How to Use Spaced Repetition
Reviewing information at expanding intervals — the technique behind Anki, Fennie's flashcards, and durable long-term memory.
What you'll learn
- Why spacing beats massing
- Optimal intervals (1, 3, 7, 14, 30 days)
- How algorithms automate the schedule
- When spaced rep isn't right
The mistake most students make
Manually spacing reviews fails — humans aren't good at intervals. Either use software (Anki, Fennie) or accept that you'll over-review easy cards and under-review hard ones.
How Fennie helps
Fennie's spaced-repetition algorithm schedules reviews based on what you've gotten wrong, so review time goes where retention is weakest.
Step by step
- 01Use software (Anki or Fennie) — don't try to space manually
- 02Review daily, even if just 10 cards
- 03Mark cards 'easy' or 'hard' honestly — the algorithm depends on it
- 04Create cards as you learn, not in batches afterward
- 05Don't space recall practice for material you're testing on this week
FAQ
Anki or Fennie?
Anki is more powerful for self-curated decks. Fennie is faster — generates cards from your notes and runs spaced rep automatically.
How long to see results?
2-4 weeks for noticeable retention improvement; 8+ weeks for durable long-term memory.
Does spaced rep work for all subjects?
Best for fact-heavy subjects (med, languages, history). Less critical for concept-heavy subjects (math, philosophy).
Apply this with Fennie
Fennie generates Daily Plans that build these habits automatically — start free.
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