Using flash cards to memorise almost anything

I had a problem: almost everything I read I forgot over time. But now I remember the things I think are important and this is how I did it.

Transcript

1. Using flash cards to memorise almost anything @peterevjan Illustrations & design by Stina Evjan peterevjan.com
2. Programmers need to learn new things all the time. So having a good study technique is important
3. My problem
4. My problem
5. My problem
6. How much do we really need to memorise?
7. A journalist once asked Einstein a question:
8. What’s the speed of light? A journalist once asked Einstein a question:
9. I do not carry such information in my mind since it is readily available in books What’s the speed of light? A journalist once asked Einstein a question:
10. Don’t memorise details to impress your friends
11. Memorise high-level concepts so that you can look up details when needed
12. What was wrong with my study technique?
13. I’ve been taught how to study here
14. Mass cramming
15. Mass cramming
16. Things you remember Mass cramming
17. Time Things you remember Mass cramming
18. Time Things you remember Mass cramming Exam time
19. Time Things you remember Mass cramming Exam time When you actually need the knowledge
20. Mass cramming is good for exams
21. Spaced repetition
22. Spaced repetition
23. Things you remember Spaced repetition
24. Time Things you remember Spaced repetition
25. Time Things you remember Spaced repetition “Who has solved this before?” “What are the pros and cons of this again?” “This reminds me of a pattern...”
26. Spaced repetition is good for real life
27. This is how I do it
28. This seems like a sensible way to ensure that the number_of_cliches method always returns zero, but will it actually work? To put it another way, can you override a method in a module by defining that method in the class that includes the module? Once you know that a mixin module effectively becomes a superclass when it is included, the answer is easy to come by: Yes. Since we know that the methods in a superclass cannot override the methods in subclasses, we can deduce that not module method I read and highlight
29. This seems like a sensible way to ensure that the number_of_cliches method always returns zero, but will it actually work? To put it another way, can you override a method in a module by defining that method in the class that includes the module? Once you know that a mixin module effectively becomes a superclass when it is included, the answer is easy to come by: Yes. Since we know that the methods in a superclass cannot override the methods in subclasses, we can deduce that not module method I read and highlight
30. After 1-2 chapters I stop reading
31. Once you know that a mixin module effectively becomes a superclass when it is included, the answer is easy to come by: Yes. Since we know Question What is the relation between a class and the module that it just mixed in? For every highlight, I create a flash card with a question
32. Once you know that a mixin module effectively becomes a superclass when it is included, the answer is easy to come by: Yes. Since we know Answer The module effectively becomes a superclass And a corresponding answer
33. Every day, an alarm on my phone reminds me to study my flash cards
34. I start by taking the top card from the pile
35. Question that I don’t know the answer to Question that I DON’T know the answer to
36. Question that I don’t know the answer to Question that I DON’T know the answer to
37. Question that I DO know the answer to
38. Question that I DO know the answer to
39. Then I take the next card from the top and repeat the process
40. Quiz time! Try to remember the answer to the following question...
41. Question What is the name of the learning technique I use?
42. Answer Spaced repetition
43. Paper? Really? No. I’m a programmer. Of course I use a tool.
44. http://ankisrs.net
45. Quiz time! No cheating!
46. Question What tool do I use for my flash cards?
47. Answer Anki
48. Question What is the name of the learning technique I use?
49. Answer Spaced repetition
50. Now I remember much more
51. Thank you! Illustrations & design by Stina Evjan @peterevjan peterevjan.com