I love learning high-level knowledge using conceptual overviews and I remember them very well too. I’m just not wired to remember the nitty-gritty of things and I found drills are the only way forward provided they are implemented intelligently like Anki.

My view on them changed as well. First I found them stupid and mind-numbing. Now my life is busy and chaotic and drills are one of the few easy, zen-like moments. Maybe students need harder lives to actually come to appreciate their repetitive and simple nature.