15 Years of *Study Advice* in 15 Mins
Summary
TLDRThe speaker shares 15 years of exam preparation wisdom, emphasizing discipline and planning over innate intelligence. They recount personal academic struggles and triumphs, offering practical tips on effective studying, including optimal study times, the Pomodoro technique, and the importance of choosing the right resources. The script also covers study techniques, the difference between studying for understanding versus exams, and strategies for exam-taking, such as managing energy levels and attempting questions in layers of difficulty. A final note encourages finding a study buddy for accountability and shared success.
Takeaways
- đ Discipline and a plan are more important for academic success than innate intelligence.
- đ The speaker has spent 15 years preparing for exams, highlighting the importance of a structured approach to studying.
- đ The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding the syllabus and sticking to it for effective exam preparation.
- đ Finding the best resources, such as books, teachers, and test series, is crucial and can significantly impact exam results.
- đ The best time to study depends on personal energy levels and minimizing external distractions.
- â° Studying in chunks (45-minute sessions with 5-minute breaks) is more effective than long, continuous study periods.
- đ Notes should be interesting and visually engaging, with diagrams and tables, to enhance memory retention.
- đ§ Our brains process images faster than text, so using visual techniques like the memory palace can improve recall.
- đ Active recall is a powerful method for remembering information, where one asks questions and forces the brain to retrieve answers.
- đ The effectiveness of studying diminishes after 11 hours per day due to the negative impact on sleep and nutrition.
- đ The speaker's personal academic journey illustrates the potential for improvement and the importance of perseverance.
- đ€ Finding a study buddy can increase accountability and motivation, leading to better study habits and outcomes.
Q & A
What is the key to being a top student according to the speaker?
-The key to being a top student is not necessarily being smart, but rather being disciplined and having a plan.
How many exams did the speaker take throughout their academic life?
-The speaker took approximately 700 exams, not including smaller class tests.
What was the speaker's initial experience in college in terms of academic performance?
-The speaker's initial experience in college was not good, with a CGPA of 6.64 in the first semester, which was a significant drop from their previous academic performance.
What is the significance of understanding the syllabus when preparing for an exam?
-Understanding the syllabus is crucial because it helps to focus study efforts on relevant topics and avoid wasting time on irrelevant material.
Why is finding the best resources important for exam preparation?
-Finding the best resources is important because it can significantly impact the quality of preparation, with good books, teachers, and test series potentially defining more than 50% of one's preparation.
What is the recommended study session length and break duration according to the speaker?
-The recommended study session length is 45 minutes, followed by a 5-minute break, which helps to prevent brain exhaustion and maintain effectiveness.
What should one avoid doing during study breaks to ensure effective rest and recharge?
-One should avoid using the phone or watching YouTube videos during breaks, as these activities do not provide the necessary mental rest and can be distracting.
How does the speaker suggest using the notes for effective studying?
-The speaker suggests making notes interesting with diagrams and tables, and using them as a powerful tool to unlock photographic memory, rather than just rereading them.
What is the 'memory Castle' method mentioned in the script, and how does it help with remembering information?
-The 'memory Castle' method is a mnemonic technique where information is associated with specific locations in a familiar environment, such as a room. This helps in retrieving the information by mentally walking through that space.
What is the difference between studying for understanding a subject and studying for an exam, as per the speaker's perspective?
-Studying to become an expert in a subject involves deep understanding and exploration, while studying for an exam is more about mastering the syllabus, effective studying techniques, and exam strategies to score well.
How does the speaker define the effectiveness of study hours and what is the optimal range?
-The speaker suggests that the effectiveness of study hours is not linear; it increases up to around 7 to 11 hours of study time per day and then decreases, as studying more can compromise sleep and other essential activities, negatively affecting performance.
What is the speaker's advice on making notes and how does it enhance memory?
-The speaker advises making notes interesting with visual elements like diagrams and tables. This not only aids in better understanding but also acts as a powerful tool to enhance memory by serving as a reminder of class content.
What is the speaker's view on the importance of active recall in studying?
-The speaker emphasizes that active recall, where one asks questions about the information and tries to retrieve the answers from memory, is more effective than passive rereading of the same material.
How does the speaker describe the process of improving problem-solving skills in subjects like maths and physics?
