How to Use Spaced Repetition to Improve Your Long-Term Memory
You spend hours studying, only to forget most of it within days. The problem isn’t your memory—it’s your timing. Spaced repetition is a learning technique that works with your brain’s natural forgetting curve, transforming temporary knowledge into permanent retention through strategically timed reviews.
Research shows that reviewing information at increasing intervals can improve long-term retention by up to 200% compared to cramming. This isn’t about studying harder; it’s about studying smarter by exploiting how memory consolidation actually works.
As a psychologist who’s worked with hundreds of learners, I’ve seen spaced repetition transform struggling students into efficient learners. The technique isn’t complicated, but it does require understanding the science and implementing a consistent system. This guide shows you exactly how to use spaced repetition effectively.
What Is Spaced Repetition?
Spaced repetition is a learning method where you review material at systematically increasing intervals. Instead of studying something repeatedly in one session, you spread reviews over days, weeks, and months—with the gaps getting progressively longer as the information becomes more firmly established in your memory.
The technique is based on the “spacing effect,” a psychological phenomenon discovered by Hermann Ebbinghaus in 1885. He found that information reviewed at intervals is retained far better than information studied in a single session, even when total study time is identical.
Here’s how it works in practice: You learn something today, review it tomorrow, then again in three days, then a week later, then two weeks after that, and so on. Each successful recall strengthens the memory and extends the time until the next review is needed.
The Science Behind Spaced Repetition
Your brain doesn’t retain information simply because you’ve seen it. Memory formation requires consolidation—a process where short-term memories are gradually converted into stable long-term storage. This consolidation happens most effectively when you actively retrieve information just as you’re about to forget it.
The “forgetting curve” describes how quickly we lose new information. Without review, you forget roughly 50% of new material within a day, and 90% within a week. But each time you successfully recall information, you reset this curve at a slower rate. Eventually, the memory becomes so stable that you retain it almost indefinitely.
This is why cramming fails. When you review material repeatedly in a short period, you’re not creating strong retrieval pathways. The information feels familiar, which creates an illusion of knowing, but it hasn’t been properly consolidated. Spaced repetition forces genuine retrieval, which is what builds lasting memories.
The key is combining spaced repetition with active recall techniques—actively attempting to remember information rather than passively re-reading it. When you space these active retrieval attempts optimally, you create the strongest possible memories with the least total study time.
Optimal Review Intervals: The Schedule That Works
The most effective spaced repetition schedules are based on your actual performance. When you easily recall something, you extend the interval; when you struggle or fail, you shorten it. However, for practical implementation, you can start with a standard schedule and adjust as needed.
The Basic Schedule
A proven starting schedule for new material:
• First review: 1 day after initial learning
• Second review: 3 days after first review
• Third review: 7 days after second review
• Fourth review: 14 days after third review
• Fifth review: 30 days after fourth review
• Sixth review: 60 days after fifth review
After six successful reviews, most information is sufficiently consolidated for long-term retention. You might schedule annual refreshers for critical knowledge, but frequent review becomes unnecessary.
Adjusting Based on Difficulty
Not all information is equally difficult to remember. Adjust intervals based on:
• Difficulty level: Complex concepts need shorter initial intervals
• Prior knowledge: Information connecting to existing knowledge can have longer intervals
• Recall accuracy: If you recall something effortlessly, double the next interval; if you struggle, halve it
• Importance: Critical information might warrant more frequent early reviews
Breaking complex information into smaller pieces using the chunking method can make initial learning easier and improve your ability to recall it during spaced reviews. When information is properly chunked, each review reinforces the connections between related pieces.
The goal is to review just before you would forget. Too frequent, and you’re wasting time; too spaced, and you’ll fail to recall, requiring you to relearn rather than review.
How to Implement Spaced Repetition in Your Learning
Knowing the theory is one thing; actually using spaced repetition consistently requires a system. Here’s how to build one that works.
Step 1: Choose Your Content Format
Spaced repetition works with any type of information, but you need to format it for efficient review. The most effective formats are:
Flashcards: Questions on one side, answers on the other. Keep them atomic—one concept per card. This format works well for facts, vocabulary, definitions, and formulas.
Question prompts: For deeper concepts, create questions that require you to explain or apply knowledge rather than just recall facts. For example, “Explain why spaced repetition works better than cramming” requires deeper processing than “What is spaced repetition?”
