Course Notes

---
name: Course Notes
description: 'A structure that turns a course into something you actually remember.
  Modules, key concepts, exercises, retention questions. Claude and ChatGPT quiz you
  on your real notes, not generic flashcards.

  '
tags:
- module
- concept
- exercise
- retention
- reference
containers:
- name: Course Notes
  description: One course's worth of memory. Concepts, exercises, retention. Built
    so it survives the final lecture.
  llm_instructions: |
    This is a course notes system. The goal is to turn a course into durable knowledge by capturing concepts in your own words and quizzing them on a schedule.
    - When asked to quiz the user, read Retention Questions and Key Concepts. Never invent a question or an answer from outside the folder.
    - Treat Key Concepts as the user's own explanation. Do not rewrite a concept note in your own words unless asked.
    - When the user describes a new concept in conversation that fits an existing module, suggest saving it as a concept note linked to that module.
    - The Exercises folder is for practice problems and their worked solutions. Do not skip the worked solution.
    - Reference notes are pointers, not summaries. Keep the source readable.
  children:
  - name: Modules
    description: One note per module or lecture. Outline, links to concepts and exercises.
    llm_instructions: |
      Use this folder for the course structure.
      - One note per module. Title format: "Module <number>: <name>".
      - Include: Outline, Linked concepts, Linked exercises, Open questions.
      - Cross-link to all Key Concepts and Exercises notes derived from the module.
      - Tag every note with "module".
  - name: Key Concepts
    description: One note per concept, in your own words.
    llm_instructions: |
      Use this folder for atomic concepts.
      - One concept per note. Title is a short noun phrase.
      - Use the shipped skeleton: Definition in your own words, Why it matters, An example, A common misconception.
      - When the user repeats a concept loosely in conversation, point them back to this note.
      - Tag every note with "concept".
  - name: Exercises
    description: Practice problems with worked solutions.
    llm_instructions: |
      Use this folder for problems and solutions.
      - One note per exercise. Title is a short description of the problem.
      - Include: Problem statement, Approach, Worked solution, What it tests.
      - When quizzing, prefer exercises where the user wrote the solution themselves.
      - Tag every note with "exercise".
  - name: Retention Questions
    description: Spaced repetition questions in your own wording.
    llm_instructions: |
      Use this folder for the questions you will revisit on a schedule.
      - One question per note. Title is the question, as plainly worded as possible.
      - Include: Answer (short), Source concept, Last reviewed date.
      - When the user asks to be quizzed, return questions where Last reviewed is oldest first.
      - Update Last reviewed when the user confirms a correct answer.
      - Tag every note with "retention".
  - name: References
    description: Source material. Reading lists, lecture recordings, external articles.
    llm_instructions: |
      Use this folder for pointers to material outside the course notes.
      - Each note: Title, Author, Link or location, Why it is useful.
      - When the user asks where to read more, return the matching references first.
      - Tag every note with "reference".
  notes:
  - title: 'Module 1: Foundations'
    body: |
      A starter module note. Replace with a real one.

      ## Outline
      - The shape of the problem.
      - First principles.
      - One worked example end to end.

      ## Linked concepts
      - [[Key Concept: First-principles thinking]]

      ## Linked exercises
      - [[Exercise: Decompose a small problem]]

      ## Open questions
      - Does the framing hold when the problem is poorly defined?

      This is a starter note. Replace it with a real module.
    tags:
    - module
    container_path: Course Notes > Modules
  - title: 'Key Concept: First-principles thinking'
    body: |
      A starter concept note. Replace in your own words.

      ## Definition in your own words
      Breaking a problem down to its fundamental building blocks instead of reasoning by analogy to similar problems.

      ## Why it matters
      Solutions that come from analogy tend to inherit the constraints of the source. First-principles work can break those constraints.

      ## An example
      Reasoning about pricing from cost-of-goods plus a margin, instead of "what do competitors charge".

      ## A common misconception
      That first-principles always produces a better answer. It produces an independent answer. Whether it is better depends on the problem.

      This is a starter note. Replace it with your own concept in your own words.
    tags:
    - concept
    container_path: Course Notes > Key Concepts
  - title: 'Exercise: Decompose a small problem'
    body: |
      A starter exercise. Replace with a real one.

      ## Problem statement
      Pick a daily decision you make on autopilot. Decompose it into the underlying choices and constraints.

      ## Approach
      List the assumed inputs. Question each one. Reassemble.

      ## Worked solution
      Replace with your own worked solution. The worked part is the point.

      ## What it tests
      First-principles thinking on a low-stakes example.

      This is a starter note. Replace it with a real exercise.
    tags:
    - exercise
    container_path: Course Notes > Exercises
  - title: 'Retention: What is a first-principles question?'
    body: |
      ## Answer (short)
      A question that asks why an assumption holds, not whether a different solution exists.

      ## Source concept
      [[Key Concept: First-principles thinking]]

      ## Last reviewed
      Replace with a real date when you review this.

      This is a starter note. Replace it with a real retention question.
    tags:
    - retention
    container_path: Course Notes > Retention Questions
  - title: 'Reference: The original lecture series'
    body: |
      A starter reference. Replace with a real source.

      ## Title
      Replace with the actual course or book title.

      ## Author
      Replace with the actual instructor or author.

      ## Link or location
      Replace with a URL or file location.

      ## Why it is useful
      Replace with one sentence on what this source covers that the rest of your notes do not.

      This is a starter note. Replace it with a real reference.
    tags:
    - reference
    container_path: Course Notes > References