How I Ranked 1st at Monash University: 4-step Framework

Summary

In this educational video, the speaker, a top graduate from Monash University's Master of Education program, shares four uncommon strategies that contributed to their academic success. These include setting high goals, early cramming, non-linear learning, and strategic resource use. The speaker emphasizes the importance of creating connections and relevance in learning, avoiding common pitfalls, and maintaining a solutions-oriented mindset. The video aims to inspire efficient study habits that can be applied across various subjects and curriculums.

Takeaways

• 🏆 Aim High: The speaker emphasizes the importance of setting ambitious goals to push oneself beyond perceived capabilities and to think differently about the approach to learning.
• 🔑 WWJD Reframe: A reframing technique is suggested to think like someone who has achieved at a high level, which can help in identifying and adopting effective behaviors and habits.
• 📚 Early Cramming: The strategy of 'cramming early' is proposed, which involves pre-studying content at the beginning of a semester to create a strong foundation and allow for flexibility later on.
• 🧠 Cognitive Connections: The speaker explains the importance of making cognitive connections early in the learning process to create 'anchor points of relevance' that help in retaining and relating new information.
• 📈 Incremental Learning: The concept of building on existing knowledge to incrementally learn new, more complex information is highlighted as a key to efficient learning.
• 🎯 Strategic Studying: Being strategic with the learning process is crucial, which includes knowing when to focus on big-picture understanding versus when to delve into details.
• 🤔 Hypothesis Testing: The speaker suggests using lecturers' expertise to test hypotheses and verify synthesized information rather than asking basic questions that can be self-resolved.
• 🛠️ Resourcefulness: Being resourceful and strategic with resources, especially leveraging staff knowledge in a university setting, is presented as an effective learning strategy.
• 🚫 Non-Negotiables: The speaker identifies 'non-negotiables' as essential elements that must be adhered to for success, regardless of the challenges or excuses that may arise.
• 🔍 Solutions Mindset: A solutions-oriented mindset is encouraged, where one looks for ways to make learning strategies work instead of focusing on the reasons why they might not.
• 🌟 Elite Student Behavior: The script suggests that adopting the behaviors and thought processes of elite students can help in achieving academic excellence, even when time is limited.

Q & A

What university did the speaker graduate from with their Master of Education?

The speaker graduated from Monash University, which is one of the top-ranked universities in the world.

What was the speaker's goal when they started their Master of Education program?

The speaker's goal was to complete the program with very good results while spending significantly less time than the average student would spend on studying.

What award did the speaker win for their academic excellence?

The speaker won the Dean's Award for Academic Excellence, which is given to the top graduating student of the cohort.

What was unique about one of the speaker's assignments that received a hundred percent grade?

The uniqueness was that the lecturer considered the assignment so exceptional that they created an entirely new method of assessment to allow the speaker to get the grade by publishing it somewhere.

How did the speaker manage to complete their studies while working full-time and maintaining a YouTube channel?

The speaker used efficient learning methods and strategies, such as cramming early and focusing on creating connections and relationships between concepts, to save time and study effectively.

What is the significance of aiming high when setting academic goals?

Aiming high pushes individuals to think fundamentally differently, evaluate their habits, and seek alternatives to ineffective study methods, ultimately leading to smarter studying.

Why is it beneficial to 'cram early' according to the speaker?

Cramming early creates urgency, allows the brain to work faster, and helps in finding connections between concepts that might be missed if the material is studied in isolated sections over time.

What does the speaker mean by 'creating anchor points of relevance' during the learning process?

Creating anchor points of relevance involves identifying key pieces of information that are more familiar and relevant, which serve as a foundation for connecting new information as the learning progresses.

How does the speaker suggest using lecturers' expertise in a university setting?

The speaker suggests using lecturers for testing hypotheses and checking complex concepts that one has synthesized, rather than for basic questions that can be self-resolved.

What is the one thing the speaker did not do that they see many students doing, which could have made their strategies ineffective?

The speaker did not compromise on the non-negotiables, meaning they did not make excuses or look for reasons why they couldn't follow their effective study strategies.

What does the speaker suggest is the key to successful learning at a higher level, especially in university?

The speaker suggests that the key to successful learning at a higher level is to follow the principles of efficient learning, such as understanding when to learn different types of information and being strategic with resources.

How did the speaker manage to study for their master's program in only about 15% of the recommended time?

The speaker managed to study in a fraction of the recommended time by applying efficient learning strategies, focusing on the most relevant information first, and building on prior knowledge.

What is the importance of being resourceful and strategic with resources, as mentioned by the speaker?

Being resourceful and strategic with resources allows students to maximize the effectiveness of their study time, especially when working with limited information or under time constraints.