Mini Essays: The Ultimate Learning Tool

About 8 months ago, I started using mini-essays as the core of my note-taking. I'll never turn back.

I like to take my time with books, analyse their points and take time to write about them. It's high effort, sure, but the knowledge you get in return is priceless.

Mini-essays have been my best friend in this journey. They help me understand hard books, remember big ideas and form interesting connections, all with 30 minutes of time here and there.

And that's only half the value. By writing mini-essays, I kill two birds with one stone. I'm on a journey to become a better writer, and these notes are a perfect way to practice writing and find my voice. Not bad, right?

In this video, I talk about how and why you might add mini-essays to your workflow to take learning to the next level.

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TIMESTAMPS
00:00-00:40 What Are They?
00:40-1:45 How I Use Them + Example
1:45-2:40 High Effort, High Reward
2:40-6:00 How Mini-Essays Help You Learn
6:00-8:00 How to Become a Great Writer
8:00-9:06 Boost Writing Output
9:06-10:27 Make Writing Addictive
10:27-12:36 Build a Bank of Ideas
12:36-15:38 How and Where to Start
15:38-16:04 Last Note

[arakita]

Oh this is just like what a sketchbook is for an artist.

[Monica-lugb]

this is so true. Nothing has worked better for me than pretending I am preparing a topic to teach in front of someone, it truly gives you more confidence and depth on the topics that you want to learn about.

[yoavjacoby]

Hmm. Interesting. I think I'll write a mini essay on why I should start writing mini essays.

[loganratliff]

As someone who hyperfixates on interesting topics and want to talk about them…. I feel like this concept is a great way to use that energy

[StephenDix]

Great ideas. I tell my kids, "If it makes you frown, write it down". So capture literally everything that trips you up or you disagree with or you otherwise think twice about. Then try to write to someone about those things. Teach them through an essay they may never read. It is a remarkably effective technique to turn habitual judgement into contemplative curiosity.

[TonyTylerDraws]

My dad used to do this to me as a teenager. If I ever wondered something out loud, he would assign the topic to me as a project that I would have to present.

It was always things I wanted to know, so I honestly enjoyed it.

[FredMBeshears]

FYI: These two books by William Zinsser might be of interest, especially the second:
1. On Writing Well
2. Writing to Learn

[mathiusq]

I am self studying philosophy and obviously some topics in philosophy are pretty hard to conceptualize. Even after reading several books, Id find I could not very well explain what I had learned to another person.Writing essays on the most interesting ideas was the solution. There is a reason why this is the prime assignment give in classroom environments.

[selim.digital]

I’ve been writing weekly essays on my blog to help me focus my thinking. It’s worked wonders to improve my writing and my ability to be inspired. I haven’t had writers block in a year since I started writing and publishing a weekly essay!

[scenicrouteart]

My first semester college English teacher had us read wonderful essays and then write a mini essay with a thesis statement first, on each of these essays. Changed my life! Opened my world to great writing! Changed my way of thinking! So valuable!

[prettymucham]

I was scrolling back watching your older videos. I must say, the improvement is wild :00 The way you talk is a lot more engaging. It’s quite cool to see; it makes me encouraged to just start whatever it is I want to do even if it’s not perfect in the beginning.

[johnstrae]

I do this in my head ALL THE TIME. If I am not sure if I will be able to explain something, I go through the whole argument, explaination, idea, etc. in my head, or if I am alone, out loud until I can coherently explain it like it was a written essay. Talking to yourself is SO underrated.
It also helps me realize if I actually have enough knowlegde to speak about a subject or if i am just repeating something someone else said.

[soundboy]

This is one of those videos that feels like it could be life changing.

I enjoy reading nonfiction, but I feel like I have terrible retention, and more often than not I'll finish a book and feel like I really didn't learn anything.

[MistyWarden]

This concept is one of the foundational methods in Charlotte Mason’s educationally philosophy. Doing oral and written narrations of living books.

[claudio_t]

"Get those damn reps in."
"Inaction hurts, and there's no good reason why you should suffer from it."

Love it.

[PowerGurhl]

Great idea. I keep common books where I add quotes, notes, and my thoughts about what I read. I also write a summary and what I can use in life and resonated with. Makes a difference.

[TheNutmegStitcher]

We teach this skill to our students in our homeschool community. We start with rudimentary persuasive essays based on booksthey read, and with each novel, we add a scheme or trope, gradually increasing the complexity. By reading excellent books, they increase their vocabulary and begin to develop an ear for arguments and good writing. We use IEW and LTW. It's been incredible to watch the growth from 7th-12th grade and beyond.

[pattidoyle]

I use a method like this as I work my was through mammoth classics. I write a small summary after natural breaks the author made (sections, chapters, parts, etc.) I’m retaining so much more of the story as well as the historical information generally embedded in the work. It helps me remember where I left off (I’m reading Les Miserbles on Sundays only) and need to reread my last summary before I begin reading again.I know this isn’t exactly what you’re referring to as I don’t always use an essay structure, but the benefit of rethinking what I read enough to summarize really boosts my retention.

[CornelPanic]

I don't know how the algorithm brought me to your channel, but I'm incredibly grateful for it.
Not only did I find so many suggestions while scrolling through your videos, but I also find the form in which you deliver the content exceptionally good and understandable. Your channel is absolutely and completely undervalued, I hope you get many more followers.

[fedouamansouri]

I have been struggling with this weird fact, you mentioned, about not being able to properly recall what you thought you had clearly grasped a moment ago. I thought that writing a small research paper about what I have just read was a potentially good idea, but I was afraid of it being too time-consuming. So, I hoped to first see if somebody tried it before. And here you come with this brilliant idea that combines the idea I had with its solution. This is absolutely brilliant! Thank you so much! You have a new subscriber 😄.