What I Learned after 5000 Hours of Studying
Summary
TLDRIn this enlightening video, Dr. Justin Sung shares his profound realizations on effective studying, drawing from over 10,000 hours of learning across various fields. He discusses the pitfalls of over-reliance on a single study technique, the concept of 'learning debt,' and the importance of embracing 'desirable difficulties' to build robust knowledge networks. Sung's insights aim to transform viewers into top scholars by advocating for gradual method adjustments, thoughtful learning strategies, and the cultivation of expertise for long-term learning efficiency.
Takeaways
- đ The speaker emphasizes the importance of studying efficiently, sharing personal experiences and realizations that led to significant improvements in his learning ability.
- đĄ The concept of a 'therapeutic index' in medicine is used as an analogy to explain the potential downside of overusing a single learning technique, such as flashcards.
- đ The speaker discovered that making small, incremental adjustments to his study methods over time helped him to rely less on flashcards and to better understand the impact of his studying on memory and learning.
- đ« The realization that 'learning debt' can occur when past study methods are not effective for future needs, causing the need to relearn information, was a turning point for the speaker.
- đ The speaker advises to consider the future needs when studying to avoid creating additional work for the future self, which is a form of 'learning debt'.
- đ€ The process of identifying retrieval needs, mapping the current learning process, challenging one's reasoning, and learning through experimentation is suggested as a method to improve study techniques.
- đȘ The realization that effort is necessary for effective learning, and avoiding the 'effort' can actually make learning more difficult in the long run by not building strong knowledge networks.
- 𧩠The analogy of a jigsaw puzzle is used to illustrate how building knowledge is like piecing together a puzzle, where having more pieces (knowledge) makes it easier to fit in new information.
- đïžââïž The speaker stresses that 'desirable difficulty' in learning is beneficial as it leads to building expertise, which in turn makes future learning easier.
- đ The idea of investing effort upfront to build knowledge quickly is presented as a strategy to make handling knowledge easier in the future and to avoid creating learning debt.
- đ The speaker concludes by encouraging viewers to explore specific methods for building high-quality knowledge and to understand the principles of effective learning to craft their own learning process.
Q & A
What was the speaker's initial approach to studying when they started at 17?
-The speaker began studying with a focus on entering medical school and spent over 10,000 hours studying various subjects, including medicine, education, learning science, computing, marketing, business, and accounting.
What is the concept of a 'therapeutic index' in medicine, and how does the speaker relate it to studying?
-The therapeutic index in medicine is the dose range at which a medication is effective. The speaker relates it to studying by explaining that using a learning technique excessively, like an overdose, can become unhelpful or even harmful, as it did with their overuse of flashcards.
How did the speaker's reliance on flashcards initially help them, and what problems arose later?
-Flashcards initially helped the speaker by aiding in recalling facts and achieving good results in their first year of university. However, the problems arose when they entered medical school, as they had too many flashcards to manage, which became overwhelming and unsustainable.
What adjustments did the speaker make to their study methods to rely less on flashcards?
-The speaker started making tiny adjustments to their study methods every two or three days, experimenting with small changes and reflecting on their effectiveness, which eventually allowed them to rely on flashcards less and less.
What is 'learning debt,' and how did the speaker experience it during their medical school attachments?
-Learning debt refers to the extra work one has to do in the future because of inefficient learning methods used in the past. The speaker experienced it when they failed their first medical attachment due to not knowing how to apply their knowledge properly, leading to relearning previously studied material.
What are the steps the speaker suggests to address learning debt and improve study methods?
-The steps include identifying retrieval needs, mapping the current learning process, challenging the reasoning behind current methods, learning and experimenting with new methods, and gradually upgrading the learning system.
Why did the speaker initially struggle with applying their knowledge in real-world situations during their medical attachments?
-The speaker struggled because the way they had stored and organized information was more suited for exams rather than practical application with real patients.
What is the speaker's view on trying to make learning easier and less effortful?
-The speaker believes that trying to make learning easier and less effortful can sabotage the learning process, as it removes the brain's need to process information, which is essential for building knowledge and expertise.
How does the speaker define 'desirable difficulty' in the context of learning?
-'Desirable difficulty' refers to the mental effort required for effective learning, which helps build expertise and makes future learning easier as more connections can be made with prior knowledge.
What is the speaker's advice for students who are comfortable with their current study system but find it daunting to change?
-The speaker advises students to change their study methods gradually, ensuring that they do not leave a 'gaping void' by removing their current system all at once, and to enjoy the process of experimenting and upgrading their learning methods.
What resources does the speaker offer for those interested in learning more about building high-quality knowledge?
-The speaker offers a big picture overview of their learning system used during their Masters at Monash, as well as a playlist on the foundations of efficient learning as resources for those interested in improving their study methods.
Outlines
đ Overdosing on Learning Techniques
Dr. Justin Sung shares his first major realization about studying: the potential to overdose on learning techniques. He compares it to the therapeutic index in medicine, where a medication must be within a certain dose range to be effective. He recounts his initial success with flashcards but eventually found it unsustainable and overwhelming as he entered medical school. The excessive use of flashcards prevented him from exploring other study methods. To address this, he started making small adjustments to his study habits, reflecting on their impact over a few days, which helped him to rely less on flashcards and become more in tune with his learning process. He emphasizes that studying should lead to learning, which involves encoding information into memory and being able to retrieve it effectively.
đ Avoiding Learning Debt
In his second realization, Dr. Sung introduces the concept of 'learning debt,' which refers to the burden of having to relearn information due to ineffective study methods. He shares his personal experience of failing his first hospital attachment because he couldn't apply his knowledge properly. This led to a cycle of relearning and studying for exams, which was inefficient. He advises against creating learning debt by doing things right the first time and not giving the future self more work. He outlines steps for students to identify their retrieval needs, map their current learning process, challenge their reasoning, and learn and experiment with new methods. The goal is to create a sustainable learning system that doesn't lead to overwhelming future workloads.
đïžââïž Embracing Desirable Difficulty in Learning
Dr. Sung's third realization is about the importance of effort in learning, likening it to weightlifting for strength. He admits to being obsessed with efficiency and seeking easier ways to learn, which he later realized was counterproductive. He explains that trying to make learning effortless can prevent the brain from processing information effectively, which is essential for building knowledge. Instead, he advocates for 'desirable difficulty,' where the right amount of effort leads to better learning and expertise. As expertise grows, learning becomes easier due to the increased ability to connect new information to existing knowledge. He encourages investing effort early on to build a strong foundation of knowledge, which will pay off by making future learning more manageable.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄStudying
đĄLearning Techniques
đĄTherapeutic Index
đĄFlashcards
đĄLearning Debt
đĄEncoding
đĄRetrieval Practice
đĄDesirable Difficulty
đĄExpertise
đĄMental Effort
đĄLearning System
Highlights
The speaker began studying seriously at 17 with the goal of entering medical school.
Over 10,000 hours of study across various fields such as medicine, education, and business have been accumulated.
Early in his studies, the speaker spent twice the necessary time and made numerous mistakes, learning from them.
Three major realizations about studying will be shared, with the last one accounting for 80% of wasted time.
The concept of a 'therapeutic index' in medicine is likened to the effective dosage of learning techniques.
The speaker initially relied heavily on flashcards, which became unsustainable and overwhelming.
Overuse of a single learning technique can lead to a lack of time to explore other methods.
The importance of making small, frequent adjustments to study methods was discovered to improve learning.
The distinction between studying and learning is emphasized, with learning being the retention and application of knowledge.
The speaker experienced 'learning debt', having to relearn information due to ineffective study methods.
Learning debt creates a double burden of work, necessitating a complete reset of study methods.
A step-by-step approach is suggested to address learning debt, including identifying retrieval needs and mapping current learning processes.
The realization that learning requires mental effort and cannot be made easier by avoiding 'desirable difficulty'.
The importance of building expertise through effort to facilitate future learning is discussed.
Avoiding effort in learning can lead to difficulties in making connections and building knowledge networks.
The speaker encourages investing effort early on to simplify future learning and avoid creating learning debt.
Resources are provided for further learning on building high-quality knowledge and efficient learning systems.
Transcripts
so I only really seriously started
studying when I was 17 trying to enter
into medical school since then I have
studied easily over 10 000 hours I've
studied medicine I've studied education
learning science Computing marketing
business accounting all sorts of
different things and for the first five
or six years of studying I probably
spent twice the amount of time that I
needed to I have made more mistakes than
most but I have learned from them in
this video I want to share three of the
most mind-blowing realizations that I
had around studying each of these
realizations resulted in me making
massive improvements to my learning
ability and make sure to stick around
because the last realization alone
probably accounted for at least 80
percent of all of the wasted time over
the years and the changes I made because
of it are what allowed me to eventually
become a top scholar if you're new to
the channel welcome I'm Dr Justin sung
I'm a full-time learning coach and
learning researcher I'm also the head of
learning and I can study and a former
medical doctor over the last decade I've
worked with tens of thousands of people
from around the world to help them learn
more efficiently before we jump in I'd
appreciate if you can give this video a
like
to help with the algorithm so one of my
first major realizations was that you
can kind of overdose on learning
techniques let me explain in medicine
there is this concept of a therapeutic
index and it goes like this a
therapeutic index is the dose range at
which that medication is effective for
example if you've got pain you can take
painkillers if you take too little it's
not going to be enough if you take too
much it can be very dangerous you might
even die so there's a range in which
it's effective and it's doing good for
you if you go outside of that range it
becomes either unhelpful or it can
become even harmful now when I was 17 I
discovered flashcards for the first time
and it was magical one of my friends was
doing really well and they said hey this
is a technique I use I tried it and I
loved it and I went all in on it I had
thousands of flash cards and honestly a
lot of the results that I got in my
first year of uni were because I was so
heavily involved in my flashcards so it
was working well what's the problem the
problem was that it wasn't sustainable
and when I got into medical school I had
so many flashcards that I was getting
overwhelmed I didn't have time to finish
them all and it also wasn't enough I
wasn't being able to think in the way
that I needed to think yes I could
recall the facts but I couldn't use the
knowledge properly so how does this
relate to overdosing well the thing is
because I had so many flashcards and I
was spending so much time just getting
through them it was taking time away for
me to invest in learning about other
methods that I could use or
experimenting I basically trapped myself
I needed to change my methods but I was
spending so much time with my current
methods I didn't have time to change
them so this is when I realized that a
technique can be helpful but if you use
it too much it can actually harm you in
the long run so what did I do
differently I started making
tiny tiny adjustments to how I study
every two or three days I would
experiment with a small change where the
consequence of getting it wrong was very
very small and then I'd reflect on how
it's been been going and how I felt
about it across the next two or three
days so that eventually I was able to
rely on flashcards less and less I knew
that what I was doing right now wasn't
sustainable I knew I had to make some
kind of change and I knew I wasn't going
to be able to completely remove myself
from the current system that I'd build
straight away so I made sure to take
very very very small steps and the
benefit of this was number one obviously
that I eventually I was able to escape
that but number two is that I got really
really in tune with the effect that my
studying was having I'm always talking
about how studying is not learning
studying is what we do but learning is
what happens in our brain you wouldn't
say you learned unless that time spent
studying helped the information become
part of your knowledge and stay in your
memory so that you can use it studying
only leads to learning when number one
the information is encoded into your
memory and number two you can actually
use that knowledge through retrieval if
you're not able to do that then all
you've done is spend time on doing this
random thing called studying which
hasn't led to learning and by doing this
process of reviewing and making these
very frequent adjustments to my process
I was able to be much clearer in terms
of what I'm spending my time doing and
the impact that I was having on my
memory and the quality of my learning
Not only was I able to remove my
dependence and over-reliance on
flashcards but also I started seeing
that a lot of other things that I was
doing with my studying were problematic
as well and that's a story for another
video now I know a lot of students find
this process very daunting they've got
the system that they're really
comfortable with and there's level of
insecurity or uncertainty around
changing this me personally I actually
really enjoyed experimenting in the
process of actually upgrading myself but
the key is to change things gradually
don't just take away all of your flash
cards and leave a gaping void because
otherwise you're going to have nothing
to fill it for example I currently right
now have a gaping void in my self-esteem
that can only be filled by you liking
and subscribing
so let's fast forward I made all of
these changes and eventually I became a
super learner right no wrong I had some
other issues which brings me to my
second realization don't create learning
debt yes learning debt and I'm not
talking about a student loan here by the
time I was on my fourth year of
University I was entering into Hospital
attachments and I was a pretty decent
student I had already decided that a
plus wasn't where I wanted to spend my
time because I was getting really
involved in teaching and education by
that point so I was getting sort of A's
and a minuses and feeling fairly
confident to hit the wards and then I
had my very first attachment which was
General medicine or internal medicine
for those of you in the states and then
I failed I failed my first attachment
and I know this because my boss told me
directly I had the knowledge but I just
did not know how to use it and the right
way to work with real patients the way
that I had stored and organized that
information was set for my exams not the
real world and what's even worse is that
because I've been studying for these
