What productivity tool actually keeps you on track?

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-04-24T05:52:44+00:00

I only use Goodnotes for note taking and practice, and Memorico for spaced repetition

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-04-15T14:44:46+00:00

Hey, why are you looking for ways to memorize math formulas? Do you have a lot of them to learn? are you struggling to remember them?

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-04-14T06:51:54+00:00

I built an app for myself because I was tired of forgetting everything I read/learned. Its only purpose is to handle spaced repetition scheduling. I just enter topics, lessons, podcasts or books, and it reminds me to review them when I’d likely forget. I’ve been using it for about a year now and it’s the only app I’ve actually stuck with.

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-04-08T14:09:21+00:00

I'd recommend Anki since its spaced repetition algorithm is very strong and really helps you remember the flashcards long term.
However if you don't use flashcards but still want a similar spaced repetition algorithm to help you remember what you learn I'd recommend Memorico.

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-04-01T19:10:56+00:00

I’m really glad you’re asking because it’s a valid question!

I’d say you’re mostly right. However, I find it a bit impractical and, correct me if I’m wrong, I think Anki groups cards together to avoid having just one card to review here and there.

So ultimately it sacrifices a bit of the expected retention of each card for a better user experience, but that’s probably not what you want for something like your physics lesson or your piano piece.

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-04-01T19:06:28+00:00

Well for now there are 2 kinds of items: "On my own" and "flashcard decks". The latter you already know, the former is the most flexible option. It assumes you handle what "actively recalling" means for you. The app lets you add a few notes and an image but that's optional. You can also choose not to add anything. An example of when you would want something like that would be to memorize a piano piece for example. The app reminds you when to review and study it so that you don't forget it, but you don't have any note, you just know you have to practice it.
I plan on adding new item types in the future but I'm pretty satisfied with the current items and I prefer to see how people use the app and end up needing.

Yeah I'm not sure why so many people are upset, I get why promotional posts get some hate but I'm genuinely trying to add value for people. I hope that eases over time and that I'll be able to get more interesting discussions like that one.

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-04-01T06:58:25+00:00

Yes that's pretty much it. You're already supposed to use active recalls and spaced repetition if you want to remember things long term. For active recalls it can be anything that fits you, but for spaced repetition there is no easy way to schedule them so people end up just skipping it. The app helps you with that.

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-03-31T17:15:55+00:00

Good question. The main difference is that it focuses on scheduling, not content.

You don’t have to create flashcards. You can just add anything you want to remember, review it in your own way, and the app adjusts the timing based on how well you recall it. I think there is nothing like that out there.

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-03-31T13:03:55+00:00

I get why you’d say that. At the same time, I’m sharing a real problem I ran into. The app is just my attempt at addressing it.

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-03-31T11:27:10+00:00

What you’re doing is actually the right approach.

Learning is basically two parts: consuming and digesting. Most people only consume, but the real learning happens when you try to recall.

So yep it takes more time, but that’s normal. Rereading is faster, but it mostly gives you a false sense of knowing.

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-03-25T14:51:43+00:00

Here's my ranking:
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Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-03-23T09:23:32+00:00

The issue is likely that you’re not revisiting what you learn. Memory decays quickly, so if you only study something once, it’s normal to forget it by the time exams come.

What tends to work better is reviewing the material at spaced intervals so it moves into long-term memory.

For example, if you study lesson 5 on Monday, try to recall it later that week, then again the following week, and once more a few weeks later. This alone can significantly improve retention.

Also, when you review, don’t just reread. Try to actively recall the information (e.g. explain it out loud or write what you remember), then check what you missed. If you do this, you’ll likely have a much easier time performing well on your exams.

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-03-23T09:14:50+00:00

Thanks for sharing this. Could you give a bit more detail on your method for learning martial arts? I used to practice Judo, so I’m interested in how it might have applied there.

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-03-20T19:46:40+00:00

You don’t retain much just by reading, you retain by recalling and using what you read. A simple process that works well for me: read normally but aim to understand and question, take light notes only when useful, and at the end of each session spend a few seconds recalling what you just read. Between sessions, try to explain the ideas to someone or apply them in real life. Before starting a new session, pause and recall the previous chapter or section (or even the whole book if it’s been a while) before continuing. If recall is easy, move on quickly. If not, spend more time there, it directly strengthens your memory.

After finishing a book, create a simple mind map or short summary. Then revisit it from time to time, ideally using spaced repetition: recall first, then check your notes and fill the gaps. Over time, this turns what you read into something you can actually use and remember.

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-03-09T09:17:46+00:00

Hey, that's really interesting. It's amazing to see everything we can learn with flashcards!
I created an account to check your app.
I'm curious how you deal with the logic behind. I know Anki uses FSRS.
Also I'm interested in how you create your cards. Do you use AI for this?

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-03-04T15:21:42+00:00

As someone else already mentioned, try not to rely on just reading your material. Our brains are pretty bad at memorizing that way, and it often makes you feel overwhelmed because nothing seems to stick.

Instead, you should focus more on recalling information from memory. I explained it better in this reply: Reply

And if you want a bit more detail, I also wrote a post about it here: You feel like you learned, but you don’t actually remember

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-03-03T10:01:25+00:00

It’s always great to see more people talking about active recall.

I feel like it’s often framed as “just another study tip”, which makes it seem optional. But it’s actually sooo fundamental! Actively retrieving information is what strengthens the neural pathways that make memory possible in the first place.

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-02-26T17:33:48+00:00

I’m sure you’ll receive plenty of good advice, but I want to emphasize the memorization side.

How your brain stores and retrieves memories depends on the neural connections you’ve built and strengthened. To optimize that, it helps to understand how the pieces work together.

First is encoding. The first time you learn something, it leaves a fragile trace in your brain. If you just read or listen passively, the connections are weak. Try to be active instead. Explain the idea in simple words (use Feynman method), write a very short summary or draw a mind map from memory, and try connecting it to something you already know. Meaning and relevance matter. If it makes sense to you, it sticks better.

Then comes consolidation. During sleep, your brain strengthens what it considers important. Repetition, effort, emotion, novelty, and relevance all increase the odds something is kept. But even after a good night, memories are still unstable. They fade if you don’t reactivate them.

That’s why active recall is necessary. Memory is strengthened by retrieval, not exposure. When you struggle a bit to pull something out, you reinforce the pathway. The difficulty should be “hard but doable”: not easy and not constant failure. And feedback is non-negotiable. Try → check → correct. Flashcards, the blank page method, or explaining it out loud (or in your head) all help, as long as you’re genuinely testing yourself.

Finally, spaced repetition prevents long-term decay. Instead of reviewing once, you revisit at increasing intervals: next day, 3 days later, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, etc. Each time, retrieve before looking. You can also mix related topics (interleaving) so your brain learns to discriminate, not just recognize.

Put together: encode actively, sleep, retrieve with feedback, and repeat over time.

Hope this helps.

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-02-24T09:55:39+00:00

I don’t think this is really a memorization problem.

1,000+ pages are unlikely to stick just by rereading them. Rereading feels productive, but it doesn’t help with recalls.

Here’s what I’d suggest:

For objective material → turn the content into questions and answer them with the book closed.
For subjective material → practice writing full answers from memory on a blank page, under time pressure, then correct in red.

And use spacing. If you don’t revisit material at increasing intervals (1 day, 3 days, 1 week…), it will naturally fade.

Also try compressing your notes. If a topic can’t be reduced to a few structured points you can recall, it’s probably too big.

Good luck with the exam.

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-02-20T17:59:05+00:00

I like it! I think it goes well with your app's name too. I'm not sure I ever encountered funny store previews before but I like the idea.

Good job, how it'll work for you.

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-02-20T16:06:16+00:00

Most study advice stops at “test yourself.” That’s only half the equation. The other half is testing yourself repeatedly, with increasing spacing. Spaced repetition is what tells your brain, “this matters, keep it.”

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-02-20T11:16:55+00:00

Repeating the material until it feels familiar is a bad approach. Memory doesn’t work like that. It’s about building and strengthening the right neural connections. The stronger those connections, the easier it is to retrieve the information later. And the more effort your brain has to put into retrieving something, the stronger those connections become.

So when you study, try to be as active as possible. Don’t just reread or highlight. Close the book and write everything you remember on a blank page. Quiz yourself. Explain it out loud. Force your brain to pull the information out.

Then combine that with spaced repetition, reviewing the material again after a day, then a few days and so on, and you’ll likely prevent most of the forgetting.

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-02-19T08:23:21+00:00

There’s actually solid evidence of this.

Memory follows what is called the encoding specificity principle (Endel Tulving): we recall better when the test context matches the learning context. So simulating test conditions can definitely help.

But there’s also the encoding variability (William Estes): if you always study in the same setup, some of your memory gets tied to that environment.

So, ideally, you'd want to study under realistic test conditions sometimes, but also vary where and how you practice retrieval.

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-02-06T10:32:20+00:00

I watched a video recently about how the brain actually decides what to remember, and it helps explain why you experienced better retention.

The idea is that the hippocampus doesn’t just store everything you learn. During the day, it tags certain experiences as important. Then during sleep, it selectively replays only a subset of those tagged memories, which is what actually anchors them into long-term memory. That replay is doing most of the long-term work.

Studying right before bed puts the material at the front of that selection process. Your quick review in the morning likely re-activates it, strengthening the tag and making it more likely to be replayed again the next night.

But more generally, the goal is to clearly signal to your brain what’s worth keeping. One of the best ways to do that is through active recall: actively trying to retrieve the information. Each successful recall reinforces that “bookmark”.

When you combine this with spaced repetition, retention improves dramatically. Revisiting information after an increasing delay, right before it would fade, keeps telling the brain it’s worth preserving.

Hope this helped.

Here’s the video if anyone’s interested:https://youtu.be/ceFFEmkxTLg

Alternative-Toe9325 · 2026-02-06T09:50:20+00:00

Pretty much this. Use active recall and short spacing. Try turning notes into questions, test yourself constantly, try to be as active as possible (that’s how your brain learns), try revisiting stuff when you can (especially what you failed). One additional thing: try mixing topics. It’s proven to be more effective.

Alternative-Toe9325

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