Brief Summary
This masterclass provides a comprehensive guide to effective studying, breaking it down into three key steps: understanding, remembering, and focusing. It emphasises evidence-based strategies to maximise learning efficiency and minimise study time.
- Understanding is paramount, achieved through techniques like the Feynman Technique and active recall.
- Remembering involves combating the forgetting curve with spaced repetition and interleaved practice.
- Focus is enhanced by managing motivation, reducing distractions, and utilising techniques like the Pomodoro Technique.
Introduction
The video introduces an evidence-based masterclass on effective studying, designed to transform the learning experience for students. Originally a paid course on Skillshare, it's now available for free on YouTube. The masterclass is structured around three key steps: understanding, remembering, and focusing. The advice is based on scientific studies and aims to help students learn more efficiently and productively. A free studying bundle with worksheets and templates is also available.
3 Steps to Effective Studying
Effective studying involves three interlinked steps: understanding, remembering, and focusing. Understanding is the most important, and it's a mistake to rely on memorisation too early. Techniques like active recall and spaced repetition are more effective after a solid understanding is achieved. Remembering combats the forgetting curve through spaced repetition. Focus involves motivation, discipline, and creating a conducive study environment.
Understand Anything with The Feynman Technique
The Feynman Technique, named after physicist Richard Feynman, involves explaining a topic in simple terms, as if to a five-year-old. This tests whether you truly understand the subject. After learning a topic, ask yourself if it makes sense and if you could explain it to someone else. If you can explain it clearly, you understand it.
The Science of Active Recall
Active recall, or testing yourself, is crucial for understanding and learning. Testing is more effective than rereading because it strengthens neural connections in the brain. Professor Dunlosky's research shows that active recall has high utility across various formats and learner ages. Discovering active recall can significantly improve learning outcomes.
How to Learn New Content with Active Recall
Testing should be part of the learning process, not just an assessment after learning. When reading a textbook, stop at the end of each paragraph and try to recall the key concepts in your own words with the book closed. This active retrieval strengthens memory and combats the forgetting curve. Testing ourselves is really important and we should all be testing ourselves probably two to three times as much as we currently are.
Taking Notes During Class
Taking notes is controversial, as summarising with the book open is considered low utility. Handwriting notes is better than typing because it helps with deeper thinking. A study showed that handwriting notes led to better retention 24 hours and a week after a lecture, compared to typing. The primary reason for taking notes during class is to stay awake and maintain a broad understanding of the content.
Taking Notes After Class
Taking notes after class helps build active recall questions and consolidate understanding. Use multiple sources like Google, Wikipedia, and textbooks to clarify concepts. The Cornell note-taking system can be used to write questions for yourself. Use apps like Notion to write questions and hide the answers, forcing active recall.
Scoping The Subject
Scoping the subject involves understanding how each topic fits into the broader picture. Avoid focusing too much on detail and losing sight of the overall context. Take time to categorise topics within the subject. Exams often test on minute details, but understanding the broad picture is crucial for applying knowledge in real life.
The Importance of Understanding
Understanding something means having internal coherence and being able to derive the topic through basic principles. The gold standard is being able to explain it to a five-year-old, indicating in-depth conceptual clarity. Understanding a subject is like having a mental model of it in your mind.
Finding a Syllabus For Yourself
In subjects with uncertainty, find or create a syllabus to limit what you're learning. It's counterproductive not to have a limit. Accept that you can't know everything and focus on mastering a core set of resources. Simplify the information to make it more manageable. Make one book your bible, and the rest are supplementary texts.
The Magic of Spaced Repetition
Spaced repetition combats the forgetting curve, where memory decays exponentially over time. Repeating a topic at spaced intervals interrupts this decay, making it take longer to forget the information. The more times you repeat something, the longer it takes to forget it. Scientifically choose when to revise to maximise retention.
The Retrospective Revision Timetable
The retrospective revision timetable involves deciding what to study on a given day based on what you've done in the past and how effective your recall was. Use a system to rate your understanding of each topic after revising it. This helps you prioritise topics that need more attention.
The Spaced Repetition Journal
The spaced repetition journal involves pre-deciding what to study based on the principle of spaced repetition. When you study a subject, write it down in a diary and then write it down again a day later, a week later, and a month later. This creates a ready-made checklist of topics to review at increasing intervals.
The Power of Interleaved Practice
Interleaving involves mixing up your practice within a study session. Do a little bit of one topic, then another, and then a third, rather than spending hours on one topic at a time. Interleaving improves retention because it forces your brain to work harder. When studying is difficult, that's when you're actually learning.
