Flashcards, long dismissed in STEMqy, gain new life when paired with spaced repetition and personal curation. The author cites the *Learning How to Learn* course to explain how reviewing topics at expanding intervals keeps concepts fresh, especially in cumulative subjects like calculus and linear algebra.

The primary tool is Anki, praised for its flexible card formats despite a dated UI and opaque file format. The author compares it to plain‑text alternatives such as Obsidian’s Spaced Repetition plugin, noting that those lack the depth required for advanced material.

Instead of importing generic decks from Anki’s Shared Decks or Quizlet, the writer crafts handwritten cards that capture intuition and “A‑ha” moments, linking to external resources like Wolfram Demonstrations. Cards also serve as scheduled practice for problems that require pen‑and‑paper work, demonstrating that spaced repetition can schedule recurrent tasks beyond rote memorization.

Daily review sessions of 1–30 minutes keep the habit lightweight, allowing the author to resume long‑abandoned projects after a year without losing foundational knowledge.