Thought spaced repetition was overhyped until my Python cert exam

I kept seeing people push Anki for memorizing code syntax and kept brushing it off. Figured it was just another productivity gimmick from the YouTube crowd. Then I failed a mock exam for the PCEP certification by 3 points because I kept mixing up list vs dict methods. Spent 2 weeks doing daily Anki cards for exactly those trouble spots and passed the real exam by a solid margin. Has anyone else found a specific memorization tool that actually stuck for learning syntax?

3 comments

3 Comments

shanef341mo ago

Wait you failed by only 3 points? That's brutal, I would have been so mad. I did the exact same thing with my CompTIA A+ though - kept mixing up port numbers and cable types. Anki saved my butt too, I just wish I'd started it sooner instead of wasting time making handwritten flash cards that I lost anyway.

jakeb811mo ago

Yeah but 3 points is still a pass at the end of the day, right? Did you end up retaking it at all or just move on to the next cert?

willowg881mo ago

I saw this study once that said handwritten notes actually help with memory, but only if you actually look at them again, lol. I was the same way with my Network+ exam, spent hours making these neat little color coded index cards and then left them in my backpack for two weeks. @shanef34 is right though, Anki is a lifesaver for stuff like port numbers. The spaced repetition part is key, because your brain just forgets that random info if you don't revisit it. I read that the curve of forgetting is pretty steep in the first 24 hours, and Anki basically tricks you into fighting it without needing a ton of willpower. Just wish I had that kind of structure from day one instead of wasting time on methods that look good but don't stick.