-The speaker describes that improving problem-solving skills involves understanding concepts deeply, practicing a variety of questions, and recognizing patterns in problem-solving rather than just memorizing concepts.
What are the three key strategies the speaker suggests for effectively giving an exam?
-The three key strategies are ensuring high energy levels during the exam time, solving the question paper in layers from easiest to most difficult, and treating exam-taking as a skill that can be improved through mock tests.
What is the bonus tip provided by the speaker for enhancing study effectiveness?
-The bonus tip is to find a study buddy who can share preparation strategies, provide accountability, and enhance the overall study experience, leading to mutual growth.
Outlines
đ Exam Preparation Insights
The speaker emphasizes that discipline and a plan are more crucial for exam success than innate intelligence. Drawing from 15 years of personal experience with various exams, the speaker shares a journey that includes a significant improvement in academic performance from college days. The paragraph outlines the intention to condense years of learning into effective study, revision, and exam techniques, aiming to help viewers perform at their best in future exams. It also dispels the myth that the best time to study is early in the morning, suggesting that one's energy levels and external distractions are more important factors.
đ Mastering Study Techniques
This paragraph delves into the specifics of effective studying, including the importance of understanding the syllabus, selecting the best study resources, and the significance of the Pomodoro Technique for study sessions. The speaker stresses the value of high-quality resources over quantity and the necessity of sticking to a few good books or sources throughout the preparation. It also touches on the optimal study duration per session and the importance of breaks, as well as the strategy of engaging with the material actively through note-taking and active recall rather than passive rereading.
đ§ Enhancing Memory and Problem-Solving
The speaker explores methods for enhancing memory through storytelling and visualization, advocating for the use of mnemonic devices and the memory palace technique. The paragraph also distinguishes between subjects that require memorization and those that involve problem-solving, like mathematics and physics. It highlights the importance of pattern recognition and the value of practicing a variety of questions to improve problem-solving skills. The speaker also discusses the concept of active recall as a superior method to rereading for long-term memory retention.
đ Strategies for Exam Success
In the final paragraph, the speaker discusses strategies for successfully completing exams, including maintaining high energy levels during the exam period, smart question paper navigation, and the skill of exam-taking itself. The advice includes building a routine to be most active during exam hours, tackling questions in layers of difficulty, and focusing on the quantity of correct answers rather than the difficulty of individual questions. The speaker also encourages the use of mock tests to improve exam-taking skills and suggests finding a study buddy for accountability and support.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄDiscipline
đĄExam Preparation
đĄSyllabus
đĄResources
đĄStudy Techniques
đĄActive Recall
đĄRevision
đĄMock Tests
đĄEnergy Levels
đĄStudy Buddy
đĄAccountability
Highlights
Discipline and planning are key to academic success rather than just intelligence.
The speaker's personal journey from struggling in college to graduating with one of the highest packages.
Understanding the difference between studying to become an expert and studying for an exam.
The importance of studying during the time of day when energy levels and focus are highest.
Using the Pomodoro Technique for effective studying sessions: 45 minutes of study followed by a 5-minute break.
The misconception about the best time to study and how to adapt study times to personal preferences.
The significance of sticking to the syllabus and avoiding unnecessary material.
Finding the best resources, including books, teachers, and test series, is crucial for exam preparation.
The role of active recall in improving memory retention compared to passive rereading.
The effectiveness of using stories and images to remember information better than text alone.
The importance of note-making as a tool for reinforcing memory and understanding.
The value of practicing a variety of questions to improve problem-solving skills in subjects like math and physics.
The strategy of attempting exam questions in layers of difficulty to maximize scores.
The idea that giving an exam is a skill that can be improved with practice, such as mock tests.
The impact of energy levels on exam performance and the need to adjust routines to peak during exam times.
The concept of finding a study buddy to enhance accountability and motivation.
The encouragement to share knowledge and strategies with peers to support collective success.
