How I Use Anki
Getting started with Anki can be a daunting task. This software isn’t well-designed in terms of usability. I will try shortly explain to you how you could configure Anki. The default configuration of Anki isn’t optimal for learning, and you shouldn’t be afraid of tweaking it. Sometimes it even makes learning harder.
Let’s start with key concepts. More information you will find in the manual.
Cards
A card in Anki is a representation of a physical paper flashcard.
A card can be added to the deck only, and a card has a so-called note type, and the note type has fields.
Decks
A deck is a group of cards. You can create a deck by simply clicking on the Create Deck button on the bottom.
A deck can have other decks inside.
Create following decks:
- History — it will be used for learning flashcards
- History Reading — it will be used for reading
Note Types
A note type describes what information you can have in your card using fields. For example, Basic note type has two fields, Front and Back. Usually in the Front field you put your question and in the Back the answer.
A note type can have multiple fields. A field can have any information. A note type can have multiple card types that have different layouts. The layout can be changed. The format of the layout is HTML & CSS format.
Now we can go through the process of creation of custom note types.
Follow instructions written below.
Create three custom note types:
- Reading 1.0
- Knowledge 1.0
- Knowledge Cloze 1.0
Let’s create “Knowledge 1.0” note type:
- Click Tools
- Click Manage Note Types
- Click Add
- Select Clone: Basic
- Click OK
- Type “Knowledge 1.0”
- Click OK
Let’s add custom fields to “Knowledge 1.0” note type:
- Select “Knowledge 1.0”
- Click Fields
- Click Add
- Type “Source”
- Click OK
- Click Add
- Type “Date”
- Click OK
- Click Save
Create “Knowledge Cloze 1.0” note type by repeating steps above with one change in step 4. Select Clone: Cloze.
Preferences
For more info about preferences, please read manual.
Go to Anki → Preferences → Basic and make sure you have set:
- Check: “Show play buttons on cards with audio”
- Check: “Interrupt current audio when answering”
Now still in Preferences, go to Scheduling and make sure you have set:
- Check: “Show next review time above answer buttons”
- Check: “Anki 2.1 scheduler (beta)”
- Choose from drop down: “Show new cards after reviews”
- Type: Next day starts → 3 hours past midnight
- Type: Learn ahead limit → 0 mins or 60 minutes if you don’t want to have cards delayed in the same day
- Type: Timebox time limit → 0 mins
Deck options
For more info about deck options, please read manual.
You can adjust deck options by clicking on cogwheel and then on options. Create an option group by clicking on Manage → Add. Name it “History”. It will be used for all history related learning decks.
Under New Cards tab, make sure you have set:
- Steps (in minutes): 15 1440 8640 or 15 1440 4320
- Order: Show new cards in order added
- New cards/day: 30 or any other number comfortable for you
- Graduating interval: 15 days
- Easy interval: 20 days
- Starting easy: 250%
Under Reviews tab:
- Maximum reviews/day: 9999
- Easy bonus: 130%
- Interval modifier: 100%
- Maximum interval: 182 days
- Hard interval: 120%
Under Lapses tab:
- Steps (in minutes): 20
- New interval: 70% — this setting will prevent resetting card interval after “again” answer
- Minimum interval: 2 days
- Leech threshold: 8 lapses
- Leech action: Tag Only
By selecting existing group e.g., “History” and clicking Manage → Add we can create a copy of option group with new name. Name it “History Reading” and change “New cards/day” option from 30 to 3, and “Steps (in minutes)” to 15 4320 8640.
The end. It is a lot of options and to set before learning. You can watch video as well. I present how to set up everything and how to add flashcards.
Video
You can watch the video when I show how to configure Anki and how to use it.