Practice problems: For mathematical or technical subjects, create problems that test your ability to apply concepts. The answer includes not just the solution but the reasoning process.
Whatever format you choose, make sure you can quickly assess whether your recall was correct. Ambiguous questions slow down your review sessions and reduce effectiveness.
Step 2: Create a Review System
You need a way to track when each item should be reviewed next. Three practical approaches:
Physical card box system (Leitner system): Use multiple boxes or sections representing different review intervals. Cards move to the next box when recalled correctly, return to the first box when missed. Simple and tangible, though requires manual tracking.
Digital apps: Programs like Anki, SuperMemo, or RemNote automatically calculate optimal review intervals based on your performance. More efficient for large volumes of material, though requires initial setup time.
Spreadsheet tracking: Create columns for item, last review date, next review date, and difficulty rating. Sort by next review date each day. More flexible than apps but requires manual calculation of intervals.
The best system is the one you’ll actually use consistently. If digital tools feel overwhelming, start with physical cards. If you’re studying hundreds of items, invest time in learning a dedicated app.
Step 3: Build the Habit of Daily Review
Spaced repetition only works if you actually review on schedule. Miss reviews, and items pile up, overwhelming your system and forcing you to relearn rather than review.
The solution is making review a non-negotiable daily habit. Start by identifying a consistent time and trigger. For instance, “After my morning coffee, I’ll complete today’s reviews” or “During my commute, I’ll review on my phone.”
You can build consistent habits to make your reviews automatic. Start small—commit to just 10 minutes daily. This prevents the system from feeling overwhelming while still maintaining the spacing intervals.
Most people find that daily review sessions of 15-30 minutes are sustainable long-term. If you’re exceeding this, you’re either creating too many new cards or need to adjust your intervals.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Creating Too Many Cards at Once
Enthusiasm leads many people to create hundreds of cards in their first week, only to be overwhelmed by review load within days. Create cards gradually—no more than 10-20 new items per day unless you have significant study time available.
Remember that each card you create is a commitment to review it multiple times over weeks or months. Be selective about what genuinely needs to be memorised versus what can be referenced when needed.
Making Cards Too Complex
Each card should test one atomic piece of knowledge. If you’re writing paragraph-long answers, you’re creating study notes, not review cards. Break complex concepts into multiple simple cards instead.
Bad card: “Explain everything about spaced repetition”
Good cards: “What is the spacing effect?”, “Why does spacing improve retention?”, “What happens during memory consolidation?”
Passive Recognition Instead of Active Recall
The power of spaced repetition comes from retrieval practice. If you’re just reading the question and immediately flipping to check the answer, you’re not getting the benefit. Force yourself to actually attempt recall before checking, even if it takes a few seconds of mental effort.
This active engagement is what strengthens memory pathways. Reading answers feels easier, but it creates the illusion of knowledge rather than genuine mastery. Some learners find it helpful to combine spaced repetition with visualization techniques like the memory palace method, which forces active mental reconstruction of information.
Skipping Difficult Items
When you encounter a card you can’t remember, the natural response is frustration. Some people skip these items or mark them as “sort of correct.” This defeats the purpose. Items you struggle with are exactly the ones that need more frequent review.
When you fail to recall something, mark it as incorrect and reset it to the shortest review interval. This ensures you see it again soon, giving your brain another opportunity to consolidate it properly.
Practical Applications: What to Use Spaced Repetition For
Spaced repetition excels at helping you retain specific, factual knowledge that you need to recall reliably. Here’s where it works best:
Languages
Vocabulary acquisition is the most common use of spaced repetition, and for good reason. Learning a language requires remembering thousands of words, and spaced repetition is far more efficient than traditional vocabulary lists.
Create cards for vocabulary, grammar patterns, and common phrases. Include example sentences to provide context. Many language learners also use spaced repetition for remembering names effectively when practising with native speakers.
Medical and Scientific Knowledge
Medical students use spaced repetition to memorise anatomy, drug names, disease presentations, and diagnostic criteria. The technique is equally valuable for other sciences—biology taxonomy, chemical formulas, physics equations, or programming syntax.
The key is breaking complex material into reviewable chunks. Don’t try to memorise entire chapters; instead, extract the specific facts and concepts you need to recall instantly.
Professional Development
Technical knowledge in your field—keyboard shortcuts, regulatory requirements, client specifications, product features—all benefit from spaced repetition. Rather than repeatedly looking up the same information, invest a few weeks using spaced repetition to make it permanently accessible.
