Re-reading a chapter creates familiarity, and familiarity is easily mistaken for knowledge. Retrieval — pulling the answer out of your own head — is what actually builds durable memory.
Test first, review second
Close the book and write what you remember before checking. The struggle is the mechanism, not a sign of failure.
Stretch the intervals
Review a new fact after a day, then three days, then a week, then a month. Each successful recall at a longer gap strengthens the trace far more than a same-day repeat.
Keep cards atomic
One question, one answer. A card asking for five items will fail on the fifth every time and teach you nothing about the other four.
