Want to actually remember what you study? Combine retrieval practice with spaced repetition for a powerful, brain-friendly learning boost.
Not to get overly religious but let me start with a confession. Talking about study strategies isn’t really my job. That honour belongs to my very capable colleagues over at the Student Learning Support Service. They’re the true ninjas 🥷🏻 of learning (although if you think about ninjas being silent, they might have great memories but we’d never know).
But here’s how I justify swaggering into their territory…
When your studies are going well, life generally feels better. You’re less overwhelmed, more confident, and have more mental space to enjoy the rest of your life. And since my job is all about promoting mental health and wellbeing as this post explains, supporting good study habits feels like mission-aligned work.
My bleary-eyed scroll through my morning news feed turned out to be quite rewarding today. A couple of great articles that I’ll be digesting for different purposes.
The one that inspired this blog post? “Testing between intervals: a key to retaining information in long-term memory” by over at The Conversation.
The article is simple but it covers a big idea: combining two powerful, evidence-based learning strategies to improve long-term memory and reduce study stress.
The Combo: Retrieval Practice + Spacing
If your goal is to actually remember what you learn — not just cram and forget (which given I am writing this as exams approach, many of you are cramming right now) — this pairing is for you.
1. Retrieval Practice:
This means deliberately trying to recall what you’ve learned — without looking at your notes. Think: flashcards, practice tests, explaining things to yourself out loud (yes, talking to yourself counts).
2. Spacing (Distributed Practice):
Instead of reviewing material in one marathon session, you spread your revision out over time. You review topics multiple times, with a few days (or more) in between.
💥 Put them together and you get a winning formula:
Essentially, you test yourself on material at spaced intervals over time. Ideally:
-
First retrieval happens the day after you learn something – so the day after a lecture, sit down and try to remember as many things from the lecture as possible.
-
Subsequent reviews happen every few days (or longer) – after that first retrieval, use notes and slides to develop flashcards of key concepts and schedule times over the coming weeks and months to test yourself on them.
- As you get more familiar with the material, lengthen out the time between study sessions. For example, at first it might be every few days, then it comes every week, then every couple of weeks as you really know the material.
-
Aim for difficulty — not discouragement. The struggle to recall helps lock in the learning.
This is exactly the principle behind apps like Anki, which use spaced repetition algorithms to time your retrieval sessions just right.
“Every retrieval strengthens a memory.”
That’s the core insight. Every time you pull the information out of your brain (instead of re-reading it), you’re training your brain to hold onto it longer.
An Analogy from Mental Health
This “difficult but not discouraging” framing also shows up in the mental health world. Many psychological tools — like mindfulness or cognitive restructuring — work best when we practise them in small doses, over time, even when they feel hard. The benefit often comes because the practice is effortful.
So if you’ve ever tried one of those practices and found it tough, I know this sounds a bit cruel but GOOD! That’s where the growth happens.
Add This to Your Study Toolkit
I’ll be adding this concept to the Evidence-Based Study Tips handout under the idea that combining strategies often works better than using them in isolation. Just like combining good sleep with good nutrition makes for a better athlete, combining retrieval and spacing makes for a better learner.
And better learners? Often, they’re happier learners too.