Transcripts
you don't need to be smart to be a
Topper you just need to be disciplined
and have a plan I've spent the past 15
years of my life preparing for some or
the other kind of exam I'm 23 right now
and I was sent to a hostel when I was in
class 6 classes from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00
p.m. exams every single week and then
slowly came the 10th board exams getting
into class 11th two exams a week and
then board exams again class 12th three
exams a week board exams again and then
came a lot of college entrance exams I
thought college would be peaceful but
then came midm exams and some exams
during 5 years of college and at the end
of College 50 to 60 campus placement
exams for me to finally get a job you
see that sums up to be something around
700 exams not even counting the small
classes and all so basically almost my
entire life was filled with exams some
of them went well but some of them did
not but during the process I've learned
a lot of things about how to effectively
study revise and score the best marks
possible and through this video my goal
is to make sure that you get all of the
knowledge that I've got over the past 15
years in the shortest amount of time
possible because whenever you're going
to give an exam from now I want to make
sure that you give your best I'm not
going to
lie her brain my
lady so I want to start this video with
like a personal life story when I was in
school I was this EO average kid and
then intermediate I was in top four or
five in the class but for the first time
when I actually went to college my first
semester cgpa was 6.64 instead of
looking for my name from the top I had
to look from bottom and for the first
time in my life I I just felt
heartbroken like how can this even
happen but slowly things got better like
the next semester I scored 7.3 and then
I scored 7.9 and then I scored 8.12 and
then I scored 8.59 and it just kept
improving after that and I finally
graduated with one of the highest
packages from my department in my batch
I mean I think it's highest or it should
be at least one of the highest because
back in college I slowly started to
understand how my friends The Toppers at
it kakur were studying so I'll also
include everything that I've learned
from my friends hundreds of books and
tons of podcast that I had the
opportunity to
[Applause]
learn let's get started first things
first you need to understand that
studying to become an expert in a
subject and studying for an exam are not
exactly the same and this video is
majorly about how to actually study for
an exam we'll start with some of the
basics and then actually get into the
process of studying and giving an exam
and finally end with sleave food and
lifestyle that you have to follow to
maximize your
preparation let's start with one of the
biggest misconceptions about the best
time to study is it early in the morning
morning or the late night well it
depends upon two things the first thing
your energy levels and the second thing
the external distractions so early in
the morning your energy levels are
usually high you'll have a fresh mind
and most of the people won't even be
awake so that they can disturb you so
that's one optimal time to study but
what if you are not a morning person
what if you feel like when you wake
up early in the morning just like me
simple take a 25 minute nap and then
wake up to study for 3 hours straight
we'll exactly talk about how long this
session should be and all those things
in a while but for now the goal is you
should not be reachable and especially
if if you're a night person here's a
great tip for you like start waking up
45 minutes before the usual time that
you wake up and use that time to
actually study something before you
actually start your day the 45 minutes
to 1 hour time right after you wake up
is one of the golden times to study
start utilizing
it now the second thing is about how
long should you be studying per session
see your brain performs better when you
study in chunks so instead of studying
for 5 hours continuously where after a
point your brain gets exhausted and the
study session is no longer effective
study for 45 minutes take a 5 minutes
break again recharge your brain study
for 45 minutes more take a 5 minutes
break do this three or four times and
this entire process will be more
effective so now you might ask me like
what do you do in the break go out drink
some water go out on a walk look at the
sky but never I mean never open your
phone or start watching YouTube
[Music]
videos now as the basics are clear let's
get into the actual process of studying
for an exam step one this is where most
of the intelligent students actually
mess it up I'll tell you why but the
first step to preparing for any exam is
actually knowing the syllabus and just
sticking to it I've seen a lot of my
friends during class 11th and 12th
actually studying from college text
books they felt that they are smart and
they wanted to get deeper into the
concepts and then they went overboard
with things which are not even present
in the syllabus the result other
students who actually stick to the
syllabus scored way better so instead of
doing a ego massage and telling yourself
that you're smart just know yourself as
properly and stick to it if you just
want to to score very well in the
exam now the next step in the process is
a bit more important than this it's in
fact the most important step in the
entire process of studying for an exam
the step number two find the best
resources the coaching that you choose
the books that you follow the test
series that you take the revision series
that you take and most importantly the
teachers that you follow these things
Define more than 50% of your preparation
because just think about it one good
book or one good teacher can entirely
change your life so put efforts in the
beginning of your preparation even
