From 'Use Your Head' by Tony Buzan (published BBC 2005, ISBN 0-563-48899-9) ... at the very moment when a learning period is finished, the brain has not had enough time to integrate the new information it has assimilated, especially the last items. It needs a few minutes to complete and link firmly all the interconnections within the new material to let it 'sink in'.

The decline that takes place after the small rise is a steep one within 24 hours of a one-hour learning period at least 80 per cent of detailed information is lost. This enormous drop must be prevented, and can be by proper techniques of Mind Mapping and review.

Memory - Review Techniques and Theory

If review is organised properly,  it can be changed to keep recall at the high point reached shortly after learning has been completed. In order to accomplish this, a programmed pattern of review must take place, each review being done at the time just before recall is about to drop. For example, the first review should take place about 10 minutes after a one-hour learning period and should itself take 5 minutes. This will keep the recall high for approximately one day, when the next review should take place, this time for a period of 2 to 4 minutes. After this, recall will probably be retained for approximately a week, when another 2 minutes review can be completed followed by a further review after about one month. After this time the knowledge will be lodged in Long Term Memory. This means it will be familiar in the way a personal telephone number is familiar, needing only the most occasional nudge to maintain it.

The first review, especially if notes have been taken, should be a fairly complete note revision which may mean scrapping original notes and substituting for them revised and final copy. The second, third and fourth etc. review sessions should take the following form: without referring to final notes, jot down on a piece of paper everything that can be recalled. This should then be checked against the final notes and any corrections or additions to what has been recalled should be made. Both notes and jottings should be in the form of Mind Maps, as explained on pages 96-104 (see also http://www.imindmap.com/).

One of the most significant aspects of proper review is the accumulative effect it has on all aspects of learning, thinking and remembering. The person who does not review is continually wasting the effort he does put in to any learning task, and putting himself at a serious disadvantage.

First Review after 10 minutes - Second Review after 24 hours - Third Review after 1 Week - Fourth Review after 1 Month - Fifth Review after 6 months.