I stopped taking notes in medical school

Summary

The speaker shares their journey of adapting to college life, transitioning from traditional study methods to a self-directed approach. They emphasize the importance of skipping lectures to study at their own pace with fewer distractions and the ineffectiveness of traditional note-taking. Instead, they advocate for active learning strategies like using flashcards for active recall and spaced repetition. The video outlines a systematic study method, SQ3R, and setting clear goals for effective self-study, ultimately leading to better grades and a happier college experience.

Takeaways

• 🎓 **Adapt to Learning Changes**: Transitioning from high school to college requires adapting to self-directed learning and digital environments.
• 📚 **Self-Directed Study**: The speaker emphasizes the importance of self-directed study over attending lectures for better learning outcomes.
• 🚫 **Avoid Distracting Classrooms**: Large classrooms with distractions can hinder learning, making self-study a more effective alternative.
• 🤔 **Question Traditional Study Methods**: The speaker stopped attending lectures and taking notes, questioning the effectiveness of traditional study methods.
• 📝 **Flashcards Over Notes**: Instead of traditional note-taking, the speaker uses flashcards for more active and effective learning.
• 🔄 **Active Recall**: Flashcards facilitate active recall, which is a more effective learning strategy than passive re-reading.
• 📈 **Use SQ3R Method**: The speaker uses a modified SQ3R method (Skim, Question, Rephrase, Recall, Repetition) for studying.
• 📅 **Set Clear Goals**: Clear daily study goals are crucial for effective self-study and balancing learning and review.
• ⏱️ **Time Management**: Mapping out study sessions with specific time frames for tasks helps in managing study time efficiently.
• 🔄 **Spaced Repetition**: Using spaced repetition software like RemNote helps in reinforcing learning over time.
• 📈 **Continuous Improvement**: The speaker continuously updates flashcards with new information and weak points for better retention.

Q & A

What was the narrator's initial experience with studying in college?

The narrator's initial experience with studying in college was not successful. They continued studying like they did in high school, which did not pay off, and their life was a mess, leading to miserable grades and no enjoyment.

What significant change did the narrator make to improve their study habits?

The narrator decided to rebuild their entire approach to school by wiping their memory card and started to adapt to self-directed learning.

Why did the narrator stop attending lectures?

The narrator stopped attending lectures because they found it difficult to keep up with the pace set by the professor, and they were easily distracted in large classrooms.

What is the main benefit of self-studying according to the narrator?

The main benefit of self-studying, as per the narrator, is the ability to control the learning environment, study at one's own pace, and be free from unnecessary distractions.

Why did the narrator stop taking notes and start using flashcards?

The narrator stopped taking notes and started using flashcards because rereading notes amplified the dunning-kruger effect, leading to a false sense of understanding. Flashcards, on the other hand, force active recall, which is a more effective study strategy.

What is the SQ3R method mentioned by the narrator?

The SQ3R method is a study technique that stands for Skim, Question, Read, Recite, and Review. The narrator modified it to Skim, Question, Rephrase, Recall, and Repetition to employ evidence-based practices.

How does the narrator use the 'rephrase' step in their study process?

The narrator uses the 'rephrase' step by teaching back the main ideas or topics at a fifth-grade level after going through a section. This helps ensure a deep understanding of the material.

What role does spaced repetition play in the narrator's study routine?

Spaced repetition plays a crucial role in the narrator's study routine by spacing out flashcards at strategic intervals, making difficult topics appear more frequently and easier topics less frequently, thus improving retention.

Why is setting clear goals important for the narrator's study system?

Setting clear goals is important for the narrator's study system because it removes stress and anxiety about what to study next, allows for better time management, and helps maintain a balance between learning new information and reviewing old material.

How does the narrator integrate practice problems into their study routine?

The narrator integrates practice problems by doing a set number each day, reviewing weak areas, and updating their flashcards with new information or corrections, which helps reinforce learning and identify areas for improvement.

What was the overall impact of the narrator's study changes on their academic performance and happiness?

The overall impact of the narrator's study changes was positive, leading to better grades and a happier overall state, as they were able to take control of their self-directed learning and set clear boundaries between work and play time.

