Building a Study System

Cortex combines Zettelkasten notes with spaced repetition to create a complete study system. Here’s how to set it up.

The Workflow

Read/Watch/Listen
       ↓
Write atomic notes (3-5 per session)
       ↓
Review auto-generated flashcards daily
       ↓
Weekly: Run analyze, write synthesis notes
       ↓
Monthly: Prune stale notes, review graph

Step 1: Capture During Study Sessions

When studying a textbook chapter or lecture:

1. Take rough notes in whatever app you prefer
2. After the session, open Cortex
3. Distill your rough notes into atomic Zettelkasten notes
4. Tag them consistently (e.g., biology-101, chapter-3)

Step 2: Daily Flashcard Reviews

Each morning, check your flashcard queue:

• Reviews take 5–10 minutes
• Rate honestly — marking “Easy” when you struggled defeats the purpose
• The algorithm adapts to your actual memory, not your optimism

Step 3: Weekly Reflection

Run an analyze operation to find:

• Clusters that could use a synthesis note
• Orphan notes that need connecting
• Gaps in your understanding

Write 1–2 synthesis notes that tie clusters together. These are often your most valuable notes.

Step 4: Use Recall Before Exams

Instead of re-reading notes:

"What do I know about cell division?"
"Summarize my notes on thermodynamics from chapters 4-6"
"What are the key differences between mitosis and meiosis?"

Cortex retrieves relevant notes and generates study summaries grounded in your own understanding.

Tips for Students

• Study in groups? Each person can have their own Cortex graph with different perspectives on the same material
• Multiple subjects? Use tags to separate domains (physics, history, cs-101)
• Exam prep? Increase importance on notes related to exam topics — they’ll be reviewed more frequently
• Don’t wait — start the day you begin the course, not the week before exams