The Official Anki Thread

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We do use image occlusion pretty extensively in addition to pictures for cloze cards, but thanks for the suggestion.

No problem! I'm also collaborating with a few of my friends on shared cards, so I've sunk a lot of time into trying to find a better way, and I'm pretty sure I've come at this problem from every possible angle. And... No luck. Good luck.

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Random question: How does one edit the 'edit current' window font/font size? I ask because sometimes it's SUPER SMALL and I have no idea how it got that way, nor do I know how to change it back.

Edit: Nevermind! I figured it out. :) It's an option under 'fields'.
 
Is anyone having any issues with syncing right now? It's been rather annoying.
 
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everyone get off so I can sync!:rage:
 
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Does anyone have any suggestions for a good Step I anki deck? Is there a single one or are there differing opinions as to which one is the best and most comprehensive?
 
Is anyone having any issues with syncing right now? It's been rather annoying.

Yeah I have been seeing some of this too. It took me the better part of 30 minutes to sync my deck earlier! :eek:
 
Is anyone else having problems with images? The pictures in my decks are suddenly appearing as question marks.
 
It seems Anki is going through some issues now regarding copyrighted material in shared decks. They are asking anyone who has shared a deck to sign their legal name online promising no copyrighted material is in their decks and accept new terms and conditions before syncing is allowed again. The new terms and conditions also state that the currently free syncing process may switch to a paid model in the future.
 
It seems Anki is going through some issues now regarding copyrighted material in shared decks. They are asking anyone who has shared a deck to sign their legal name online promising no copyrighted material is in their decks and accept new terms and conditions before syncing is allowed again. The new terms and conditions also state that the currently free syncing process may switch to a paid model in the future.

I wouldn't say they're going through issues - This may just be proactive.

The statement that the currently free syncing process may switch to a paid model in the future has ALWAYS been in the terms and conditions - I'm not worried about it.
 
edit: figured out the answer to my questions. never mind dumb mistake
 

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got on anki today. I don't use it very much, but I'm starting to use it more. All of my decks were completely deleted and it was like I just downloaded anki fresh. Is there any way to recover the sequence I was in?
 
got on anki today. I don't use it very much, but I'm starting to use it more. All of my decks were completely deleted and it was like I just downloaded anki fresh. Is there any way to recover the sequence I was in?

My best guess would be to check ankiweb.net to see if you can re-download it or find where your cards were stored on your computer and import them. Although...you might have to have saved them for the second way

hopefully some more experienced users can log in and help more
 
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My best guess would be to check ankiweb.net to see if you can re-download it or find where your cards were stored on your computer and import them. Although...you might have to have saved them for the second way

hopefully some more experienced users can log in and help more
it was so weird. I did actually have the original cards saved on desktop, so I reimported them, and they are back to square 1. Oh well, i didn't get very far in them . Still annoying though because I did add some pics to some cards
 
How do you restudy your deck without it being random and having to do custom study??
 
How do you restudy your deck without it being random and having to do custom study??


Filtered decks might do what you want to do. You don't have to select random order. I'm on my phone so I can't provide more info, but try googling filtered decks anki and play around a bit.
 
Amazing advice, huge help for anatomy.

I import cards into Anki all the time, but I don't use Excel for this. I just use Notepad (PC) or TextEdit (Mac) or TextWrangler (Mac) to create this as a text document.

Create a new .txt file in one of the above programs, and enter the stuff you want separated by a character of your choosing. I like to use |, the pipe character.

You say you've already made custom study fields, which is a great start! Custom fields are something I just got into recently, and I'm excited to figure out new use cases for them. Anyway, the custom note fields I made were Name of muscle, Origin, Insertion, Innervation, Function. (I also included an Image field, but I don't know much about importing images into Anki, so just pretend that's not there.) So my text file would look like this:



...and so on, except with real muscle names and info. Each muscle deserves its own line in the file, and each piece of information is separated by a | character, and they're always listed in the same order. The final field is the tag, which you might make more descriptive than Anatomy.

Save it as a .txt with UTF-8 formatting, open up Anki, and click the Import File button. Select the file and hit Open. Click the button that says "Fields separated by" and Anki will prompt you to tell it which character you used to separate your facts. For example, if you used |, enter | and click OK. Anki will then ask you what Field 1 is mapped to - Map it to Name of muscle. Map Field 2 to Origin, etc, all the way up to the last field, which you should map as a tag.

Then...click Import and you should be done! If that didn't work, can you let me know what error message Anki's giving you?