Outlines

00:00

📚 College Study Struggles and Self-Directed Learning

The speaker reflects on their initial struggles with studying in college, contrasting their rigid high school experience with the self-directed approach required in college. They emphasize the ineffectiveness of their initial methods, such as attending lectures and taking handwritten notes, which led to poor grades and a disorganized life. The speaker then shares their transition to a more effective system that took six years to develop. They introduce two key strategies: skipping lectures to study at their own pace with fewer distractions, and using flashcards instead of traditional note-taking to enhance learning and retention.

05:01

📈 Active Learning Techniques: SQ3R and Flashcards

The speaker delves into the specifics of their self-study method, which involves the SQ3R technique (Skim, Question, Read, Recite, Review) adapted to include active learning strategies. They explain the process of skimming material to create an outline, then rephrasing concepts in simple terms to ensure understanding, and using flashcards for active recall. The speaker also discusses the importance of spaced repetition in flashcard review, using an app to manage this effectively. They highlight the benefits of this method, including better retention and a more organized study routine, which ultimately led to improved grades and a happier college experience.

Keywords

💡Self-directed learning

Self-directed learning refers to the ability of students to take control of their own learning process. In the video, the speaker emphasizes how they adapted from a traditional classroom setting to a more independent approach, where they could study at their own pace and in their own environment. This concept is central to the video's theme of personalizing education to fit individual learning styles.

💡Adaptation

Adaptation in this context means adjusting one's methods or behavior to fit new conditions or challenges. The speaker discusses how they had to adapt their study habits when transitioning from high school to college, where the learning environment became more digital and self-directed. Adaptation is key to the speaker's journey towards finding effective study strategies.

💡Digital learning

Digital learning involves using technology to facilitate learning. The video describes the shift from traditional classroom teaching to digital platforms, where lectures are recorded and accessible online. This change allowed the speaker to study more effectively by pausing, rewinding, and controlling their learning environment.

💡Distraction

A distraction is anything that diverts attention from the primary task at hand. The speaker mentions various distractions in the classroom, such as classmates watching anime or eating durians, which hindered their ability to focus. This keyword is important in illustrating the need for a controlled study environment.

💡Active recall

Active recall is a learning strategy that involves actively trying to remember information without looking at the material. The speaker uses flashcards, which force active recall, as opposed to passive rereading of notes. This method is highlighted as more effective for learning and retaining information.

💡Flashcards

Flashcards are a study tool consisting of a set of cards, each containing a question or a fact on one side and an answer or explanation on the other. The speaker uses flashcards as their primary study method, emphasizing their effectiveness in promoting active recall and spaced repetition.

💡Spaced repetition

Spaced repetition is a learning technique that involves reviewing information at increasing intervals over time. The speaker mentions using an app that employs spaced repetition to ensure they review flashcards at optimal intervals, which helps in long-term retention of information.

💡SQ3R

SQ3R is a study technique that stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review. The speaker adapts this method to their study routine, emphasizing the importance of questioning and reciting (teach-back method) to ensure deep understanding of the material.

💡Clear goals

Clear goals are specific, measurable objectives that guide one's actions. In the video, setting clear goals is presented as crucial for effective self-study, as it helps the speaker manage their time, balance learning new material with reviewing old, and reduce stress about what to study next.

💡Practice problems

Practice problems are exercises designed to reinforce learning and understanding of a subject. The speaker integrates practice problems into their study routine, using them to identify weak areas and to enhance their understanding of the material.

💡Boundaries

Boundaries refer to the limits or edges within which an activity or process takes place. The speaker discusses setting boundaries between work time and play time as part of their disciplined approach to self-study, which helps maintain a healthy balance and improve focus.

Highlights

The speaker struggled with traditional study methods in high school and college.

They had to adapt their learning approach after realizing it wasn't effective.

The speaker stopped attending lectures to study at their own pace.

Lectures were not suitable for the speaker due to different learning speeds and distractions.

Self-studying allowed for a controlled learning environment.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of active learning over passive listening.

They stopped taking traditional notes and switched to flashcards.

Re-reading notes was found to be an ineffective study strategy.

The speaker uses a modified SQ3R method for studying.

Flashcards are used for active recall, a more effective learning strategy.

