Spaced repetition, badly explained

I've been doing flashcards since January. Here's what I wish someone had told me on day one.

The cards are not the point

The cards are an excuse to keep encountering an idea until your brain stops treating it as new. The review schedule doesn't care what's on the card. It cares whether you saw it recently.

Rules I now follow

1. One fact per card. Compound cards are how you start hating your deck.
2. Write the card in your own voice. Copy-paste cards never stick.
3. Delete cards without guilt. A card you keep failing is teaching you nothing.

What I'd skip next time

• Pre-made decks (always too detailed, always boring).
• Image occlusion for anything that isn't anatomy.