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If studying feels smooth, you might be doing it wrong. We dig into the science behind durable learning and show why the methods that feel effortful—retrieval, spacing, and interleaving—produce knowledge that holds up under pressure. Drawing on Make It Stick and real-world examples, we unpack how familiar strategies like rereading, highlighting, and cramming create a comforting illusion of mastery while leaving you empty-handed when it matters.
We start by reframing the core mistake: mistaking recognition for recall. That “I’ve seen this before” feeling floods your brain with confidence but doesn’t prepare you to explain a concept from scratch or pick the right approach without cues. From there, we walk through practical tools. Retrieval practice turns passive exposure into active memory by quizzing yourself, teaching a concept aloud, or using flashcards. Spacing replaces marathon sessions with shorter, scheduled reviews that capitalize on just-enough forgetting to strengthen recall. Interleaving blends problem types and concepts so your brain learns to identify patterns and decide which method to use—the same skill real work demands.
You’ll hear a concrete exam-prep story that shows how flashcards and spaced reviews transformed short-term familiarity into long-term command. Then we translate ideas into a three-part action plan you can start this week: swap one reread for retrieval, schedule three spaced sessions, and mix at least two problem types in your next practice block. Expect more struggle in the moment and more success when the test, meeting, or project arrives. That discomfort isn’t failure; it’s the signal that learning is sticking.
Our book of the day was "Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning" by Peter Brown, Henry Roediger and Mark McDaniel
Key Points from the Episode:
• learning feels harder when it becomes durable
• the illusion of fluency from rereading and massed practice
• retrieval practice to expose gaps and deepen memory
• spacing sessions to leverage forgetting and reload knowledge
• interleaving to train recognition and method selection
• simple tests to confirm you can teach it from scratch
• three concrete actions to apply this week
Other resources:
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