Schema

A schema is an organizing structure for information that makes the information super easy to remember and apply.

Typically, schemas are used for organizing information that is hard to learn, remember, or apply.

Examples

• A schema for the first law of thermodynamics organizes the myriad details of this equation.

• I created a schema for differential equations (4 pages) that made it super easy to solve any ODE (ordinary differential equation).

• Cheatsheets are one type of schema.

Rationale

1. Makes learning and applying difficult information far easier in subjects like calculus, chemistry, accounting, logic, and computer programming.

2. Makes remembering and applying details in subjects like history far easier.

3. Saves huge amounts of time in application because one can go to their schema and get the information.

4. Mimics how the brain’s long-term memory works.

5. If you haven’t used information for a long period, say 10 years, you can go to your schema and reload it into your brain and be productive almost instantaneously.

Concerns

1. Information needs to be figured out before a schema is useful. However, knowing the structure is often very useful when one is at the novice level.

2. Finding schemas that others have created is highly useful. However, I need to build my own schemas. I suspect everyone does.

Schemas (How To)

Foundational Ideas

• If possible, find and use schemas that already exist before building your own.
  • Schema building and creation requires time-on-task.
    
  • This is not worthwhile early on in the learning process.
• A great schema exists.
  • Sometimes one can find parts of this via secondary research.
    
  • Other times, one must build this from scratch.
    
  • At all times, one must build their own schemas.
• The payoff from building schemas is high.
  • rewards >> drawbacks on average.
    
  • Thus, schema building is worthwhile.

Step by Step

1. Research: Look for schemas as you are getting information.
   
2. Documentation: Build schemas as you document your learning.
   1. Early on: Use a lot of cut and paste for time effectiveness.
      
   2. Later: Create schemas in your own way.
      
3. Improve schemas as you do reps.

Technology

There are great ways to make schema creation and improvement fast and effective. Here are some of them that I use:

• Markdown
  
• The Obsidian App
  
• Pencil and paper (my logbook)
  
• Having AI Assistants (ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot) build drafts