Learn Better with Spaced Repetition: The Technique That Boosts Your Studies

Lavanda Insights
Oct 30, 2025
2 min read

Have you ever felt unmotivated to study because you just can’t seem to learn?

Hours and hours of studying… yet, in the end, it feels like nothing sticks?Maybe the problem isn’t you — but the way you’re studying.

Science has already shown that how we review has a much greater impact on learning than the number of hours we spend reading and rereading the material.

A simple tip (that I’ve tested myself)

Today, I want to share a simple technique that completely transformed the way I learn.I’ve personally used it — and it’s what allowed me to complete two degree programs at the same time and graduate from both with ease.

This technique is called Spaced Repetition.

Have you heard about the Spaced Repetition technique?

Spaced repetition is a learning strategy backed by decades of research in cognitive psychology.It’s based on the “forgetting curve”, discovered by Hermann Ebbinghaus in 1885.

Ebbinghaus found that we forget up to 70% of what we learn within 24 hours unless we review it.

However, when we revisit content at planned intervals, the brain interprets that information as important — and transfers it into long-term memory (our mental “permanent archive”).

Spaced repetition is not memorization!

Memorization only helps you store information temporarily.Spaced repetition, on the other hand, builds multiple neural connections, strengthening retention over time.

Recent neuroscience research (Karpicke & Roediger, Science, 2008) shows that active and spaced review can double your retention rate compared to simply rereading notes.

How to apply it in practice

You might be wondering, “Okay, but how do I actually do this?”

If you prefer physical materials, write out study cards or flashcards with the key ideas.Read, summarize, and rewrite in your own words — this process activates different areas of the brain related to memory (such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex), according to research from Stanford University.

If you prefer digital tools, there are great apps that automate the review intervals for you:📱 Anki, Quizlet, and even Notion (using flashcards).For quick summaries, Google Keep can also work well.

How to structure your reviews

The secret lies in the timing between reviews. Here’s a simple and effective schedule:

Review on the same day you study;
Review again the next day;
Go back to it 3–7 days later;
Do another review 15–30 days later.

This spaced practice strengthens your brain’s memory pathways — the brain literally learns how to remember.

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), this method significantly improves memory consolidation and long-term test performance.