We have all have experienced the utter frustration when cramming for an exam only to forget most of what you’ve just learned a few days later right? Maybe you’ve even wondered why you can’t seem to recall the information as effectively as you would like during your exam. Well, the answer to these questions lies in the phenomenon known as the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve, which you’ve also probably heard of at some point in your life. So, let me tell you a bit about how remembering and forgetting works, to understand yourself better, and not to be too hard on yourself either.
The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve not only sheds light on the way how our memory works, but also provides valuable insights in how we can improve our learning and retention capabilities. So let me give you the insights you need to get ahead of further understanding how our brain works.
A Brief History Lesson
In 1880s, Hermann Ebbinghaus, embarked on a groundbreaking journey to explore the intricacies of the human memory. Ebbinghaus conducted a series of experiments (on himself) to understand how information fades from memory over time. The result of his painstaking efforts was the discovery of what is now known as the "Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve".
The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve is a graphical representation of how memory retention declines over time when there is no attempt to recall or reinforce the learned information. Ebbinghaus used a series of meaningless combinations of letters to study memory retention, allowing him to control variables and draw precise conclusions about forgetting.
Understanding the Forgetting Curve
The Curve typically takes the shape of a steep descending curve, illustrating how memory strength diminishes rapidly after learning new materials, which can be anything. Let me give you a brief breakdown of the key points to get a better understanding:
1. Rapid Forgetting: Ebbinghaus found out that immediately after learning new information, memory retention is relatively high. However, over a short period, typically within the first hour, memory strength starts to decline significantly.
2. The Half-Life of Memory: According to Ebbinghaus, memory loss is not linear but exponential. This means that a substantial portion of the information is forgotten quite quickly, and then the rate of forgetting gradually slows down over time. The curve suggests that we lose about half (50%!) of what we've learned within the first hour already.
3. The Importance of Review: Ebbinghaus also discovered that regular review and repetition significantly affect memory retention. By revisiting and reinforcing information at the right intervals, one can counteract the rapid decline in memory strength depicted by the curve. Revise your work the day after your first study. Then put the things away and on the third day you reengage in your study routine and finally you do the same on the sixth day. You can keep on repeating this cycle until you are confident enough to pass your exam. But it should be quite solid after only a week of studying (depending on the amount of work you need to study for an exam.
Case Example on Spaced Repetition
Let’s say that you have a French Language test is coming up and you need to study. You know that the test is coming two weeks in advance so there is quite some time to get onto studying. At this point we already master the skills of planning our studies, and I will assume that the plan is all set.
Remind you that this is just an example on how to study a certain topic, but everyone has their own unique learning abilities that suit them best. Use your own instead. This is what we will be doing by having a study schedule at hand.
Sunday: Learning all French words, do the reading and making a summary about some theoretical knowledge about the grammar and study all the words and sentences you need to know for the exam. You’ve made flashcards of all the words that you needed to know for the exam.
Monday: You will review what we have done on Sunday, it will probably take lesser time than on Sunday, but now pay close attention (mindful studying) to the aspects that you struggle with the most, to remember. Study the flashcards at least once. Read the article on flash cards and how to properly use them. [LINK]
Wednesday: We will again review all the materials at hand and pay close attention to all the aspects of study materials you struggle with and put more effort into those topics. Study all the flashcards again.
Saturday: You do the same thing as all the days before, now you are really starting to notice which things already sunk into your brain, and which things you keep struggling with. When you keep struggling with a certain topic, I would advise you to ask a classmate or a teacher to help you, otherwise you can search the internet for a more detailed explanation on the topic. Keep focussing on the things that are the hardest, but don’t forget to occasionally test yourself on the things you do already know. Two reasons to why?
- Because it is motivating when you see how many things you do know. And
- Because overlearning is a good thing!
Luckily you know that you have another additional week to study for your exam, and you can keep up the studying the same way, at the same intervals as the previous week, and you are good to go and more than ready to ace that exam! Learning this way, only takes you more confident in passing your exam. Good Luck with your studies.
How Do We Remember Things?
