🚀 Why I Built StudyQuiz: A Spaced Repetition Tool for Real Learning
This academic year, I wanted to improve how I learn, not just how much. I turned to the proven technique of spaced repetition and started using Anki. At first, it was exciting: I could organize flashcards by chapter and review them based on performance (Again, Hard, Good, Easy).
But in the long run, it didn’t work for me.
❌ Why Flashcards Fell Short
The spaced repetition applied to individual flashcards, not chapters or topics.
Flashcards encouraged memorization, but CS requires deep understanding of systems, logic, and code.
Each module had ~100 slides per week, and I had 6 modules.As result, I couldn’t keep up with both flashcard creation and proper study.
So I gave up on flashcards.
✅ Enter: MCQs + ChatGPT (Free Tier)
Some modules used MCQs for continuous assessment. That sparked an idea:
I wrote a Python script to run simple True/False quizzes in the terminal — powered by ChatGPT-generated questions.
It wasn’t perfect, but it was fast, effective, and helped me score well.
💡 Then Came the Trigger (Paid Tier)
In one final exam, the MCQs had two plausible answers, three distractors, and only one correct. The lecturer even encouraged us to use ChatGPT to generate practice questions.
That’s when it clicked:
ChatGPT wasn’t just for brainstorming, it was a tool for deep learning.
It helped me understand the material by summarizing slides, explaining concepts, providing examples, and testing me.
Still, something was missing: spaced repetition.
I explored Quizlet, Kahoot, and others but none of them offered what I needed.
🛠️ So I Built It Myself
I had experience with:
- Python, HTML/CSS, Java, WordPress, WooCommerce API
- A bit of JavaScript, PHP, MySQL
- Projects using Flask and Django
But for this project, I needed:
- A fast development cycle
- A framework suitable for frequent user input
- Simple DB mapping
That’s why I chose FastAPI and built StudyQuiz.
🧠 What StudyQuiz Does
A web app that combines:
- ✅ MCQ-based quizzes
- 🔄 Fisher-Yates question shuffling
- 🧠 Spaced repetition (SuperMemo 2)
- 💻 CLI-based quiz taking
- 🌐 Soon: full browser-based UI
💬 I’d love feedback — especially from folks in edtech, CS education, or backend development!
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