Using SRS to study has allowed me to step back from the violent maelstrom of studying. I can see education from the outside now. What we do over and over again for years is binge varying amounts of information, purge it on exams, and write essays. Really. This is all we do for all those years (exceptions include music, art, engineers, etc.).
After taking an exam, most of the information is wiped away to make room for the next one. Sometimes two or more exams are loaded in together. Some residual information is left over and this gradually builds over time. How many times do we learn the same information over and over again? The residual information builds each year.
In one of my classes a week after taking an exam the professor asked a medium-difficulty detail from the exam to the class of 120 people. None answered. The same question was probably on the exam and had a good percentage of people answer it correctly. The information was purged and that was that. Even though I used SRS to study, I stop looking at the decks after I take the relevant exam. Why? I just want to focus on other things. New exams, language, etc. The material loses relevance. Binge and purge.
I have a great deal of respect for teachers and professors. Their job is hard. Lead all of these different-minded students on the path through the material, write exams, grade them, etc. It is tough work and they take a lot of flak from people who blame them for their own shortcomings. This article is about the fundamentals of the system, and is independent from a teacher’s work and responsibility.
I have also picked up important skills from taking exams. Studying for the MCAT was one of the greatest learning experiences I had because it was necessary to develop reasoning skills to take it. Some essays I have written have made me think of the world differently. However, these things could be learned independently of the fear of low grades. Exams and essays are easy to grade.
An ideal class would be without grades and fear of failure. Socrates under a tree asking questions, talking, thinking with his students. How do we grade that? Participation grade? Creates necessity of discussion – what if someone just wants to listen? One of the best classes I ever had was close to this. It was an English class where we just read stories, discussed, and wrote 2 essays. As long as we participated and did okay on the exams, we had a high grade. The important thing was just talking. The appreciation for literature I gained in that class I will carry the rest of my life.
The point here is that our education system is a game. However for people that want to get a diploma and/or move onto graduate or professional school, it is a necessary game. This website is about how to beat the game without ruining the years playing it.
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