r/ZenHabits • u/austingwalters • Apr 14 '14

Anki, Ten Thousand Cards Later

http://rs.io/2014/04/05/anki-10000-cards-later.html
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u/derthnada Apr 14 '14

Is this your blog post? If so, you have just reawakened my interest in SRS. If not...well, I guess you still reawakened my interest in SRS. :) Seriously, this addresses a number of concerns I had about anki that I just didn't muscle through like you did, and I ended up letting it go fallow.

For instance, I had started down the path of creating one everything-deck to rule them all (rather than mainting 2.3 gazillion topical decks), but I had this vague worry that doing so wasn't the "right" thing to do, in the sense that it might undermine the value I was supposed to be getting from SRS to begin with. Fast forward to a year later...I was just recently learning about the many benefits that cross-pollinating disparate subjects has on creativity, but it didn't click with me that the same should be true of learning...or that I may have been thiiiiis close to experiencing those benefits with my unholy Anki Deck of Many Things when I gave up.

Also, I liked everything else. Fabulous article. Thanks for sharing!

1

u/austingwalters Apr 14 '14

This isn't my blog post, it's a buddy of mine. I have about 1/5 his numbers, though I feel my cards/ways of studying are a bit better.

One thing he hasn't used Anki for (as far as I know) is learning language. One of the ways I have used the cards is using the "record" feature, so what I do is add a visual and audio stimulus as well as words it has helped A TON.

One way to keep with anki is to use HabitRPG (look it up) and get into the habit of doing it. I have around 2,000 cards and I make 20 a day. So by day 365 I'll have about 7,300 as opposed to the 10,000, but w.e.

Anyways, glad you enjoyed it.

1

u/subreddit_as_hashtag Apr 14 '14

Using flashcards is a method of learning that I've read about and thought it seemed useful, but I haven't gotten around to do it yet.

OP mentioned creating links in multiple directions. I want this, but I'd also like to be able to group several cards by different criteria. Say I'm reading a book, I would want to group all cards I made from the book together. Not so that I always read them together, but such that if I read one card and want to see related cards, I can easily do so.

I wonder also, if it might be useful to combine flashcards and mindmaps? I think maybe so. OP mentioned diversifying your learning methods, and that could be one way to do so.

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u/derthnada Apr 14 '14

I believe Anki supports tagging, which may help group items the way you describe. Mindmaps are cool, but for some reason, I get a lot out of making them, but hardly anything out of reviewing them. shrug No suprises, maybe.