Why use spaced repetition? A master argument.
Here's why you should learn things with spaced repetition:
- You need to learn some facts.
- Spaced repetition is the most efficient and easiest way to learn facts.
- So you should use spaced repetition.
Some people think that if they aren't learning a language or preparing for trivia competitions, they have no need for spaced repetition. But they do. There are birthdays to be remembered; recipes we almost know by heart but don't quite; neighborhood children's names; and on and on. And we've never seen a job that isn't done better by someone who commands a store of facts about the domain.
Some of us have more or less to learn and maintain. Whatever that amount is, you'll spend less effort learning it, and much less maintaining it, if you use spaced repetition. You'll save time. If you enjoy working with flashcards, you might choose to use that time learning yet more flashcard material. If you don't, you'll be happy to get your learning done in less time and with less pain. Either way, you win.
At It Sinks In, we're making the best spaced repetition experience in the world: for power users, language learners, casual learners, or people who just want to stop forgetting those few dozen names and birthdays and preheating temperatures. There's a free tier and there's no credit card required.