🧠 Why Do I Forget Everything in Interviews? : 7 Revision Hacks Every Indian Coder Needs

“Main toh roz padhta hoon, LeetCode karta hoon, tutorials dekhta hoon… par interview mein dimag blank ho jata hai.”

Hey there, future tech rockstar!

If you’re a B.Tech, MCA, or BCA student, or a self-taught coder in India, I know that frustration. I felt it every single day back in my college hostel. I was putting in the hours, grinding DSA problems, and watching every tutorial from Apna College to Striver. But when the interviewer said, “Walk me through your logic,” it was like my brain hit a hard reset. 😓

I realized then that this wasn't about lacking talent. It was about how I studied. As an NIT Warangal grad who later grew a 7,000+ member tech community (AlgoAvengers), I've since learned the most important secret to success: revision is more important than learning.

In this #WisdomWednesday post, I’ll share the exact science-backed, practical strategies I used to escape the "learn-forget-panic" loop and start acing interviews. Let’s make you unstoppable! 🚀

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🧪 Why Your Brain Has a “Delete” Button (And How to Stop It)

Ever wonder why that late-night session on Binary Search Trees vanishes by interview day? There's a scientific reason.

German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus discovered that without revision, your brain automatically forgets 70% of new information within 24 hours. He called this the Forgetting Curve, and it’s why cramming for an interview never works.

The good news? You can hack your brain. The keys are spaced repetition and active recall. These techniques, used by JEE/NEET rankers and now by you, will lock concepts into your long-term memory. No more blanking out when the interviewer asks, “What’s a hashmap?”

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Average Indian Engineering Student Reality Check

I know what your day looks like, because it was mine.

• Morning: Attending (or surviving) college lectures on CN or DBMS.

• Afternoon: Grinding LeetCode in the library or hostel, fueled by endless cups of chai.

• Evening: Binge-watching Kunal Kushwaha or Love Babbar videos.

• Night: Saving another "must-read" GitHub repo you'll open… someday.

You're working hard. The problem isn’t your effort—it's that you're building a sandcastle of knowledge while the Forgetting Curve acts like a relentless tide.

⚠️ The hard truth: You don’t need more content. You need to retain the content you already know.

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🔁 Revision: Your Secret Weapon for Crushing Interviews

Revision isn’t just re-reading notes. It’s about forging a deeper connection with the material. Every time you revise, you’re not just remembering; you're building a stronger, more resilient knowledge base.

Here's why it's a game-changer:
✅ It Forges Unbreakable Memory: Each revision builds stronger neural connections, so you recall concepts faster.
✅ It Exposes Your Weaknesses: Revisiting a topic shows you what you thought you knew (e.g., “Wait, do I really mix up BFS and DFS?”).
✅ It Boosts Confidence: Familiarity calms nerves, so you can explain a complex algorithm without sweating.
✅ It Builds Critical Thinking: It helps you link older topics to new ones (e.g., how pointers relate to OS memory management).

Your Takeaway: Mastering 10 core topics (like Arrays, Trees, and DBMS queries) is infinitely better than skimming 50.

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🧠 The “Topper’s Hack” That Changed Everything: Spaced Repetition

This is how JEE/NEET rankers seem to have infinite memory. Instead of revising randomly, you review topics at increasing intervals to fight the Forgetting Curve head-on:

Day 1 → Day 3 → Day 7 → Day 15 → Day 30

Your Personalized Spaced Repetition Plan (e.g., Linked Lists)

Day	Task
Day 0	Learn Linked List theory + solve 3 problems
Day 1	Revise core concepts + 2 new problems
Day 3	Code a Linked List reversal from memory
Day 7	Explain Linked Lists to a friend or yourself
Day 30	Solve a complex problem (e.g., Merge k Sorted Lists)

🛠 Tools to Simplify Your Revision:

• Anki: A free flashcard app with built-in spaced repetition. Create cards for DSA algorithms or OOPS principles.

• Google Calendar: Set reminders like “Revise Stacks at 8 PM.”

• Notion/Obsidian: Organize your notes and tag weak areas for easy review.

• Sticky Notes: Jot down key concepts and stick them on your desk or hostel cupboard.