Remnote is used for creating flashcards and spaced repetition.

The speaker watches lectures after self-studying to catch any missed ideas.

Clear goals are essential for effective self-study.

The speaker sets daily study goals including practice questions and review.

Weak points are identified and reviewed daily.

Skipping classes and not taking notes led to better discipline and organization.

The speaker's approach to learning improved their grades and overall happiness.

The speaker invites viewers to connect on social media for further discussion.

Transcripts

[Music]

here's the truth

school didn't teach me how to study in

high school i was forced to go to class

i was told to hand write notes and

couldn't bring a laptop not that i had

one but still

then in college suddenly everything

moved digitally

and learning became self-directed but i

didn't realize i had to adapt so i kept

studying like i did in high school

needless to say my first semester didn't

go so well

although i was studying long hours it

didn't pay off

and on top of that my life was a mess

last night's dinner ruminating on the

kitchen counter dirty underwear

dangling from my ceiling fan i didn't

even get there i was

miserable my grades were miserable and i

wasn't having fun

this was not how college was supposed to

be so what did i do

i wiped my memory card everything i

thought i knew about learning

it was time to rebuild my entire

approach to school

and no this change didn't occur

overnight it took six

years of reinvention before i finally

developed a system

that fit my lifestyle now it might not

fit yours

but i want to share two potentially

unpopular ideas that worked

wonders for me and how you can apply

them in your own life

first i stopped attending lecture the

problem with class is that you have one

professor

who understands material a certain way

lecturing 300 students who all learn

at different speeds front row jimmy's

locked in and keeping up

i'm somewhere chasing shadows around the

corner and karen's just

lost in the woods but if i fell far

enough behind

it was impossible for me to catch back

up and then i would just stop paying

attention

and start daydreaming for the rest of

the hour now i know we're always told

there's no such thing as dumb questions

but i'm pretty sure everyone got tired

of me asking

yeah so can you explain all of that

again in a way that i can understand

please

plus huge classrooms are terrible

learning environments for me

there are way too many distractions i

remember one of my buddies would always

come to class and watch

anime and as much as i tried to resist

the urge before i knew it

i'd have one of his earbuds in and we'd

be geeking out in the back of the

classroom

but if it wasn't him it was the kid in

front of me who was crawling through

reddit

or the girl who was eating durians in

the class and makes it smell like

someone took a dump on the floor

admittedly i was never someone who could

actually pay attention in class

just something about sitting in that

cramped seat with a fold out desk

listening to a lecture on glycolysis

just put me right to bed

but instead give me recorded lectures i

could pause and rewind

a cozy desk setup reliable internet

connection

a fresh cup of coffee and a dope

playlist oh yeah

i can get to work it allowed me to

approach studying at my own pace

free from unnecessary distractions and

remove the pressure of having to keep up

with my peers or

even the professor i realized that this

was the benefit of self-studying

you have the ability to control your

learning environment to study more

efficiently

now i'm not saying i never watched the

lectures i'm just saying i didn't go to

lecture

there's a difference now that things

have mostly moved virtually

most professors will record their

lectures for your viewing pleasure

instead i would struggle through the

material first on my own

using a very systematic approach which

i'll cover later in this video

and then i'd rewatch the lectures once i

had a better understanding

of what they were going to be about and

only if i was completely stumped

and had no idea what was going on or i

wanted some brownie points with

professor

would i attend office hours for more

one-on-one coaching so next i want to

talk about what i actually do

when i self study the main point here is

i don't take notes

get that out of here i never take notes

i

only make flash cards in remnant when i

was in high school i took this u.s

history class where the daily homework

assignment was to take handwritten notes

so we can re-read them to study for the

exam this took several hours

every afternoon and although it ended up

with beautiful notes

they weren't very useful and a lot of

times i never even reviewed them again

of course i didn't know this at the time

but rereading is actually one of the

least effective study strategies because

it amplifies something called

the dunning-kruger effect this happens

when we believe we're much smarter than

we actually

are based on poor self-awareness of the

situation

basically re-reading my notes made me

feel like i understood the information

but when put to the tests i wasn't able

to recall anything

just think of the last book you read the

last ted talk you watched

you're probably left with a feeling of

ah and wonderment and might have wanted

to start a non-profit

