How to Use Spaced Repetition in 3 Minutes, by Karl Avillo, MD on YouTube. 3 min 1 s.
- Video length
- 3 min 1 s
- Time to do it
- 15 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
List the topics you need to know for each exam. Group them into small chunks, such as one chapter or one set of definitions per card deck.
Make your review material now. Write short question-and-answer flashcards or summary sheets for each chunk so you can test yourself later.
Pick your review intervals. A common pattern is 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 14 days and 30 days after you first learn a topic.
Put each review session in your calendar on those dates. Set a reminder so you do not skip a session.
On each review day, test yourself from memory before checking your notes. Mark the cards or topics you got wrong.
Reset the interval for weak topics. Review anything you missed again the next day, then return to the normal schedule once you get it right.
Keep sessions short. Ten to twenty minutes of active recall per topic is enough, and it beats rereading for an hour.
Work backwards from your exam date. Make sure your last review falls a few days before the exam, not the night before.
Tips and common mistakes
Test yourself instead of rereading notes, because recalling an answer is what strengthens memory.
Do not let intervals get too long for hard topics. If you keep forgetting a card, shorten the gap.
Start early. Spaced repetition needs days and weeks to work, so cramming the week before an exam defeats the point.
Keep each flashcard to one fact or question so you can judge clearly whether you knew it.
Questions
How many times should I review a topic before an exam?
Aim for four to six short reviews spread over several weeks. The exact number matters less than spacing them out and testing yourself each time.
Can I use spaced repetition without an app?
Yes. A paper calendar and index cards work fine. Just write the review dates next to each topic and stick to them.
What if I start revising only two weeks before the exam?
Use shorter gaps, such as 1 day, 3 days and 7 days. You will still remember more than from a single long cram session.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
