How to Use Anki for Effective Study

Introduction

• Video walkthrough by Lakshman, an internal medicine physician.
• Focuses on using Anki to improve grades, retention, and reduce study time.
• Target audience includes medical students and anyone using Anki for academic purposes.

What is Anki?

• An intelligent flashcard system based on spaced repetition.
• Helps identify strong and weak areas in study topics.
• Useful for medical students, college students, and language learners.

Setting Up Anki

• Available for both PC and Mac, free to use.
• Mobile version: Free for Android, paid for iOS.
• Syncs across devices using a free account.

Creating Profiles

• Profiles help organize flashcards for different subjects or exams.
• Examples: Separate profiles for MCAT, college courses, and medical school lectures.

Creating and Organizing Decks

• Create decks for specific subjects like cardiology.
• Can be subdivided into lecture-specific decks.
• Allows targeted study on specific topics or lectures.

Types of Flashcards

• Basic Flashcard: Front and back with a single question and answer.
• Reverse Flashcard: For language learning or memorizing terms, creates two cards for each entry.
• Cloze Flashcard: Fills in the blanks for memorization; can quiz on multiple parts of a sentence.
• Image Occlusion: Hides parts of an image for diagram-based learning (requires add-on).

Advanced Techniques

• Screenshot Method: Take screenshots of lecture slides, use headings as questions, and integrate with Anki.
• Image Occlusion Combined with Screenshots: Create multiple flashcards from a single lecture slide.

Using Pre-Made Flashcards

• Download pre-made decks for specific exams or subjects (e.g., Step 1, MCAT, languages).
• Available through Anki website or community forums like Reddit.

Advanced Study Strategies

• Tags and Filtered Decks: Tag cards by difficulty and create decks focusing on hard topics before exams.
• Mental Timer Method: Limit time spent on each card to maintain pace and focus.
• Breaking Down Flashcards: Focus on memorizing small parts of complex cards over multiple reviews.

Summary

• Anki is a powerful tool with free access, great for study efficiency.
• Advanced strategies help focus on difficult topics and streamline review processes.

Other Resources

• Lakshman's YouTube channel offers additional videos on Anki and related study techniques.
• Viewers encouraged to subscribe and explore more content for improved study methods.