but if i asked you to recite the main

thesis and arguments could you

i definitely couldn't instead i use a

modified version of sq3r

which mike and i revamped to employ

evidence-based practices

it stands for skim question rephrase

recall and repetition i first skim

through the lecture or chapter and jot

down any of the bolded terms or

definitions

to form an outline of what i'm going to

go through this serves as the skeleton

for all of my flashcards

then i'll go back to the beginning and

start the next step rephrase

this is also called the teach back

method or the findment technique

after going through a section i'll pause

and i'll teach back

the main ideas or topics at the fifth

grade level

if i can explain something to a fifth

grader that means that i actually have a

deep understanding of the topic

this was a really important realization

for me i used to read chapters and take

notes without really knowing what i was

writing down

and i'd re-read them later to try to

just memorize word for word i was more

focused on making these aesthetically

beautiful study guides

rather than trying to understand the

information and this is a terrible

approach because the main objective of

learning is to understand

not to memorize once i had a good grasp

on the material

i would then transfer that information

onto my flashcards to recall

flashcards force us to use active recall

to study

one of the best learning strategies i

can't peek at the answers beforehand

unlike if i was rereading my notes where

everything's just laid out

i'm not challenging myself to study and

i use remnote to generate flashcards and

organize my thinking because it also

combines the next step

spaced repetition revnote has a built-in

algorithm that spaces out your

flashcards at strategic intervals so the

harder topics appear more frequently

and the easier topics appear less

frequently that way you're not wasting

time

studying things you already know well so

after i've generated flashcards for my

self-study

now i'll go back and watch the lecture

usually at two times speed

since i already have a good

understanding of what the lecture is

going to be about

i'm just using this time to capture any

ideas i might have missed

and to appreciate how hard mr j has

worked to improve his public speaking

skills

although flashcards are much less

pleasant than just rereading your notes

it's this struggle that actually leads

to better learning

using more cognitive effort leads to

better retention

and the cue in the sq3r just stands for

doing tons

and tons of practice problems so now i'm

going to put it all together for you

this is still the system i used to study

in medical school right now

but it only works under one condition

the most

important factor in determining if your

cell study is going to work

is if you set clear goals when i first

started the self-study

i wasted a lot of time trying to figure

out what i had to work on next

and also had a hard time balancing

learning new information while

continuing to review

what i already knew clear goals removes

any of that stress and anxiety about

what to do next

and it also allowed me to fully immerse

myself in my studies

and fully relax when i was off the clock

so now i map out exactly which new

topics i need to learn

how many practice questions i want to do

which topics i'm going to review

and how long i'm going to spend doing

each of those things

for example this friday i have my

neurology shelf exam

so at the beginning of the week i set up

some daily study goals

each day i'll do at least 40 practice

questions

review my week areas from the previous

day and obliterate as many of my remnant

flash cards

as possible and i'll give myself a rough

time frame for how long i want to spend

doing each of these tasks so while doing

practice problems i'll pull up a remnant

daily document

and i'll portal in topics i answered

incorrectly and fill in missing details

or add important information to improve

my flashcards

these are my weak points for the day

then

i'll open yesterday's daily document and

study those weak points before going

back to my main neurology folder

to continue burning through the rest of

my flashcard queue

and then tomorrow i'll do the same thing

do more practice questions

write down the weak points for that day

and then study the weak points from

yesterday

which would be today i found this way to

be the most reliable

and effective way to constantly stay on

top of my studies

so ironically skipping classes and

taking no

notes actually taught me to be more

disciplined and organized to manage my

studies

and it helped me set clear boundaries

between work time

and play time so those are the two

pivotal changes i adopted over the years

at first it felt really uncomfortable to

skip class and resist the urge to take

notes

because i've been so conditioned to do

that since high school but

over time i found that taking control of

self-directed learning

got me better grades and actually

brought me to a happier place overall

so i hope that my experiences provide a

new perspective

so you can avoid some of the mistakes

that i've made

if you want to chat or just shower me

with compliments i'd love to connect

so definitely give us a follow on

instagram or on twitter

and send us a dm and i will see you guys

next time

[Music]

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