Also, in addition to making custom fields, I made custom card types:

LszDcbP.png


By using this kind of card, I basically have a template that fills in the prompts. So instead of just having the front side of the card say "Biceps" it says "Biceps origin:". This saves me the trouble of writing that out for every card I import. The other cool thing is that if one of the fields is left blank, the conditional formatting in the "Front Template" section makes it so that it doesn't bother creating a card for that field. So if I, for some reason, didn't fill out the origin, I wouldn't have a card that says "Biceps origin" with a blank back side. To figure all that out, I followed the "conditional formatting" tutorial here, though what I made is different from what the narrator was trying to make and he was using an older version of Anki:

Edit: Lol, realizing now that I forgot blood supply. You can tell I haven't started anatomy yet...
 
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I am trying to make Anki a study resource for the ABSITE by making a set of flashcards that are well make and cover all of what the review books cover + what the SCORE questions cover. This is too much for 1 person, and so would like to collaborate with anyone out there. Let me know if you are interested.
 
Just switched from iPhone to Android and now my image occlusions aren't working properly (red box + answer not appearing). I've searched online but no one seems to have any answers.

Has anyone here switched devices and been able to fix this problem? I haven't heard any complaints from Android users about this so I'm confused as to what happened
 
Can someone help me out with some of the minor details of Anki? For example, yesterday I studied and finished deck of around ~300 cards, and today it says there are 81 cards "due" and 141 "new" cards. The problem is I haven't added any new cards since then, so what cards exactly are these referring to? I'm using the settings recommended on page 1 of this thread.
 
Not sure if you're joking, but if not, the due are the cards you have to do, which can be a mix of one's you haven't seen and those you have. The new are the ones you haven't seen yet. You can change the settings around to have more or less new cards/day.
 
Not sure if you're joking, but if not, the due are the cards you have to do, which can be a mix of one's you haven't seen and those you have. The new are the ones you haven't seen yet. You can change the settings around to have more or less new cards/day.

Thanks for the reply. I was just confused as to why these cards were specifically chosen out of the bunch. I usually just press spacebar after a card unless it's really easy or really difficult, so I was just wondering what criteria it used to show me these specific cards. And yeah, it was a pretty stupid question.
 
Thanks for the reply. I was just confused as to why these cards were specifically chosen out of the bunch. I usually just press spacebar after a card unless it's really easy or really difficult, so I was just wondering what criteria it used to show me these specific cards. And yeah, it was a pretty stupid question.
Depends on if it thinks it's time for you to see it again based on your settings and what you put for the card (hard, easy, very easy). Sounds like "spacebar" is set for the Green button on yours, so you'll see some of the ones you did and some new ones either random or on order of how you added it, again depending on your settings. Sorry if this sounds like jibberish I'm half off a nap.
 
Thanks for the link plug. In the time since I wrote the DrWillBe post on Anki, I've been working on a 200+ page book with my friend on how to use Anki, spaced repetition and other evidence-backed techniques to learn effectively in med school. There is a lot of 'in the weeds' practical advice on how to use Anki (or any SR app, really) as part of an overall learning strategy.

Learning Medicine: An Evidence-Based Guide

Post any questions and concerns about Anki. Here is a link to the free program and youtube videos on how to work it out.


He has more videos if you click his screen name under the video.


How to use image occlusion (great for Histology and Anatomy)

A guide for Anki by Drwillbe a phd/md that is also a poster on SDN:
http://drwillbe.blogspot.com/2011/08/anki-guide-for-medical-students.html

I've found these very useful to get you started.

Where to download:
http://ankisrs.net/
anki2.png


[I don't work for Anki but there are tons of threads on it and I figured I would put a one-stop spot for them, plus I'd love to read the other advice and answer questions]
 
Hi guys!


I just started using Anki but I'm taking way too long to create flashcards per lecture. I really like using Anki but I don't want to spend my entire day just creating flashcards. Do you have any tips on being quicker?

Thanks
 
I limited my cards to the information overlap between class and First Aid. That was still a load of cards... But it was better than trying to cram in all the details from class.
 
Does anyone know if there's a way to reset the "clock" on anki. Right now my "days" on anki start at like 2pm in the afternoon which is kind of inconvenient. So if I go to lecture one day, make cards, and go through those cards the following day (say at noon), I'll see them again at 2, instead of the next day. Not sure if that made sense. Thanks!
 
