods, and it’s especially powerful when combined with the following study method we’ll discuss: active recall.Īctive recall, sometimes called retrieval practice or practice testing, is a study technique involving actively recalling information (rather than just reading or re-reading it) by testing yourself repeatedly. Anyone trying to become a better and more efficient learner can benefit from spaced repetition. There, you’ll find a breadth of different medical school Anki decks to choose from, such as:īut, the power of spaced repetition is not at all only applicable to medical students. You can get a small glimpse of that by heading over to r/medicalschoolanki. There are entire online communities surrounding medical school Anki.


One of the most popular examples of spaced repetition algorithms is Anki, based on another popular algorithm, SuperMemo.įor example, there is no better study method for medical students than Anki-based flashcard decks. Spaced repetition manages to combine all the existing knowledge we have on human memory, and it uses that knowledge to create optimized algorithms for studying. In the 21st century, this technique has gathered increasing popularity, and it’s not without reason. Rather than concentrating all studying into a small time frame, this method requires you to space out your studying by reviewing and recalling information at optimal intervals until the material has been memorized. In a nutshell, it’s the opposite of cramming and all-nighters. In this situation, a well-optimized interval might be: Let’s say you have an exam coming up in 36 days, and your first study session begins today. To demonstrate how spaced repetition works, let’s bring a real-life example. It’s a simple concept but a game-changer to most students because of how powerful it is. Spaced repetition, sometimes called spaced practice, interleaved practice, or spaced retrieval, is a study method that involves separating your study sessions into spaced intervals.