General Knowledge
History dates, geographical facts, literary works, or any information you want to retain long-term can be learned through spaced repetition. This is particularly useful for students or anyone who values broad knowledge retention.
Combining Spaced Repetition with Other Learning Techniques
Spaced repetition is powerful, but it’s most effective as part of a broader learning system. Here’s how it integrates with other evidence-based learning strategies:
Initial Learning Before Repetition
Before you create spaced repetition cards, you need to understand the material. Use these techniques for initial learning:
• Read actively, taking notes on key concepts
• Explain ideas in your own words
• Create connections to existing knowledge
• Work through examples and applications
Spaced repetition helps you retain what you’ve learned, but it can’t replace the initial comprehension phase. Don’t try to memorise things you don’t yet understand.
Interleaving and Variation
When reviewing cards, mix different topics together rather than studying one subject at a time. This “interleaving” improves your ability to distinguish between concepts and apply knowledge flexibly.
Most spaced repetition apps do this automatically by showing cards from different decks in each session. If you’re using a manual system, ensure your daily review includes variety rather than focusing on just one subject.
Focus and Environment
Spaced repetition sessions require concentration to be effective. Trying to review while distracted wastes time and reduces retention. Apply principles from focused study sessions to ensure your review time is productive.
Remove distractions, use your peak cognitive hours when possible, and keep sessions short enough to maintain attention. Twenty focused minutes beats forty distracted minutes.
Tools and Resources for Spaced Repetition
Digital Tools
Anki: The most popular spaced repetition software. Free, highly customisable, and works across all devices. The interface isn’t beautiful, but it’s powerful and reliable. Best for serious learners willing to invest time in setup.
RemNote: Combines note-taking with spaced repetition. You can convert notes directly into flashcards, making it ideal for students who want an all-in-one system. More intuitive than Anki but with fewer customisation options.
SuperMemo: The original spaced repetition software, using the most sophisticated algorithms. Powerful but with a steep learning curve. Recommended for researchers and extremely dedicated learners.
Quizlet: User-friendly and visually appealing, with a large library of pre-made card sets. However, its spaced repetition algorithm is less sophisticated than dedicated tools. Good for casual learners or beginners.
Physical Systems
Physical flashcards remain effective, particularly for visual learners or those who prefer tactile learning. The Leitner box system uses multiple compartments to track review schedules mechanically.
Benefits include no screen time, better retention through writing cards by hand, and a tangible sense of progress. Drawbacks are the space requirement and difficulty of managing large card sets.
Making Spaced Repetition a Sustainable Practice
The biggest challenge with spaced repetition isn’t understanding it—it’s maintaining it long-term. Here’s how to make it stick:
Start Smaller Than You Think
Begin with just one deck or subject area. Commit to 10 minutes daily for the first month. Once this feels automatic, expand gradually. Starting too ambitiously leads to burnout and abandonment.
Track Your Streak
Seeing a consecutive-days streak builds motivation to maintain the habit. Many apps track this automatically, or you can mark a calendar. The psychological benefit of not wanting to “break the chain” is surprisingly powerful.
Review at a Consistent Time
Habit research shows that consistency of timing strengthens habits more effectively than consistency of volume. Reviewing for 10 minutes at the same time each day is better than reviewing for an hour whenever you remember.
Accept Imperfect Days
You will occasionally miss reviews. When this happens, don’t abandon the system. Simply do your reviews the next day, accepting that some cards will need to be reset to earlier intervals. The long-term pattern matters more than perfect adherence.
Conclusion
Spaced repetition transforms learning from a frustrating cycle of forgetting into an efficient system for building permanent knowledge. By reviewing information at strategically timed intervals, you work with your brain’s natural consolidation processes rather than against them.
The technique requires initial effort to set up—creating cards, choosing a system, and building the review habit. But once established, it’s remarkably efficient. Fifteen minutes of daily review can help you retain thousands of pieces of information that would otherwise be forgotten within weeks.
Start today with a single subject you want to master. Create 10-20 cards, schedule your first review for tomorrow, and build from there. The compound effect of consistent spaced repetition over months and years is extraordinary—transforming fleeting information into permanent, accessible knowledge.
I’m Simon Shaw, a Chartered Occupational Psychologist with over 20 years of experience helping people improve their learning and memory. The techniques in this article are grounded in cognitive psychology research and refined through practical application with hundreds of learners.