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Does anyone know if there's a way to reset the "clock" on anki. Right now my "days" on anki start at like 2pm in the afternoon which is kind of inconvenient. So if I go to lecture one day, make cards, and go through those cards the following day (say at noon), I'll see them again at 2, instead of the next day. Not sure if that made sense. Thanks!


Tools -> Preferences -> Next Day Starts At
 
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with regards to the brosencephalon deck. I downloaded them from reddit. How do I know if I have the latest "errata?" I see there are 4 links on there. I've had the decks that I downloaded for probably 5 months now. I'm just wondering how it works. When people list the errata on reddit, does it automatically get updated? How do I know when to go back and re download the decks? Sorry, I don't do reddit or anything like that...
 
Hi guys!


I just started using Anki but I'm taking way too long to create flashcards per lecture. I really like using Anki but I don't want to spend my entire day just creating flashcards. Do you have any tips on being quicker?

Thanks

You have a couple of options. You said making cards for each lecture, so I'm assuming you're wanting to stick to class-related material.

1. Share the workload with your friends: If you all can agree on standards for how to make cards and what is "card worthy" this speed things up.
2. Try to use existing, freely available Anki decks that overlap with your class stuff. You're not going to get 100% overlap, but this will get you pretty far if your lectures stay close to basic Step 1 type content. Some free cards here.
3. Use one of the commercially available spaced repetition services such as Memorang, Osmosis or Firecracker. All of these have quality content that stays very close to Step 1, high-yield material. You can use this as your "base", which will get you most of the way, even for your class. Then, supplement by creating your own cards. All of these platforms allow you to make your own cards, I believe.
4. Be very selective in what becomes a card. You could probably make 100 cards just for a single lecture. but do you really need to? Save Anki (or SR in general) for things that are new and likely to be forgotten. It's hard to predict what that is, but you have a sense I imagine. Limit yourself, say, to 10 cards/lecture. Then cram the rest from lecture slides for tests. You'll likely forget the cramming stuff, but that's a tradeoff. Save the stuff that worthy to be remembered in Anki for long term retention.

And for more tips, you can check out this guide.
 
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I limited my cards to the information overlap between class and First Aid. That was still a load of cards... But it was better than trying to cram in all the details from class.
This is a really good strategy. That way, you're hitting two birds with one stone, and you know that your card-making efforts are not in vain, since you'll actually want to use this deck beyond whatever test you're studying for at the moment.
 
Hey thanks for the response guys!

Another question -

I've been making these basic (reverseable) flash cards that have a question on the front and an answer on the back. But when I study these cards sometimes Anki will show the back first, which I don't want to see! How do I make it so that Anki will always show the front first for these basic cards?
 
Hey thanks for the response guys!

Another question -

I've been making these basic (reverseable) flash cards that have a question on the front and an answer on the back. But when I study these cards sometimes Anki will show the back first, which I don't want to see! How do I make it so that Anki will always show the front first for these basic cards?

Make them just basic, not reverseable!
 
Hey thanks for the response guys!

Another question -

I've been making these basic (reverseable) flash cards that have a question on the front and an answer on the back. But when I study these cards sometimes Anki will show the back first, which I don't want to see! How do I make it so that Anki will always show the front first for these basic cards?

The reason is that you chose the card template that has a reversible format, so it may show you the back first. Pick just "Basic" to only have front-showing cards.
 
Do you guys always try to guess the answer to the cards and choose "again" if you get it wrong no matter how you feel (not even an oh yeah! moment)? I find it very taxing on the brain to do that on ~200-300 cards a night. So far, I would just reread all my reviews without really trying to guess it before flipping and just choosing my intervals based on my gut feeling of how confident I felt about retaining the info. Anyone else have any input on if I did this on most of my cards, as well?
 
Do you guys always try to guess the answer to the cards and choose "again" if you get it wrong no matter how you feel (not even an oh yeah! moment)? I find it very taxing on the brain to do that on ~200-300 cards a night. So far, I would just reread all my reviews without really trying to guess it before flipping and just choosing my intervals based on my gut feeling of how confident I felt about retaining the info. Anyone else have any input on if I did this on most of my cards, as well?

Anki rests on two principles of cognitive science: testing effect and spacing effect. You are using the spacing effect but not the testing effect. Testing requires "retrieval practice," which has been shown to enhance retention compared to repeated study (i.e. exposure). You are doing repeated study. You are doing it suboptimally. It's taxing on the brain, but this is "desired difficulty" or "desirable difficulty." Search those terms to read more.
 
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just to make sure, is the most recent update of bro's deck from 7 months ago?
 
