You’ve done the hard preparation. You’ve read what you need to: Watched the tutorial videos, done the quizzes, and made your notes. Now what?
The short answer is active recall (see more about that here). But you need a way of making sure that you have revised everything. And that you know everything as well as it needs to be known.
This is easier said than done. I know just how hard it can be. When I was a student, I found it overwhelming to be presented with the sheer number of facts I needed to know in order to pass my exams.
The answer is organisation. And perhaps the best system for this is called the Leitner system. A system designed to help you track your progress in knowledge-retention.
The Leitner system is like a smart flashcard method. You have a series of boxes, and when you get a card right, it moves to the next box. If you get it wrong, it goes back to the first box. This way, you review the tricky cards more often, helping you remember things better over time.
Why should you take up the Leitner system?
Here are 5 excellent reasons:
- Easy Learning
The system helps you remember things better by focusing on the flashcards you find difficult, so you review them more often.
- Spaced Repetition
You review information at increasing intervals, helping you remember facts for a long time.
- Doesn't waste time
The system makes sure you spend your study time on the cards you’re not good at, saving time on things you already know.
- At your pace
It changes with you – as you get better at a card, it moves to the next level, matching your learning speed.
- Self-assessment
The Leitner system lets you adjust cards based on your understanding, helping you track what you know and need to learn.
So, this is why you should take up the Leitner system in your revision planning. Now, let’s look at exactly what it is.
The Leitner system: a step-by-step guide
This is a general guide. You’ll need to adapt it to your needs. I would suggest you use 5 boxes, but depending upon your memory and the complexity of your subject, you may need more or fewer.
The basic system is 5 boxes, moving from “new/unknown” in box 1, all the way up to “known” in box 5.
The Leitner system
As you revise, you move the cards up, one box at a time. If you recall it wrong, the card goes back to box 1. This allows you to focus on what you need to know.
Here is the guide:
Setup Boxes
Arrange boxes for stages of learning (e.g., Box 1 to Box 5)
Initial Review
Start Active Recall with all cards in Box 1. Move correctly answered cards to the next box; return incorrect ones to Box 1
Spaced Repetition
Revise at increased time intervals for cards in higher boxes. More regularly review cards in Box 1, focusing on weaknesses
Advance with recall
Move cards to the next box as you recall the content successfully
Move back failures
Move the cards you can’t recall back to box 1, no matter which box they’ve got to
Keep going
Keep your Active Recall up until all the cards reach the top box. Now you have successfully learned it all!