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✍️ Stop Bookmarking. Start Owning Your Knowledge.

“Video dekh liya matlab yaad ho gaya” — this is the biggest myth of passive learning.

To truly retain concepts, you need to engage with them actively. Instead of bookmarking another YouTube video, close the tab and create your own notes.

Active Learning Techniques That Actually Work:

Technique	Why It’s a Superpower
✍️ Summarizing	Forces you to rephrase and truly understand info.
🧠 Mind Mapping	Helps you visualize connections between topics.
🎯 Flashcards	Ideal for quick, targeted revision of key facts.
🧑‍🏫 Teaching others	Instantly reveals your knowledge gaps.

Pro Tip: Even if no one is around, teach out loud to yourself. Explaining a concept to an imaginary friend is a golden technique for solidifying your understanding.

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🎭 Don't Just Practice. Perform Under Pressure.

Coding alone in your room is easy. Coding with an interviewer watching (or a shaky Zoom connection) is a whole different beast. To ace placements, you need to simulate that pressure.

Mock Interviews Will Change Your Game:

• Peer Mocks: Team up with batchmates or join Telegram groups like AlgoAvengers for peer-to-peer practice.

• Free Platforms: Use Pramp for peer mocks, Interviewing.io for realistic technical interviews, or LeetCode Mock Interviews for timed challenges.

📌 Always Reflect After Every Mock:

Ask yourself:

• Did I freeze because of logic, syntax, or nerves?

• Which specific topic do I need to revise?

• How can I explain my solution more clearly?

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🗓 Your Action Plan: The 7-Day Revision Challenge

You’re busy with lectures, assignments, and maybe even building a startup (like I did!). This 7-day plan is designed to fit your hectic schedule, requiring just 45–60 minutes a day.

Day	Task
Monday	Revise last week’s DSA topic (e.g., Trees) using flashcards.
Tuesday	Revisit one CS core subject (OS/DBMS/CN). Write a summary.
Wednesday	Create a mind map for a topic + explain it to yourself.
Thursday	Attempt a mock interview with a timer (use Pramp!).
Friday	Review a GitHub project’s codebase. Study the README.md.
Saturday	Learn a new topic only if older ones are solid. Solve 2 problems.
Sunday	Reflect on the week and plan your next.

📅 Just 45–60 minutes/day can set you apart from 95% of your batchmates.

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🚫 Avoid These Placement Season Traps

Trap	Reality Check
“Kal revise kar lunga”	You won’t. Schedule it on your Google Calendar right now.
“Aur ek tutorial dekh leta hoon”	Depth > Quantity. One topic revised 5 times > 5 new ones.
“Time hi nahi hai”	No revision = relearning later, which wastes double the time.

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✅ Your Path to Interview Success

“Interviews don’t test what you learned yesterday. They test what you can recall and apply today.”

So if you’re stuck in “Tutorial Hell” or constantly anxious about interviews, remember my story. I cracked the code by focusing on revision. You can too.

👉 Revise Smart. Reflect Critically. Repeat Consistently.

What To Do Next:

• Block 45 mins/day for revision on your calendar.

• Use spaced repetition or mock sessions to test yourself.

• Teach someone (or yourself) one concept this week.

• Make your own notes—not just bookmarks.

• Follow the weekly revision plan consistently.

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🤝 Join the AlgoAvengers Movement

This post is for you—Every engineering student grinding for placements, internships, or that first big break. Share this with your study group, hostel buddies, or WhatsApp gang to help someone else level up.

💬 Want ready-to-use revision templates, weekly planners, and spaced repetition trackers?

👇 Drop a comment “REVISION” below or DM us on Hashnode—we’ll send you the entire template pack!

💬 Got a revision plan that works for you? Share it in the comments or DM me—I’d love to feature it in our next AlgoAvengers post!

You've got the plan, now let's build the habit. Join the AlgoAvengers community and stay connected for continuous support on your coding journey.

🚀 Join Us for More #WisdomWednesday Content

• Hashnode: AlgoAvengers 🚀

• Telegram: Join the AlgoAvengers Community

• LinkedIn: Follow AlgoAvengers on LinkedIn

  Let’s assemble, code, and conquer together! 💪