Anki rests on two principles of cognitive science: testing effect and spacing effect. You are using the spacing effect but not the testing effect. Testing requires "retrieval practice," which has been shown to enhance retention compared to repeated study (i.e. exposure). You are doing repeated study. You are doing it suboptimally. It's taxing on the brain, but this is "desired difficulty" or "desirable difficulty." Search those terms to read more.

What's your rule on labeling a card as again, good, or easy? Do you hit again every single time you can't perfectly recall something?
 
What's your rule on labeling a card as again, good, or easy? Do you hit again every single time you can't perfectly recall something?

If I did not recall the salient/substantive part(s) of the card, I hit again.
 
Yo @chronicidal can you post pictures of your settings? (New Cards, Reviews, Lapses, General, Preferences (basic)). It would mean a lot to me!

I have a physiology exam coming up in mid December and we just started yesterday. Maybe you could tell me what options would be great so I can remember the stuff very well in December :) Afterwards I'll make it less intense so I still repeat some physiology questions once in a while but right now I need to focus on this very important exam.
 
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Whenever I suspend or filter a card, every time I set them back to my original deck they always turn into new cards. How do i prevent this from happening? This also happens when I set it to schedule cards based on reviews when I filter.
 
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I tend not to press easy when I directly know the answer because I read somewhere that it is better for class studying not to. Is this absurd ? I'm using anki for anatomy, using BRS to make my flashcards what are the perfect settings for classes studying and not Step 1 ?
 
I tend not to press easy when I directly know the answer because I read somewhere that it is better for class studying not to. Is this absurd ? I'm using anki for anatomy, using BRS to make my flashcards what are the perfect settings for classes studying and not Step 1 ?

If you have exams every 2 weeks some like to adjust the Easy Bonus and Interval modifiers up to 150% in order to skip the learning curve and go straight to the review phase.
 
EDIT: Problem solved

How do I put several decks into one larger folder deck (as broencephalon did for his decks). I would like to put ex. deck#1 skull foramina, #2 meninges, #3 cranial nerves into one larger Head and Neck Unit Deck.
 
EDIT: Problem solved

How do I put several decks into one larger folder deck (as broencephalon did for his decks). I would like to put ex. deck#1 skull foramina, #2 meninges, #3 cranial nerves into one larger Head and Neck Unit Deck.
Make the folder deck and then drag each of the decks you want to add onto it.
 
Quick survey: How much of your learning is done through Anki? For our purposes, let just say for anatomy.
note: i'm asking how much of your learning is done through anki and not how much time you spend anki-ing.

I felt that for my first unit of anatomy, anki efficiently helped me commit to memory all that i had on my flaschards. having said that, my scores could have been higher had my study habits, in and of themselves, been more productive and i been less lazy :/ that's something I'll have to work on.

I feel guilty if i don't spend all night studying, but i am learning and memorizing the material as I go along. And Anki is really speeding up that process. For anatomy, I don't 'write' any notes. I put in flashcards, recognize and memorize what I'm supposed to, draw certain things for clarification, but rarely do I write out or outline my lectures after having listened to them.

Also, how does anki work for other subjects like histo, biochem, or physio?

Thanks!!
 
when I make a custom deck in anki, the filter comes up with all of the tags from ALL of my 5 decks. how do I make it so the filter only shows the tags belonging to the deck I am currently filtering? Thanks.
 
Hey guys, so I just started adding some step I studying for material that isn't going along with my current block. I have a separate anki deck for it that is kind of hard to go through when I have maximum reviews (I am using a pre-made deck that is made from first aid which has 400-1000 cards per section and I use ones I think a relevant to stuff I want to memorize [not bros] ). Do you guys think it makes sense to add a cap to the reviews and the new cards like 25-50 new cards per day and 100 reviews? For class I've been doing unlimited reviews which is sometimes 200-300+ per day and that is a bit much for me sometimes too, but works for class.
 
Hey guys, so I just started adding some step I studying for material that isn't going along with my current block. I have a separate anki deck for it that is kind of hard to go through when I have maximum reviews (I am using a pre-made deck that is made from first aid which has 400-1000 cards per section and I use ones I think a relevant to stuff I want to memorize [not bros] ). Do you guys think it makes sense to add a cap to the reviews and the new cards like 25-50 new cards per day and 100 reviews? For class I've been doing unlimited reviews which is sometimes 200-300+ per day and that is a bit much for me sometimes too, but works for class.
I'd recommend capping at 40 new cards per day and 300 reviews. Maybe 30 new, 200 reviews if that's too much.
 
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