Overview
The lecture explains the concept of personal compendiums as a tool for learning and mastering new subjects, outlining their types, benefits, methods of information collection, and effective study techniques.
What is a Compendium?
- A compendium is a comprehensive, systematically presented collection of information and analysis about a body of knowledge.
- Unlike a commonplace book, a compendium does not focus on quotations but rather on pertinent information.
- Encyclopedias are a type of compendium organized alphabetically, but not all compendiums are encyclopedias.
Why Make Your Own Compendium?
- Creating your own compendium helps you encode and recall information better by putting it into your own words.
- Writing notes by hand leads to more active engagement with material than typing or copying verbatim.
- Studies show that using paper notebooks aids deeper information encoding and retrieval due to their tactile and spatial properties.
Types of Compendiums
- Personal Encyclopedia: General information for personal use across various topics.
- Public Encyclopedia: General information shared or published for others.
- Personal Topic-Specific Compendium: Focused on one topic, for personal learning and mastery.
- Public Topic-Specific Compendium: Focused on one topic, intended for sharing with others.
How to Start a Compendium
- Choose a paper notebook suitable for your needs.
- Decide your compendium's topic and whether it will be general or topic-specific, and for personal or public use.
Methods for Collecting Entries
- Ad Hoc Entries: Add information as you discover it.
- Post Hoc Entries: Organize entries after collecting a range of information.
- Ante Hoc Entries: Decide categories and entries beforehand, using methods like an upside-down index for organization.
Using Your Compendium to Learn
- Frequently review your compendium by flipping through entries.
- Practice active recall by reading entries, closing the notebook, and reproducing information from memory.
- Teach or explain the content to someone else to reinforce understanding.
- Treat your compendium as a first draft—do not stress about perfection.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Compendium — A systematically organized, comprehensive collection of information about a subject.
- Commonplace Book — A notebook focused on collecting quotations, usually organized by topic or tag.
- Active Recall — A study technique where you try to retrieve information from memory without looking at your notes.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Obtain a paper notebook and decide on your compendium's topic and scope.
- Begin collecting and organizing information using one or more entry methods.
- Regularly review and practice active recall with your compendium.
- If interested, read the related blog post for further exploration.