- Do not learn if you do not understand
- Learn before you memorize build the picture of the
whole before you dismember it into simple items in SuperMemo. If the
whole shows holes, review it again!
- Build upon the basics never jump both feet into a
complex manual because you may never see the end. Well remembered basics
will help the remaining knowledge easily fit in
- Stick to the minimum information principle if you
continue forgetting an item, try to make it as simple as possible. If it
does not help, see the remaining rules (close deletion, graphics,
mnemonic techniques, converting sets into enumerations, etc.)
- Close deletion is easy and effective completing a
deleted word or phrase is not only an effective way of learning. Most of
all, it greatly speeds up formulating knowledge and is highly
recommended for beginners
- Use imagery a picture is worth a thousand
words
- Use mnemonic techniques read about peg lists and
mind maps. Study the books by Tony Buzan. Learn how to convert memories
into funny pictures. You won’t have problems with phone numbers and
complex figures
- Graphic deletion is as good as close deletion
obstructing parts of a picture is great for learning anatomy, geography
and more
- Avoid sets larger sets are virtually un-memorizable
unless you convert them into enumerations!
- Avoid enumerations enumerations are also hard to
remember but can be dealt with using close deletion
- Combat interference even the simplest items can be
completely intractable if they are similar to other items. Use examples,
context cues, vivid illustrations, refer to emotions, and to your
personal life
- Optimize wording like you reduce mathematical
equations, you can reduce complex sentences into smart, compact and
enjoyable maxims
- Refer to other memories building memories on other
memories generates a coherent and hermetic structure that forgetting is
less likely to affect. Build upon the basics and use planned redundancy
to fill in the gaps
- Personalize and provide examples personalization
might be the most effective way of building upon other memories. Your
personal life is a gold mine of facts and events to refer to. As long as
you build a collection for yourself, use personalization richly to build
upon well established memories
- Rely on emotional states emotions are related to
memories. If you learn a fact in the sate of sadness, you are more
likely to recall it if when you are sad. Some memories can induce
emotions and help you employ this property of the brain in
remembering
- Context cues simplify wording providing context is
a way of simplifying memories, building upon earlier knowledge and
avoiding interference
- Redundancy does not contradict minimum information
principle some forms of redundancy are welcome. There is little
harm in memorizing the same fact as viewed from different angles.
Passive and active approach is particularly practicable in learning
word-pairs. Memorizing derivation steps in problem solving is a way
towards boosting your intellectual powers!
- Provide sources sources help you manage the
learning process, updating your knowledge, judging its reliability, or
importance
- Provide date stamping time stamping is useful for
volatile knowledge that changes in time
- Prioritize effective learning is all about
prioritizing. In incremental reading you can start from badly formulated
knowledge and improve its shape as you proceed with learning (in
proportion to the cost of inappropriate formulation). If need be, you
can review pieces of knowledge again, split it into parts, reformulate,
re-prioritize, or delete.
Reference
Twenty
Rules of Formulating Knowledge