It turns out that we learn more effectively when we give our brains a little time to forget what we just learned and then review and/or recall the material at a point in the near future. This process is known as "spaced repetition," and it has been shown to improve learning considerably.

Let's use the topic of quantitative comparison strategies as an example. Study quantitative comparison strategies for a preset time, say, one hour. Then, after the hour, move on to a new topic, for example, Text Completion questions. Continue to move through a few dissimilar GRE topics during that study session.

Over the course of a day or so, you'll start to forget some things that you learned about quantitative comparison strategies. Now is the perfect time to restudy that topic. Sit down for a study session and work again on quantitative comparison strategies. You'll find that you more quickly and easily attain the same level of competence that you attained in your earlier session.

In fact, you'll probably get some new insights as you add to your knowledge base. You can continue to use spaced repetition throughout the course of your preparation. You could study quantitative comparison strategies five, six, or even seven different times, utilizing the process of spaced repetition to enhance your learning and avoid difficulty retaining information.

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep