Anki
How to make good Anki Cards
- Minimum Information Principle (Atomicity): keep it simple, stupid; don’t cram too much information onto a single card.
- Understand Before Memorizing: Do not learn if you do not understand. Build the general picture (basics) before dismembering it into simple items.
- Connect it to personal experience or emotions (e.g., linking a word to a specific memory or person).
- Use visual aids: Use images, diagrams, or even emojis to reinforce information. Graphic Deletion (image occlusion) is as effective as cloze deletion for anatomy or geography.
- Use cloze deletions: start with an answer, then write the response with empty information
{{c1::like this}}that you have to fill. - Avoid Sets and Enumerations: Lists are difficult to memorize. Convert them into ordered lists (enumerations) or separate atomic questions.
- Tag your cards: Use relevant labels for better filtering and organization.
System Management and Longevity
- Avoiding the Death Spiral: Set a daily limit for new cards (e.g., 20) and reviews. Consistency (10 min/day) is superior to intensity (2 hours/week).
- FSRS (Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler): Use the FSRS algorithm instead of the traditional SM-2. It better predicts forgetting curves and eliminates “Ease Hell” (where cards get stuck at short intervals).
- Refactoring Leeches: If a card is failed repeatedly (5+ times), it is a “leech.” Do not keep failing it; delete or rewrite it to be more atomic or clearer.
- Bland Prompts: Keep prompts standardized and nondescript to avoid “pattern matching” (learning the card’s appearance rather than the concept).
References and Resources
- Wozniak’s 20 Rules of Formulating Knowledge
- An Opinionated Guide to Using Anki Correctly (LessWrong)
- How to Remember Anything (Rachel Thomas)
- Flashcard Refactoring (Mark Nagelberg)
- FSRS Tutorial and Documentation
See also: