[grovulent]

The only advice I'd have for this sort of question - and it's a tip that I find has really helped me in both academic and non-academic contexts...

Don't get too hung up about remembering what you've learnt. Just push on with the next thing and really just move forward as fast as you can. What I find is that I very rarely remember the content of what I learnt before, but I do remember where to find an easily accessible resource that refreshes my memory quickly.

The rationale behind this approach is that a) the brain (at least mine) is fantastic at indexing information - but not so great at putting it in its long term memory bank. And b) that it probably works this way because it doesn't want to store in long term memory stuff that it doesn't have to. So it takes a note of what it's seen, gives you a little index to let you find it again if you need it - but discards the rest. It'll store in long term memory the stuff that you come back to over and over again...

It's also important to bear in mind that particularly when you are starting out in a learning endeavor you really have no idea what of the basics you're really going to have to have memorized in a rote fashion. So don't fret it. Learn it, take a note of it, move on.

edit - part of what I hate about schooling in general is that they force you to rote learn heaps of stuff you probably won't ever use. And the brain hates it. No wonder kids in general hate school.