4 Proven Ways to Remember What You Learn (And the Easier Alternative)
These methods actually work. You're just not going to do them.
Matthew Metzger
Former Fortune 200 VP of Learning
Why You Forget 90% of What You Learn
You just finished an incredible book. You highlighted passages, nodded along, maybe even told a friend about it. Two weeks later, you can barely remember the title of chapter three.
You're not broken. You're human.
In 1885, German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus conducted one of the first scientific studies on memory. What he discovered is now called the "forgetting curve" - and it's not flattering. His research showed that people forget approximately 70% of new information within 24 hours if they don't actively work to retain it. Within a month, that number climbs to around 90%.
More recent research has confirmed Ebbinghaus's findings. We lose information fast - most of it within the first hour of learning - and the decay only slows after most of the knowledge is already gone.
This isn't a flaw. It's how memory works. Your brain is constantly deciding what to keep and what to discard. Unless you signal that something matters, it gets filed under "probably not important."
The good news: there are proven techniques to beat the forgetting curve. The less good news: most of them require real effort. Here are four methods backed by cognitive science research - and why you're probably not going to use them.
Build Your Own Flashcard System
Active recall - the practice of actively retrieving information from memory rather than passively reviewing it - is one of the most effective learning techniques ever studied.
A landmark 2006 study by psychologists Henry Roediger and Jeffrey Karpicke at Washington University demonstrated just how powerful this is. Students who tested themselves on material dramatically outperformed those who simply re-studied. On delayed tests taken days later, the testing group retained significantly more information. Perhaps most striking: students who repeatedly studied forgot 56% of what they originally recalled, while students who repeatedly tested themselves forgot only 13%.
Flashcards are the classic implementation of active recall. You see a prompt, you try to retrieve the answer, you check yourself. Every retrieval strengthens the memory trace.
Why you won't do it: Creating effective flashcards takes time. You need to identify the key concepts, phrase them as questions, write clear answers, and organize them into some coherent system. Then you need to actually review them - consistently, over time. Most people start strong and abandon the system within weeks.
Loxie applies active recall automatically. Instead of building flashcards yourself, Loxie generates questions based on the topics you're learning. You just answer them - the system handles the rest.
Schedule Spaced Review Sessions
Timing matters as much as technique. A 2008 study by Cepeda and colleagues tested over 1,350 people on fact retention and found that spacing study sessions over time dramatically improved long-term memory compared to cramming. In fact, a major meta-analysis by the same researchers found that spaced practice outperformed massed practice (cramming) in 259 out of 271 cases examined.
The principle is called spaced repetition: reviewing information at increasing intervals just before you're likely to forget it. Review something today, then in 3 days, then in a week, then in a month. Each review resets the forgetting curve and extends how long you remember.
Why you won't do it: Spaced repetition requires scheduling. You need to track what you learned, when you learned it, and when you need to review it next. That means calendars, reminders, and the discipline to actually follow through when your phone buzzes and says "time to review chapter 4 of that book you read six weeks ago." Most people have good intentions but inconsistent follow-through.
Loxie handles spacing for you. Its algorithm tracks what you know and when you last practiced it, then serves up the right questions at the right time. You don't manage a schedule - you just show up for a 2-minute daily drill.
Take Notes and Rewrite Them at Intervals
Writing things down forces you to process information rather than just consume it. When you summarize a concept in your own words, you're engaging with the material actively - selecting what matters, organizing it, and encoding it more deeply.
The technique becomes even more powerful when combined with spaced review. Take notes, then rewrite them from memory a few days later. Then again a week later. Each rewrite strengthens your retention and reveals gaps in your understanding.
Why you won't do it: This method is time-intensive. Reading a book takes 8 hours; thoughtful note-taking doubles that. Then you need to schedule rewrite sessions, find the original notes, actually do the rewriting, and repeat the cycle multiple times. It works - but for most people, "I'll rewrite my notes next Tuesday" becomes "I'll rewrite my notes eventually" becomes "where did I put those notes?"
Loxie transforms the concepts you want to learn into questions that test your understanding. Instead of managing notebooks and rewrite schedules, you answer questions that reveal whether you truly know the material - and the system brings back the concepts you're struggling with.
Teach It to Someone Else
Want to really learn something? Explain it to someone else.
A 2014 study by Nestojko and colleagues at Washington University found that students who learned material with the expectation of teaching it later outperformed those who studied for a test. The "expect to teach" group recalled more material, organized their recall more effectively, and had better memory for the most important information - even though they never actually taught anyone.
This phenomenon, sometimes called the "protégé effect," works because preparing to teach forces you to identify what matters, organize information coherently, and anticipate questions. You can't explain something you don't understand.
Why you won't do it: Teaching requires a student. You need someone willing to sit through your explanation of leadership principles or investing basics or whatever you're trying to learn. Even the most patient spouse or friend has limits. And finding a fresh audience for every book you read or course you take isn't realistic.
Loxie's questions work like a demanding student. They ask you to explain, apply, and connect concepts - not just recognize them. Answering "why does this matter?" or "how would you use this?" forces the same deep processing as teaching, without needing to recruit a listener.
Let Loxie Do the Heavy Lifting
Every method above works. The research is clear: active recall, spaced repetition, elaborative processing, and teaching all beat passive review by significant margins.
The problem isn't the science. It's the implementation.
Building flashcard systems, managing review schedules, rewriting notes, finding people to teach - these approaches require setup, maintenance, and consistent willpower. Most people know they should do these things. Most people don't.
Loxie is built on the same cognitive science but removes the friction. You tell it what you want to remember - a book you read, a topic you're studying, a skill you're developing - and it handles the rest.
The system generates questions that test your understanding (active recall). It schedules those questions at optimal intervals (spaced repetition). It asks you to explain and apply concepts, not just recognize them (elaborative processing). And it tracks your progress so you can see your knowledge growing over time.
All you do is show up for 2 minutes a day.
The forgetting curve is real. But you don't have to fight it alone.
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