There are a lot of ways for us to remember things that happen to us, and that is not only based on studying hard for a test. It is easier to remember things when they have a certain meaning to you. This can be good or bad even. Things with little to no meaning to you, conform most closely to the Forgetting Curve. So, for instance, when you sit in a lecture or an (online) masterclass on a subject that you have little interest in or don’t fully understand, you’ll more likely to forget it faster than if you are really excited about the subject presented, you are more eager to soak in all the content shown to you.
We’ve all had that professor or teacher, that shown us those incredibly boring PowerPoint slides with lines and lines of text in a horrible colour that made you want to leave the room, right? You’ll probably have tuned out by the 10th slide already, this probably even happened when it was a subject of your interest. Am I right?
The way something is presented to you truly affects your learning abilities. The same set of information can be made memorable, all depending on how well it’s communicated. Just go back to those boring slides that your professor presented you, now I want you to visualise those slides being presented as interactive, with colourful charts, pictures, even videos and the occasional joke being made during the lecture.
All those memories build connection, with the presented materials at hand. You are more likely to remember something from that lecture, even the topic discussed may have been difficult, but the way it is being presented to you made you remember! So, for those that need to build presentations quite often use this tip, it works its wonders in the classroom, but it works its magic just as easily in professional (sales/marketing) briefings. When a class is engaging during your lecture, when things are presented in an organised and logical way it is also harder for you to get distracted, which also aids in your memory retention. Win-Win!
Lastly, which is also quite important to mention, is that the way you feel mentally and physically also affects how well you remember. I can remember lyrics from songs quite instantly, to songs where I have a strong emotional reaction to, as to songs I don’t have any connection with takes real practice and time for me to remember them, the same things work swith your studies.
Ebbinghaus believed that physiological factors, such as stress and sleep, play a significant part in how well we retain information. Many of us probably have experienced a vicious cycle, which we felt really stressed about a certain exam, which makes it harder to remember, because we are so busy worrying about the exam, using up headspace, that not remembering everything creates even more stress. There’s strong evidence to suggest that sleep can help our brains to sort and store information especially when you have a good nighttime routine including enough hours of sleep every day.
Practical Implications
Understanding the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve has profound implications for how we approach learning and memory enhancement.
1. Spaced Repetition
Instead of cramming all at once, spacing out your study sessions over time can help combat the rapid forgetting depicted by the curve. This is known as spaced repetition, a technique that optimizes memory retention by revisiting material at increasing intervals. Read the “Case Example” Below for a good insight on how this works.
2. Active Recall
The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve underscores the importance of actively recalling information from memory rather than passive reading or listening. Engaging in quizzes, flashcards, or self-testing can strengthen memory traces.
3. Interleaved Learning
Mixing different subjects or topics during study sessions can improve memory retention by challenging your brain into retrieving information from different contexts, making it less susceptible to forgetting. Read about France’s Loire Valley alongside working on your studies about Chile’s wine regions for instance.
4. Mindful Learning
Yes, I am going to say it. Paying close attention to the material you're trying to learn, along with understanding the underlying concepts, can enhance memory consolidation and retention. Also making things fun while studying, for instance create ‘your study zone’ to give you that incredible feeling that you actually WANT to study. Clear out your desk if you really need a clean desk to study, clean out your room, declutter, make sure you have all the things you need for your study sessions surrounding you and you are good to go!
I hope this article provided some useful insights on how your mind works when it comes to remembering all your study materials, not only working your way towards your exam and excel but especially remembering most 3 years after your exam. If you need some more guidance on finding the study techniques that fit you best, you can read several articles on my ‘study blog’ page, there you’ll find anything you need, and more content will be uploaded frequently.
Resources
National Library of Medicine, “About Sleep’s Role in Memory”, April 2013 - Accessed on March 28, 2024
Science Direct, “Forgetting Curve”, - Accessed on March 28, 2024
Mind Tools, “Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve”, - Accessed on March 28, 2024
Life Hacker, “’Overlearning’ Can Force Important Information Into Your Long-term Memory.”, September 1, 2023 - Accessed on March 28, 2024