How I tricked my brain to be addicted to studying 🧠

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares transformative techniques that improved their relationship with studying. They emphasize the importance of understanding the 'why' behind learning a subject, such as calculus, by connecting it to future benefits and real-world applications. The speaker also advocates for seeing the 'big picture' by understanding how individual topics fit into the broader curriculum. Lastly, they highlight the power of teaching others as a means to consolidate knowledge and identify gaps in understanding, suggesting methods like explaining concepts to friends or to an imaginary audience.

Takeaways

• 🎓 **Understanding 'Why'**: Before starting to study, ask why you are studying the subject and how it can benefit your future.
• 🌟 **Impact on the World**: Consider how the knowledge you gain can solve real-world problems and have a positive impact.
• 🔗 **Connecting to Interests**: Find personal connections between the subject and your interests to increase motivation.
• 📚 **Seeing the Bigger Picture**: Recognize where each topic fits within the broader context of the course or field of study.
• 🗺️ **Timeline of Learning**: Visualize the progression of topics in a course as a timeline to understand the flow and connection of concepts.
• 🤔 **Teaching Others**: Teaching or explaining concepts to others simplifies and consolidates your understanding, reinforcing the material.
• 👥 **Study Groups**: Collaborate with friends to explain and test each other on concepts, enhancing mutual understanding.
• 🦆 **The Rubber Duck Method**: Pretend to teach an inanimate object to clarify your thoughts and identify gaps in your knowledge.
• 📈 **Becoming a Tutor**: As you gain proficiency, consider tutoring others to solidify your own knowledge and help others learn.
• 🎥 **Create Content**: Making videos or writing blog posts can help reinforce your learning and provide a platform to share knowledge.

Q & A

What is the first technique Gary suggests to improve one's relationship with studying?

The first technique Gary suggests is to ask oneself why they are studying a particular subject, breaking it down to understand how the knowledge can benefit their future.

How does Gary recommend connecting the study of calculus to real-world problems?

Gary recommends connecting the study of calculus to real-world problems by understanding its crucial role in fields like medicine for understanding rates of infection or in environmental science for modeling climate change.

What personal connection does Gary make with the subject of calculus?

Gary makes a personal connection with calculus by relating it to his interest in technology, image recognition, and his future career aspirations in those fields.

What does Gary mean by 'seeing the bigger picture' in the context of studying?

Gary means understanding where each topic fits within the overall curriculum or subject matter, like recognizing the progression from basic to complex topics in a course, which helps in making sense of the learning material.

Why is it beneficial to teach others what you have learned, according to Gary?

Teaching others forces you to simplify and consolidate your thoughts, which reinforces concepts and helps you recognize knowledge gaps, as you try to explain them to someone else.

How does Gary suggest finding the 'why' behind studying a subject?

Gary suggests finding the 'why' by asking how the knowledge can benefit one's future, solve real-world problems, and connect to personal interests or passions.

What is Gary's advice for students who find a subject like calculus boring?

Gary advises students to find a personal connection to the subject, see the bigger picture of how it fits into their overall learning journey, and teach it to others to reinforce understanding.

How does Gary use the technique of 'seeing the bigger picture' in his work?

Gary uses the technique of 'seeing the bigger picture' at work to understand the overall knowledge flow in an organization, which helps him identify knowledge gaps and areas to learn more effectively.

What is the third technique Gary shares for improving one's relationship with studying?

The third technique Gary shares is teaching others, which helps in simplifying thoughts, consolidating knowledge, and identifying knowledge gaps.

How does Gary recommend incorporating the technique of teaching others into one's study routine?

Gary recommends incorporating teaching others by studying with friends, explaining concepts to each other, pretending to teach an imaginary person (like a rubber duck), or becoming an actual tutor or creating educational content.

What does Gary suggest doing if you find it challenging to teach someone else?

If you find it challenging to teach someone else, Gary suggests starting by explaining concepts to an imaginary person or object, which can help clarify your understanding and prepare you to teach real people.