1Have you ever studied hard for a test and forgotten everything a week later?
2This happens because our memory naturally weakens when we do not review information.
3A German psychologist named Hermann Ebbinghaus first described this pattern as the forgetting curve.
4Spaced repetition is a study method designed to fight against this curve.
5Instead of reviewing everything in one night, you spread practice over many days.
6Each review comes just before you are about to forget the material.
7This timing tells your brain that the information is important and worth keeping.
8Many popular language apps now calculate these review times automatically for their millions of users.
9However, a simple box of paper cards works almost just as well.
10The real secret is returning to the material again and again over time.
11Students who use this method often remember far more with less total effort.