How to use Spaced Repetition

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#1

Hey RemNote Community,

I have a lot of different questions about how to approach spaced repetition just in general. I know that spaced repetition is for remembering information in the long run and for studying in short sessions to where you are not cramming a lot of info and not using a lot of time. But I am not sure how to exactly apply the spaced repetition method. For example, let’s say I want to study 200 flashcards for a test. Do I just make all 200 flashcards (as all brand new information) and just use the spaced repetition default settings and just try and learn as much as I can? Or do I study the material first by reading the book with that information and then try and used RemNote with the spaced repetition? I am asking because it seems like with a lot of my cards I am getting them wrong even when I go back to them the next day.

Any advice would help, or examples could be given let’s say for learning a brand new language. Like how do you approach learning with spaced repetition? Do you study different ways first and then use spaced repetition to retain the information or do you just go straight into spaced repetition with brand new information?

Thanks, Ethan.

#2

Hi! remember that flashcards (fc) are not intended to replace the habit of reading, analyzing and understanding the subject we want to learn. They are a tool for the process of memory and retention, that is, they are not for learning, they are for retention. In other words, we use spaced repetition after having read and understood the subject. So, a suggestion is this: first study the topic and make notes in your remnote about it (don’t forget to analyze the information and understand it). Second, when you finished the topic, solved questions, applied Feynman’s technique, etc., review the fc you created while making your notes, that would be day one (Leitner’s box: How To Remember Anything Forever-ish).
This way you should review all the fc’s until you finish them, but be careful! reviewing with fc’s does not mean that you only memorize the answer, it is better that you analyze the information of each fc and arrive to the correct answer after having analyzed the question or concept.
In other words, in the learning process, fc’s help us in memorization, not so much in comprehension and analysis.
To learn a new language, it is very useful to watch programs in that language with subtitles and study vocabulary (the fc help a lot in that), although learning a language is a very broad topic to reduce it in a simple strategy, it depends a lot on your tastes and time available.
I hope these suggestions help you. Greetings!

#3

If you only have time for one article, make it the first one and do the exercises, but all are worth a read.