Should You Reread Your Notes
Rereading notes is generally a waste of time and is considered low utility compared to other learning techniques. Rereading does work, but there are better things to do instead, like active recall and spaced repetition. Rereading is only useful when you have low energy and can't muster the effort for more effective techniques.
How to Highlight Effectively
Highlighting is not very effective, with studies showing it has low utility. Active highlighting is superior to passive rereading of highlighted material. Highlighting can help create active recall questions and helps with concentration. Highlighting just helps me concentrate a little bit better and makes my notes look pretty.
How to Use Flashcards Properly
Flashcards combine active recall and spaced repetition. Use apps like Anki or Quizlet for effective flashcard management. Anki is highly recommended due to its algorithm for spaced repetition. Ideally, keep it to one fact per card and use it consistently over a long period of time.
Flashcard Alternative - Google Sheets vs Anki
Google Sheets can be used as a flashcard alternative, especially when you don't have time for Anki. Create a spreadsheet with questions in one column and answers in another, using white font to hide the answers and force active recall. Color-code the questions based on your knowledge level. Google Sheets provides a systematic structure for reviewing material and makes it easy to see where the holes in your knowledge are.
Mind Maps
Mind maps help you get a broad understanding of the content. Start with a central concept and branch out into subtopics. Mind maps help you understand where things fit into the bigger picture. You can use mind maps for active recall by redrawing them from memory.
Memory Techniques - Mnemonics
Mnemonics are memory aids, such as acronyms, that make it easier to remember difficult things. They work by creating vivid pictures or associations. Turn lists of information into mnemonics to make studying more fun. Don't rely on mnemonics at the expense of understanding.
Memory Techniques - The Peg System
The peg system helps memorise numbers by converting them into words and visualising those words. Assign sounds to numbers (e.g., 1=T or D, 2=N, 3=M) and create words from those sounds. Then, visualise images of those words to remember the numbers.
Memory Techniques - The Mind Palace
The Memory Palace technique involves creating a mental palace with different rooms, each representing a different topic. Associate information with specific locations in the palace to help you remember it.
The Essay Memorisation Framework
The essay memorisation framework involves two stages: creation and memorisation. In the creation stage, create first-class essay plans for every conceivable essay title. In the memorisation stage, commit these plans to memory using active recall, spaced repetition, spider diagrams, and flashcards.
The Active Recall Framework
Instead of taking notes, write questions for yourself based on lecture notes and textbooks. When revising, go through the questions and try to answer them. Color-code the questions based on whether you know the answer. This method is based on the principle of active recall.
How to Use Anki Flashcards Properly
Treat Anki as an extension of your brain, uploading legit information that you want to remember long-term. Use pre-made decks and edit the cards to ensure you understand them. Change the intervals to facilitate deeper learning. Each flashcard should represent one concept, not just one fact.
Motivation is a Myth
Motivation is a myth because we only need it to do things we don't want to do. Replace the concept of motivation with discipline. You don't need to feel like doing something before you do it. Make studying more pleasant and target the punishment aspect of not doing the task.
How to Reduce Distractions
To avoid distractions, turn your phone to "do not disturb" and put it out of sight. Increase the friction it takes to do bad things on your phone by uninstalling apps or burying them in folders. Set your phone to grayscale. The main thing is to enjoy the subject and focus intently on it.
The Pomodoro technique - Pros and Cons
The Pomodoro Technique involves working for 25 minutes, then taking a five-minute break. After four work sessions, take an extended break. This technique can help maintain focus, but don't stick to it too rigidly. Use it as a tool, not a rule.
The Best Music to Study With
Music with lyrics is probably the worst for studying because the lyrics interfere with working memory. Instrumental tracks are a middle ground. Absolute silence is probably the most optimal.
Maintaining Work Life Balance while Studying
Your physical and mental health comes far above any exam. Go to different places to do work and keep your room as a work-free zone. Eat well and exercise. It's okay for life to be out of balance for a short amount of time, but try to redress the balance later on.
How to Study Effectively with Friends
Find a group of motivated people to study with. Have someone take charge of the study session. If you're studying the same topic, give everyone a chance to answer questions and impose moments of silence.
Conclusion
The video concludes by thanking viewers for watching and encouraging them to apply the techniques discussed to their own studying. It also recommends checking out the YouTube channel for more study tips and specific apps to help with studying.
