Three is the base

How many times does it take before we remember something…, right?

The key word is the number "how many times". And when we talk about "how many times", we're talking about "repetition". For some people, one time is enough (one out of a hundred), and for others it takes a hundred times (one out of a hundred). But what about the average? What applies on average to most people? That's hard to say, because - you might object - it depends on the amount of information we want to repeat.

Do we have any reliable answers to these questions?

We have some answers. One of the pioneers in the field of "how many times" was the scientist Hermann Ebbinghaus, and I would bet that's exactly why no one could remember his name correctly :)
Hermann Ebbinghaus

Ebbinghaus left us with Ebbinghaus's Law and the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve, which relate to the possible scope of verbal learning, the possible capacity of short-term memory, and the possible timeline of forgetting. His research was later confirmed by other researchers, including George Armitage Miller.
George Armitage Miller

The research of these scientists is still recognized as valid today.

Amount of information / Short-term memory

These gentlemen agreed that the average number of elements that an average person can hold in short-term memory is 7±2 unrelated items, 8±2 single-syllable words, 9±2 digits.

Data can be grouped into so-called "chunks" (meaningful units), which then form a single item in short-term memory. With the use of other memory techniques, this number is higher. Confirmed research shows that the greatest loss of information occurs in the first tens of minutes after receiving it. After the first day, the rate of information loss decreases significantly.

Repeating information / Medium-term - Long-term memory

How long will new learning remain in memory? It mainly depends on the number and timing of repetitions. Regular repetition can significantly support long-term retention of information. The ideal repetition time found by measurement is 10 minutes after learning ends, then 24 hours later, after a week, then a month, and again after 6 months. Other methods recommend repetition before sleep on the same day, then on the second, seventh, and twelfth day.

Three is the base

So to keep something in memory, we need to repeat it - how many times? At least 3 times!

First Phase of Repetition - After 10 minutes, you will remember about 85% of the material, and after another 10 minutes, the First Phase of repetition occurs, when you need to repeat the material for the first time.

(This means new material needs to be repeated once more during the same lesson)

Second Phase of Repetition - Exactly 24 hours after first learning. At that point, you remember about 35% of yesterday's material. If you repeated the material 10 minutes after learning yesterday, you will remember about 60% of the material today. 24 hours after first learning is the ideal time for repetition.

(This means planning new material so that it can be repeated the next day)

Third Phase of Repetition - A week after the material, without repeating Phases I and II, you will remember only about 10% of the material.

If Phases I and II take place, about 60% of the material will remain in your memory after a week, that is, almost everything from last week.

If Phase III takes place, you can anchor the material. If it doesn't take place, a breaking point occurs, which quickly eliminates the effort we put into conveying the material from memory.

(This means planning new material so that it can be repeated after a week)

Additional phases of repetition after 14 days / after a month. The material is now stored in memory and we can continue to anchor it.

And be careful :) Remembering information depends on many factors:

• difficulty of the material
• meaningfulness of learning for the individual
• past experience
• mnemonic aids
• stress
• sleep

How many times does it take before we start enjoying something…, right? Usually as many times as it takes to remember it - 0 - 10 minutes - 24 hours - 1 week - 1 month