Translation memory (TM) systems have become commonplace in today’s translation courses – sometimes for the wrong reasons. If students are told that the only reason for using a translation memory is to leverage previous translations, these students will not use a TM system for non-repetitive texts. That teaching approach might also be frustrating for students who start with an empty translation memory, as these students may not get any immediate benefit from using TM technology. If, however, students are introduced to the translation memory as a quality assurance tool, the return on investment is instant.