Spacing

Don't cram - let time pass

Spacing means breaking up your study sessions over time instead of cramming everything in at once, helping to strengthen memory (as seen in the page on forgetting). Pairing spacing with interleaving—where you mix up different topics while you study—makes memory even stronger.

Activities

Discussion:

Many students prepare for tests by cramming.

Think about your approach to revision and be honest when answering these questions.

Do you cram for tests? If so, when? The night before? On the day?
If you do cram for tests, what is the quality of your revision like? Is it just skim reading? Or quizzing?
How quickly does your memory for the information fade after the test if you cram?
How much could you realistically remember using cramming?
Does cramming add to your anxiety about tests?
Have you compared your performance after cramming to a test that you prepared well for?
If you used spaced revision, how do you manage spacing out your learning?
Have you used revision planners and timetables before? How did you find this?
Do you use any online apps which deliberately space out your revision to improve memory?
Which teachers return to things you learned weeks, months or years ago? Why do they do this?
If you are in an exam year, what one thing could you change to improve your exam performance?

Curated Content

These videos explain how forgetting and spaced repetition work together to make memory stronger. It's the idea behind the wisdom of teachers (and parents) to do 'little and often' rather than cramming.