before you actually start preparing to
find the best teachers the best books
the best test series and all of those
things I mean ask your seniors connect
with the Toppers of the exam to know how
did they prepare where did they prepare
and what books have they used during the
preparation do your research well and
once you actually figure out and decide
what books are you going to use stick to
them throughout the preparation because
it's not about solving 20 different
books it's about solving one or two good
books 20 times but again if you're just
a college student and are preparing for
semester exams it's kind of a bit easier
because you just need to find the best
YouTube playlist of that particular
lecture or the chapter and then go to
your topper friend ask him for the notes
find the previous year questions and
your job will be done and now let's go
to the step number
three once you gather all the resources
that you have and you know the syllabus
well the third step is actually about
studying I mean it's not as easy as I
just said it people have spent centuries
and centuries trying to find out the
best study techniques in fact the
initial study techniques were developed
in 500 BC so when someone says just go
sit study it doesn't work like that and
even even if it does 90% of the times
it's not as effective as it should be so
listen to me carefully we've already
talked about the best time to study
along with how long should you study per
session it's something around 3 to 4
hours with a 5 minutes break after every
45 minutes some people also call this
the focus print and you should ideally
be doing something around two to three
Focus prints every single day which
results in 6 to 12 hours of study time
and also there's this crazy graph of
your marks versus how long do you study
for example people who study zero number
of hours usually end up scoring zero but
people who study something around 2 to
three hours they end up scoring some
amount of marks and this graph keeps on
increasing and maxes out in the region
of 7 to 11 hours but after that there's
a de because if you start studying more
than 11 hours you'll start compromising
on things like sleep food and that
reduces the performance of the brain and
you see we all watch some lectures or
classes and some people say that making
notes is I agree if you can
gasp everything the first time that you
actually listen to a class but most of
us we not students we need the notes not
just so that we can read it again and
again and again but the notes acts like
a reminder of the bits and pieces of the
class that we actually listen to and if
made well your notes can act like a very
powerful tool to unlock the photographic
memory so don't make your notes boring
make it look interesting with diagrams
tables and all of those things and while
I say this there's actually no point of
making short notes from textbooks like
ncrt instead it's better to read it
again because come on remembering the
short notes isn't cool enough you know
what's cool I remember remember in the
entire ncrt textbook that's cool
stand
up pull up in I remember talking to a
girl who has read the entire ncrt 50
times 50 to 60 times and she finally
ended up scoring all India ranks seven
or eight in the final examination in the
neat examination that's how powerful it
is and you can do that too now let's
actually move to the next step step
number four which is about practice
revision and remembering things let's
actually divide this step into two
different parts the first part is when
you actually have to remember a lot of
things like inorganic chemistry or
social studies or something like that
and the second part is where you
actually have to solve questions like
physics or maths and something like that
our brain remembers things either in the
form of stories or images through
repetition or emotion and we can process
images up to 60,000 times faster than
text we just take 13 milliseconds to
process an image and a lot of study
techniques the pneumonics like the
memory Castle the link method the story
method they have been developed using
the same methods to Summit up whenever
you are reading something that you want
to remember read it like a story or at
least connect it to a story that is
already present in your mind for example
if you want to remember a random set of
words like Kerala Italy Hitler elephants
organic chemistry Maggie you can just
remember it like one day I was going
from Kerala to Italy and I've seen
Hitler on an elephant eating organic
Maggie because now it's a story you'll
remember it much better you can also
connect these words to the place that
you know for example if you're walking
inside a room you can attach each of
these words to a specific location and
then you can imagine as if you're
walking through that room and you can
retrieve those words from that exact
place this is also called the memory
Castle method I mean you don't need it
but but what you need to know is our
brain learns things much faster when it
already knows something about the
subject because it'll be easier for the
brain to make connections inside it and
that's exactly why like reading the
textbook before you actually listen to
the class reading the ncrt textbook even
before you listen to the lecture is like
two to three times more effective
because it will be easier for your brain
to connect the new information to the
existing information that you already
have while you actually read the ncrt
textbook but these are more like
short-term memory techniques and even if
you remember that I've gone from Kerala
to Italy and I've seen Hitler on
elephant eating organic Maggie you won
remember it forever and the only way to
remember it for longer duration is
through space reputations where you're
trying to revise in frequent intervals
and the more times that you actually
revise it the better that you actually
remember it and you don't actually need
to reread it because there are things
much better than rereading the same
thing and that is called the active
recall where you try to ask questions
about the information that you actually
read and then you try to make your brain
retrieve that information for you so
instead of just rereading the same thing
saying that I've gone from Kerala to
Italy and I've seen Hitler on an
elephant eating organic Maggie start
asking questions about it where was I
going when I've seen Hitler whom did I
see when I was going to Italy questions
like this understood and this is the
actual technique that they use in every
single textbook available first they
give a concept and then they ask
questions about it does that make sense
right now but then there are some worst
schools here and there where they try to
give the same questions which are
present in the textbook in the
examination like what's the point of
reading the entire concept then what's
the point of reading the entire textbook
then I mean that's a story for a
different day but now as we have just
discussed about how do we actually read
and remember things the next one is
something more important than just
remembering things which is about
problem solving like in maths physics
are similar
[Music]
subjects you see some people are really
good at remembering things but they're
not as good when it comes to logical
reasoning they're not good at solving
physics they're not good at solving
maths questions why is that so that's
because studying physics and studying in
oranic chemistry are completely two
different things and no one teaches you
the difference none of the schools teach
you the difference and then they just
expect you to study a study get marks
study get marks study get marks no it
doesn't work like that being good at
maths or physics is mostly about pattern
recognition there are less things to
remember and more things to decode like
once you understand the concept you'll
be deriving formulas over there and then
you'll solve some example questions and
finally you'll end up with 50 to 100
practice questions and now when entirely
new question is asked your brain looks
at all the previous questions that you
have solved it'll try to decode what are
the patterns inside that and then we'll
give you an idea to solve the new
question so the better that you
understand the concept the more number
of questions that you practice the more
number of examples that you see the
easier it will be for you to actually
answer a new question and not just the
number of practice questions it's about
the variety of practice questions it's
about the range of types of questions
that you have solved you become good at
solving problems by solving problems not
by reading
Concepts so now as we done with studying
practicing and revising let's actually
move to the most uncertain part giving
an exam see let me be honest 90% of the
times if you actually prepare well for
an exam you'll end up scoring well but
sometimes even if you don't prepare well
for an exam you can still score well if
you know how to effectively give an exam
but a very few times even if your exam
preparation is very very well you'll
still end up scoring horrible listen to
this carefully because I still feel very
very bad in fact I've cried a lot of
times because I knew I could have done
so much better in the exam but the
results were just horrible and I don't
want you to go through that shitty phase
of Life I'll keep this short but listen
there are three things that you can do
the first thing is make sure that your
energy levels are high during the time
that you give the Examination for
example if your final exam is between 2:
p.m. and 5:00 p.m. make sure that you at
least spend 30 days before the exam to
build your life in a way that You' be
most active between 2: p.m. and 5:00
p.m. now the second is the way that you
attempt the question paper especially if
it's a competitive examination make sure
that you solve the question paper in
layers first layer easiest questions
which won't take a lot of time second
layer easy questions third layer
moderate questions fourth layer the
difficult question and finally at the
end if you actually have the time then
go for the questions which you don't
even know remember this no one cares if
you might have solved the most difficult
question in the examination or not at
the end of the day what matters is how
many equations have you solved now the
third thing understand that giving an
examination is a skill and you can
improve in that skill by giving more
number of mock tests got
it so that is the most comprehensive and
the shortest guides to study revise and
give an exam in the best possible way
see I've tried to keep this as short as
possible but if you still have any other
doubts about studying just go to the
comments below and ask your doubts over
there and I'll try my best to reply to
each and every one of you and if you
actually found this video helpful here's
a bonus tip for you try to find a study
Bud a person with whom you can you know
share about your preparation with with
whom you can actually sit and study a
person who can keep you accountable find
your study buddy because that can be a
game changer because alone you can do
little but together you can do so much
and finally share this video with one of
the friends that you actually care about
because we have to make sure that our
friends also give their best because the
stronger that your friends get the more
stronger that you will get in life
remember this so with that being said
all the best for every single exam that
you give from now you have to be a
Topper I'll see you soon bye-bye I did
it again who told you that I was
finished frh off the plane with a new
Manny Betty my hair stay late and you
know I get paid $100 bills I got racks
on the way
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