Understand Why You Keep Forgetting What You Read

You read the chapter, you understood it, and three days later it's gone, which makes the whole effort feel pointless. This explains the science: the forgetting curve, why trying to recall beats re-reading, and how spaced repetition slows the decay. For anyone whose studying keeps evaporating and wants to know how to make it hold.

<context>
You read textbooks or articles and then struggle to remember what was in them a few days later, which makes studying feel like a waste of time.
</context>

<task>
Explain the science behind forgetting and how to fight it:
1. The forgetting curve: why memory decays so quickly after first exposure
2. The retrieval effect: why trying to remember beats re-reading
3. Spaced repetition: the principle and how to apply it simply
4. Active recall: the difference between recognising information and retrieving it
5. One technique to try immediately: the blank-page recall test
</task>

<output_format>
- One paragraph per point (50-70 words each)
- Two-week practice plan: how to apply spaced repetition to one subject
- Length: 350-430 words
- Tone: engaging and evidence-grounded
</output_format>