An Ode to the Flashcard

By Lesley Lai Created: May 5, 2026 | Modified: May 5, 2026 Category: Opinion / Learning Context: A submission for the IndieWeb Carnival May 2026 (Theme: Write a love letter).

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The Initial Skepticism

For a significant portion of my life, I viewed flashcards as an ineffective tool for genuine education. While I had utilized them as a teenager to acquire English vocabulary, I never imagined they could be applied to subjects requiring deep conceptual understanding.

To me, the concept of a flashcard evoked a specific, negative image: a student mindlessly drilling definitions and formulas, brute-forcing their way through an exam without actually comprehending the material. This sentiment is echoed in many online communities; for instance, a quick browse through Reddit reveals numerous highly-upvoted threads dismissing the utility of flashcards.

I once knew someone who didn't receive a basic education until age 18. She managed to pass her initial exams despite being semiliterate by simply memorizing entire essays—punctuation and all! She eventually powered through medical school to become the first college graduate in our family.

The Paradigm Shift

My perspective shifted after taking a "learning how to learn" course. This is where I was introduced to Spaced Repetition, the practice of reviewing information at expanding intervals to optimize retention.

The most pivotal realization was that spaced repetition is a general-purpose learning tool, not just a method for rote vocabulary drills. The course highlighted Anki as the premier software for implementing this system.

Why I Needed This

I took this advice to heart because my memory is notoriously poor. I frequently forget the events of the previous day, and my academic knowledge suffers the same fate. I tend to learn in intense bursts, but because I don't apply the knowledge daily, the information evaporates. Over time, I lost my grip on:

• $\text{Calculus}$
• $\text{Linear Algebra}$
• $\text{Probability}$
• $\text{High School Trigonometry}$

The Logic of Memory in STEM

Mathematics is inherently cumulative; it is a tower of theorems built upon other theorems. If the foundation is shaky, new material becomes an overwhelming flood. This relates to the psychological concept of chunking:

$\text{Internalized Basics} \rightarrow \text{Higher Level of Abstraction} \rightarrow \text{Deep Understanding}$

Therefore, fields requiring "deep" understanding actually require more memory than shallow fields, albeit in a different form. Some argue that in the digital age, we can simply "look things up." However:

1. Not everything is a searchable definition; many things are insights.
2. Re-reading a lengthy article to recover a forgotten insight takes weeks to digest, whereas a flashcard takes seconds.

The Tool: Anki

While I love the results, I have a complicated relationship with the software.

My Philosophy of Use

I do not use spaced repetition to replace the act of learning; it is a supplement that occupies only a small fraction of my study time. The "common sense" view in STEM is partially correct: without understanding, flashcards are useless.

The Golden Rules of Card Creation

• Never memorize something you do not first understand.
• Prefer your own handwritten cards over pre-made decks.
• Avoid "mechanical" transcription from textbooks.

Most shared decks on Quizlet or Anki are mediocre because they are impersonal. In my experience, only about 1 in 10 cards from a shared deck is useful, and even then, it requires editing.

From Facts to Intuition

I create cards that cater to my specific brain, focusing on "A-ha!" moments rather than just dry facts.

Example Card: Q: What is the intuition behind why two reflections result in a rotation?

A: Both are orthogonal transformations. Rotation preserves orientation, while reflection flips it. Applying reflection twice flips the orientation and then flips it back. Since the composition of orthogonal transformations is still orthogonal and it now preserves orientation, the result is a rotation.

References:

• Wolfram Demonstrations
• Euclidean Space Theory

The Integrated Workflow

I treat spaced repetition as a scheduled, recurrent task integrated with my digital garden.

By linking my cards back to my source notes, I can easily revisit the full context. I've even expanded this habit to include things not typically associated with flashcards, such as specific math problems.

# Conceptual representation of a review cycle
def review_card(card):
    if card.remembered:
        card.interval *= 2  # Increase gap
    else:
        card.interval = 1    # Reset to daily
    return card