You're not stupid: A Science based System to Learn ANYTHING quickly

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0:00 Introduction
0:31 Don't do this
1:30 Method 1
3:53 Method 2
5:52 Method 3
8:14 Method 4
9:07 Learning materials
9:35 Thanks Brilliant!

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[susmitdas]

0:31 Avoid Common Mistakes:
Avoid highlighting and rereading as primary study methods. These techniques create a familiarity with the material, giving the illusion of learning, but they don't promote deep understanding.

1:30 Retrieval Practice:
Testing isn't just for assessment; it's a powerful learning strategy. Instead of rereading a text, test yourself on it. The act of trying to retrieve information strengthens memory.
This method is even more effective when the difficulty increases, a phenomenon referred to as "desirable difficulty."

3:53 Spaced Practice:
Instead of cramming, space out your learning sessions over time. This "spacing effect" leads to better long-term retention.
The longer you want to remember something, the greater the spacing interval should be.

5:52 Interleaving:
Mix up the topics you're studying instead of focusing intensively on one topic at a time. This approach, though counterintuitive, has been shown to be highly effective in various studies.

8:14 Elaborative Interrogation:
As you study, ask yourself "how" and "why" questions to integrate new knowledge into your existing understanding.

[basileb.]

Method 1: Do not just read, try to test yourself with what you just read
Method 2: Do space learning. If you want to remember something, try to space time between your learning time slots
Method 3: Tackle several topics at the same time
Method 4: Be curious and ask yourself questions

[jordixboy]

being an A student doesn't mean you are smart, it means you can pass test and get good grades, being smart is something different.

[Evieran]

Just to add for anyone reading: spaced repetition is effective because memory consolidation and the formation of new neural connections take time. Once these connections are formed, revisiting the material allows you to add to your existing 'knowledge database'. Moreover, the act of retrieving this information during review sessions strengthens the memories further. This strengthening process doesn't occur with short-term cramming since nothing has been firmly established yet. I hope this is somewhat clear — and by the way, great video! :D

[martins]

This channel is criminally underrated. Amazing video editing that inspires me to learn and be better.

[emonymph]

Recitation is real and also great for your overall memory and listening skills. I had a teacher who told me instead of re-reading what you forgot. Re-write the chapter in your own words from what you remember and add improvements where you can. It takes a lot of time but is insanely effective at boosting your memory in general and improves other skills across the board like: vocabulary, writing and linking knowledge from different subjects.

[runthenumbers]

My mother is a teacher and she gave me some quality tips for learning in school... even if you have to do it from a book. You touched on a few of them, such as practicing recall WHILE you study.

Some other ones though:
1. Most text books, you read a section and then at the end of the section, you have a review, right?

Don't do it. Waste of time. (I know... your teachers will make you... whatever...) The better way to do this is to have 2 book marks, one of them is for the current chapter, and the other is for the review material. Do the review material about a week after you studied the content. When your teacher tells you to go through the review section, go through the review section that's a few lessons back instead.

2. Note-taking.

Note-taking is done CATESTROPHICALLY wrong in schools. They write down the notes, and then you write down the notes in your notebook. Instead of listening to the lecture, you're now reading and writing, rendering yourself unable to pay attention. The notes aren't even yours, so they don't hold any of the benefits of real note-writing (note-writing is a form of immediate recall, and notes that you THOUGHT UP are not only more effective for remembering what you learned) they are also more useful for if you do need to refresh. Since you personally wrote you notes, if you actually need to LOOK UP something in your notes, it will be easier to recall its location within your notes. Your notes should be your own personal reference book... it should be easier to find things in your notes than it is to even find answers in the textbook since it's shorter, AND you have a processing relationship with your notes that you don't have with the textbook which you merely read.

When you copy notes provided by a teacher, you are not only robbing yourself of the lecture, but you are doing it for notes that aren't even your own and won't help you in the way that real notes do.

3. A twist on note-taking

Sometimes its hard to write your own notes. You don't know what's going to be presented, therefore you certainly don't know in advance how to organize your notes until you've already made errors. That's fine... notes are a messy process and that's aok.

BUT... a little trick that you can use... instead of taking notes on what you are learning, you can take notes of what you expect to learn next or what you need to learn to better understand what you are learning.

The fact is, most traditional notes... go in the garbage having never been reread. SOME waste is inevitable, but with that fact in mind, you should reduce your notes significantly, try to stay present in the lesson, and jot down only the notes that are useful to you and you alone. You aren't an author... you're a student... don't take notes for your friends. Take notes that YOU think you might reference later.

If done right, this will reduce your load enough that you can do something far more productive... and start actually processing the lessons. Start asking yourself what you need to know, what is this leading to, what does this relate to, what do I wish I knew better, etc...

Then, when you read through your notes, oh look at that... you've practically written yourself a review course.

Just go through your questions to self, check off the questions that you DID end up learning the answer to in the lecture, research the ones you didn't, and if there are some questions that you conclude are beyond the scope of what you can study right now, note down a few things... "What would I need to know before I can study this more deeply?" "How/where would I find this knowledge?" "Will this put me in a better position to learn in this class?" "Am I going to take the proactive steps to answer this question, and if so, when and how?"

