What I Learned after 5000 Hours of Studying

3 realisations I learnt from over a decade of studying.

Every week, I distil what really works for improving results, memory, depth of understanding, and knowledge application from over a decade of coaching into bite-sized emails.

=== Paid Training Program ===

(Designed for busy students and professionals aiming to achieve top results without endless studying. 77% of our students cover the same amount of study material in 30% less time within 1 month.)

=== Timestamps ===

0:00 My life of studying
01:16 Realisation 1: You can overdose on learning techniques
05:23 Realisation 2: Don’t create learning debt
10:39 Realisation 3: You cannot get stronger without lifting the weight

=== About Dr Justin Sung ===

Dr. Justin Sung is a world-renowned expert in self-regulated learning, certified teacher, research author, and former medical doctor. He has guest lectured on learning skills at Monash University for Master’s and PhD students in Education and Medicine. Over the past decade, he has empowered tens of thousands of learners worldwide to dramatically improve their academic performance, learning efficiency, and motivation.

[JustinSung]

Every week, I distil what really works for improving results, memory, depth of understanding, and knowledge application from over a decade of coaching into bite-sized emails.

[paciskylla]

1. Flashcards are time consuming
2. Your knowledge has to be set for real life. Succeeding exams isn't enough. Help your future self ! Don't give the future version of you more work to do.
3. Identify your trivial needs. Map your current learning process. Challenge your reasoning. Learn and experiment = Principle of effective learning.
4. You cannot get stronger without lifting the weight. Don't always look for the easiest, fastest way to learn. That is self-sabotage... The best way to make learning easier in the long run is to make yourself an expert. The more you know, the more you make connections. Know how to use informations to make sense to you. Learning always requires mental efforts (desirable difficulty). Building high quality knowledge requires efforts. Spend the right efforts in the right way !

[norbikoks]

me at 10:45 pm watching a guy talking abt studying knowing that i have 2 tests tomorrow

[IvanGarcia-cxjm]

I think one problem that should be mentioned here (maybe it was mentioned implicitly), is that exams are often not well calibrated for the real world. The student hyperfocus on passing the exams and end up learning or memorizing many details to get an A. Covering parts of the book that are not really important for the future, and end up accumulating a lot of Muda knowledge that eventually go to waste. As a professional now, I don't like to take courses because they will make me study for things that I don't need. I just read the book and focus on what is going to be useful and skip the rest. This saves me a lot of time and just spend my time in what is useful. I think universities need a healthy distribution of professors that are purely from the academia world and professors that have plenty of experience in the industry. Because in the end, just a small fraction of the students will end up in the academia.

[JamalAhmadMalik]

I dropped out of college, but thanks to your videos I'm looking forward to my new degree.

[ninjycoon]

I'm almost 27 and I feel like I'm completely lost in learning debt.

[Loyannelima]

The method starts at 8:00 but it's good to watch the entire video cuz he has great explanation on how he struggled with other methods and why they were not effective

[Baka]

Learn from others mistakes because time is too short to learn from your own.

[Diabloisbackk]

01:10 🧠 Over-reliance on a single learning technique can hinder progress and lead to inefficiency.
05:18 📚 Learning debt refers to the consequence of using methods that are fine for present needs but create problems for future learning, necessitating extra time for relearning.
08:04 🔄 To overcome learning debt, students should identify retrieval needs, map current learning processes, challenge reasoning behind methods, and learn and experiment gradually.
11:29 💡 Building expertise requires mental effort, and attempting to make learning easier can hinder the formation of strong knowledge networks.

[ruruku]

The realistic way of studying for a bunch of subjects or topics when it requires a memorization, is first, know the coverage of your test and exam. Then read all these coverage cover to cover. Highlight the most important topics, terms, enumeration. Then make a summary. In each topic, make at least a short phrase or sentence that explain or highlight the subject. Read and understand your summary. This is my technique like make a summary of 100 pages into 10 pages and memorize it. Its easier to memorize if you understand it first and create a story in brain.

[aanchaallllllll]

0:06: 💡 Dr. Justin Sun shares three mind-blowing realizations that improved his learning ability and helped him become a top scholar.
2:57: 📚 Making small adjustments to studying techniques can lead to sustainable learning.
5:37: 📚 The speaker shares their experience of struggling with their first attachment in medical school and the challenge of applying theoretical knowledge in real-world situations.
8:36: 📚 Start by observing and mapping out your study methods, challenge your reasoning behind them, and ensure they align with your goals.
11:26: 💡 Building knowledge requires mental effort and connections to existing information.
Recap by Tammy AI

[johnz]

Justin is so straightforward no bs. I really like ur content. As a med student, they really helped me a lot

[DilCardyn]

This video about what you learned after 5000 hours of studying is truly inspiring! It's a testament to the power of persistence and dedication. Your emphasis on the importance of consistency, setting goals, and the growth mindset is spot on.

[alessandromassimo]

I took 5 years to complete my chemical engineering bachelor degree that was supposed to last 3 years, last December I started the 2 years master. in April I discovered your channel and for the first time i aced 3 exams in row (uno structure is different I think but we have 4 classes march to may and the June July and September to pass the exam). I should have done 4 but i didn’t have time to study the last one. It is still an amazing result because I thought it was impossibile, at least I couldn’t do it during the bachelor. I just studied the same time but with methods proposed in the videos. Thanks!

[CHNZA]

I think a really cool series of videos by Justin Sung is putting all these technique to use. I would like to see Justin learn a new language or learn another skill/trade and record his progress. I would like to see the language one though. Russian seems like a language he would probably have no experience with.

[Neddiek]

Learning debt hit home, I been an a student in the top 5 percent of every class I have been in. But after the exams, I’m unable to apply anything I have ever learnt. I mastered the act of passing.

[JessifurC]

Could you make a video or answer:
1) Demonstrating in practice / with a live example of how you relate and connect information together? Especially more technical and complex info.
2) How higher order learning helps memorize jargon and technical vocabulary (as opposed to concepts)? E.g. the name of a different enzymes, medications, etc.
3) Can you lay out in chronological order the comprehensive steps a complete beginner should take to optimize their learning? (Ex. 1) Sleep well. Eat well. Exercise. 2) Take fewer notes to improve cognitive load. 3) Pivot to mind maps and fluid, visual note taking. // higher order learning first via Blooms Taxonomy.. etc)

[ImronaAbdukhalilova]

I recently discovered your channel and have watched countless numbers of your videos. The idea of high process learning is something I’d never heard about, but thanks to you, I’m beginning to learn more about different methods that may work for me. I’m in high school, and taking my first AP class, and I’d love to see an example of notes that you’d agree with, because mapping out the connections is challenging, and it’d be helpful to get insight and see examples.

[maksim.kirienko]

The things that I realized.
1) foundation first, details later;
2) At the beginning it always extensive knowledge, but to get from average to high level it always comes to intensive. Dig deeper, attention to details. Always asking myself - why is it so? Sometimes you need to check data you learn. Is it reliable, is there are researches?
There is a plateau when you study a lot, but on the surface.

[jet]

I liked you having the examples to illustrate the concepts this time around. They make sense to us but I think without those examples, it's difficult to appreciate or interpolate how we might use them. And imo a better balance of time spent on what to do right instead of what to avoid or what people avoid is healthier and more encouraging.