Checklist
1. [ ] Collect materials
2. [ ] Decompose into knowledge units by type:
- Conceptual (intuitive/visual explanation, "why", understanding over correctness)
- Referential (definitions, theorems, properties, formulas)
- Procedural (algorithms, problem-solving steps)
- Collection (cheat-sheets, grouped facts, taxonomies)
- Example (demonstrations, edge cases)
3. [ ] Process each unit (Feynman for conceptual, verify others), loop back to step 2 as needed
4. [ ] Expand each unit (fill gaps, add precision)
5. [ ] Finalize consolidated summary
6. [ ] Build Anki cards per unit type
7. [ ] Memorize until all cards pass
8. [ ] Apply (past exams, exercises, problems)
1. Collect materials
Gather everything relevant: lecture slides, notes, textbooks, past exams, problem sets.
The goal is to have a complete picture of the scope before decomposing.
2. Decompose into knowledge units
Break the material into atomic units by type. This determines how each unit will be processed and encoded later.
- Conceptual: Intuitive or visual explanations. Focuses on understanding over formal correctness. Usually the output of the Feynman technique. Answers “why does this work?” or “what is this really?”
- Referential: Formal definitions, theorems, properties, and formulas. The precise, correct version of things. Lives in your notes database as reference.
- Procedural: Step-by-step processes: algorithms, problem-solving methods, derivation steps. Answers “how do I do this?”
- Collection: Grouped or enumerated facts that belong together: taxonomies, lists of cases, comparison tables, cheat-sheets. Not a single fact, but a structured set.
- Example: Worked demonstrations, concrete instances, edge cases. Grounds abstract units in practice.
Decomposition is not a one-time pass — expect to loop back here as you process units and discover gaps or new structure.
3. Process each unit
Work through each unit actively. For conceptual units, apply the Feynman technique: explain it in plain language, identify gaps, refine until the intuition is solid. For other types, verify correctness and check for missing pieces.
This step and step 2 are iterative — processing often reveals that a unit needs to be split, merged, or reclassified.
4. Expand each unit
After initial processing, go deeper. Add precision to conceptual units, fill in missing cases for collections, add edge cases to examples, cross-link related units. The goal is completeness and accuracy before encoding into cards.
5. Finalize consolidated summary
Produce a single consolidated reference for the material. This serves as the human-readable artifact of the study session — useful for last-minute review and as a record.
6. Build Anki cards
Create flashcards with format matched to unit type:
- Conceptual → Explain-in-own-words prompt (Feynman-style)
- Referential → Cloze or basic Q&A; straight recall for formulas
- Procedural → “Given X, what are the steps?” or reverse-engineer from result
Rare:
- Collection → Enumerate the set, or “what are all cases of X?”
- Example → “What technique applies here?” or “demonstrate Y on this input”
7. Memorize until all cards pass
Run through the deck using spaced repetition. Do not move to step 8 until all cards have passed at least once. Struggling cards reveal gaps — revisit the corresponding unit if needed.
8. Apply
Solve past exams, exercises, or problem sets under realistic conditions. This is the verification step: it surfaces gaps that memorization alone does not catch, and consolidates procedural knowledge through practice.