Believe it or not, but learning what it is you don't know IS learning... even if you never learn that thing. Often times, simply knowing that there's something in the black box that you are never going to open saves you mental space, and prevents you from building faulty models that bite you later. You know what they say, "It's not the things that you don't know that get you... it's the things you 'know' but aren't so"

4. Download and learn how to use ANKI. Really... It's a flashcard scheduler, but you can schedule ANY note and turn them into a flashcard. The scheduler is the main feature. It's fantastic, infinitely customizeable, and it's free. It can be used for cramming, retention, learning, etc...

5. "Learning styles" are BS... kinda

It's true that given the multiple choice of book-learning, auditory-learning, hands-on-learning, note-learning, etc... that you might enjoy one more than the rest... or you might respond better to one than the rest. This effect is exaggerated, but yes... different people respond differently to different types of learning.

BUT...

When it comes to the optimal strategy, you are NOT a unique little snowflake. The solution for you is the same as the solution to everyone else, and it is...

Switch around.

Do whatever learning method you enjoy... AND do the others as well... and distribute them somewhat evenly. Read the book mindfully for one section, take overly comprehensive notes for another section, do some active research for another section, focus on images for another section, look over the objectives and discuss a lesson with chat-gpt for another lesson, use flashcards... switch it up. Your knowledge base is interconnected, and if you learn things in different ways, that's multiple synaptic routes for recall, and it helps you to start to develop an overarching model in which you are better able to continue education later.

Excellent review of effective learning. There’s one more technique I’ve found that helps me, which is to read things backwards. Like papers, or sometimes even books, I start at the end, read the last section or chapter first, see what the conclusion is, then work backwards to see how they arrived at that conclusion. Reading out of order stimulates a more active learning process where I’m actively structuring the material in my mind since the texts is no longer doing that for me. That helps with recall and internalization.

[vicentcaselles]

What I usually do when studying is summarizing what I'm learning while I read. If I am comfortable, even rewriting off the top of my head what I learnt on a paper. If I have a hard time doing that, checking again the source, but always rewriting it in my own words. I feel like that requires you to at least understand the most superficial concepts.

[drrob]

I have used all four of these techniques together, from GCSE to Royal College Medical Exams. I didn’t know they had names, it just made sense to keep me engaged. Thoroughly recommend it. One final suggestion…explain the subject material to someone else. If you can do that, then you understand the subject well. I later found out this was a recommendation of Richard Feynman!

[alanlado]

The moment I saw the title of that paper, I literally stopped the video, looked it up and started devouring it for a whole hour, than came back to watch your video to the end. This is some precious knowledge you're sharing. It's so amazing how cheap information is today, and how expensive it is to be ignorant of it.

[andreaf]

Well, my phone is definitely listening. The title and appearance in my algorithm is enough proof for me. Great content!

[frustratedalien]

Recitation helps me memorize things - for example, I once spent 2 months learning the names of each country, along with its capital and flag and was able to reproduce this information over and over again. I could start from one end of the globe and go over each country, including microstates and Caribbean islands. What recitation never helps me with is actually understanding what I am learning.

So, tl;dr - recitation is good for memorization but I haven't found anything that helps with true understanding except maybe trying to teach someone else. Memorization is good enough for most scenarios, though, so I guess I won't complain.

[ashinxavier]

Here is the short summary;

1. Retrieval practice is the act of retrieving information from your memory, such as by testing yourself or summarizing what you have learned. This is more effective than rereading or highlighting because it forces you to think about the material and make connections between different ideas.

2. Spaced practice is the act of spreading out your study sessions over time, rather than cramming everything in at once. This is more effective than mass practice because it allows your brain to consolidate the information and make it more likely that you will remember it in the long term.

3. Interleaving is the act of switching between different topics or skills during your study session. This is more effective than focusing on one topic at a time because it helps you to see connections between different ideas and make them more meaningful.

4. Elaborative interrogation is the act of asking yourself questions about the material you are learning and trying to explain it in your own words. This is more effective than passively reading or listening because it forces you to think about the material in depth and make it your own.

[ffederel]

Another great learning method is to attend discussion groups. We might see it as a retrieval of sort. It also allows us to hear on the subject with other words and it provides context and "texture" to the subject. We don't study in a vacuum, and we study to navigate and taste the world better.

[damaskosc]

Now how can you make it enjoyable? That's also how you learn.

[cassiuslives]

6:00 for interleaving, if there is a common thread between the interleaving items decided by the reader and not by a convener, I find it effective as the coral of knowledge grows around a common core and set of principles. I found this while reading about software development, observability and data analysis.

[newbestofthis]

I never highlight anything until understand it and absorb it. So, highlighting is extremely important for me and I find myself retrieve the information better when I highlight than when I not. Those help books make money by making you think what you do is wrong and adopt a better method. I believe that you should do whatever works for you.

[skiphoffenflaven]

I have used every one of these techniques and avoided the others (highlighting and rereading) over my whole educational timeline. Three science degrees later and in a good paying career (with great benefits), I still use these as I continue learning beyond university.

[RootsOf]

6:20 "you might think I'm wrong but I'm right and I have science on my side" I love how you put in the effort to write a whole profound newspaper article