exams a lot of the times after the exams
I would forget like most of what I had
studied and so what ended up happening
is that I would come home from the
hospital during my placements and I'd
spend my evening spending hours studying
most of the time just relearning the
stuff that I'd learned from you know
going through med school I'd go through
my old med school notes and just
re-remember the stuff that I'd already
studied and then try to make sense of it
again in a more useful way and I
remember thinking to myself why did I
not just learn it the right way to begin
with I would have saved so much time
this is what I mean by learning debt the
methods I'd used in the past were fine
for my present needs but they created
problems for my future self which meant
that now I had to spend extra time to
relearn things properly while also
having to learn new material too I was
hit with a double burden of work so one
thing I've realized which I always tell
to my students now is that the future
version of you is probably going to be
just as busy or busier than you are now
don't give the future version of you
more work to do it is worth it to do it
right the first time and even outside of
medicine I've seen this time and time
again with the students that I work with
students that have these great systems
getting them good results in the short
term but they're not preparing
themselves for the challenges of next
year or the year after that and they
eventually just get more and more
overwhelmed every year until one day
it's just not good enough and something
breaks and then at that point they're
trapped like I was without any time to
make any changes once I realize how bad
learning debt was I had to do a complete
reset of how I was studying luckily I
was already used to experimenting with
my Methods at the time so it wasn't too
bad but these are the steps that I teach
my students now when they're in the same
position
number one identify your retrieval needs
what do you need to know how do you need
to know and think about it and how long
do you need to know it for how do you
need to use that knowledge not just
immediately but in the future number two
map your current learning process what
do you do when information comes in
start there then what do you do with it
what methods are you using how are you
thinking about it if you've never really
thought about how you learned before
this step can be actually quite
challenging you might have to spend a
few days actually observing how you
study to actually map it all out and
that's actually a really good thing
because it means that you're starting
the first step to making some serious
improvements number three challenge your
reasoning why do you use the methods and
processes that you use does the method
and process you're using allow you to
achieve the retrieval needs that you've
identified do you even know do you even
know why you're using the methods that
you're using or is it just out of habit
or because all of your friends are doing
it ask yourself whether this process is
going to help you to reach your goals in
terms of what you need to know how you
need to know it and how long you need to
know it for and again you may not know
you may do this step and find that
you're drawing blanks and that's fine
it's just about learning a little bit
more but it's an important step to start
mapping out whether you're actually
spending your time in a productive way
and watching some of my other videos is
going to help you learn some of that
fundamental Theory as well number four
learn and experiment learn about how
Learning Works experiment make some
gradual changes like they talked about
in my first realization take it slow and
gradually try to upgrade your system
before I realize this yes I was
experimenting but I didn't have the
right goal so a lot of that time that I
spent on experimenting reflecting was
sort of wasted now learning is seriously
very complicated and I can't tell you
exactly every single process that you
need to use for your goals and in fact
it's kind of impossible because it
depends on what your strengths and
weaknesses are and what your goals are
and what your situation is the right
process for you is going to be different
for the right process from someone else
but what does remain true through tend
to be the principles of effective
learning even if the flavor is a little
bit different the principles usually in
every single instance have to be adhered
to and the videos that I upload on my
channel generally are focused on the
principles I want you to know what the
principles are so you can go and craft
your own learning process because it's
just not possible for me to tell you
everything that you need to do step by
step it doesn't work that way and one of
the most important principles which I
realized embarrassingly late in my kind
of learning life I guess was that you
cannot get stronger without lifting the
weight maybe because I was just a really
busy person with medical school and
running my non-profit and doing my
teaching and all of that but I was
pretty obsessed with efficiency you can
probably tell I kind of still am but as
a result of that I always looked for the
faster and easier less effortful way of
doing things like I was always tired I
wanted to spend less effort on things if
I could so I would look through all of
these learning techniques makes and
learning systems and I spent really many
hours across years experimenting with
methods that were meant to make learning
easier and faster for me which seems
perfectly logical but I realized that
that was actually sabotaging me let me
put it this way the best way to make
learning easier for you in the long run
is to actually just be an expert at the
topic the more you know the more
connections that you have to work with
the more you can make sense of new
information because you've got more
things to connect it to and to do that
you need to a know things about that
subject and B know how to use what you
know to make sense of new information
which is a skill the thing about
learning especially higher order
learning which is the type of learning
that builds these networks and
connections is that it requires mental
effort it's like trying to lift away
just by staring at it it's not gonna
work and by trying to make learning
easier and less effortful what you're
actually trying to do there is remove
your brains need to process the
information you're taking the brain out
of the equation and you cannot build
knowledge in your mind when you remove
your mind
building high quality knowledge takes
effort it's actually called desirable
difficulty and as you spend the right
effort in the right way you're able to
learn more build expertise and then as
your expertise grows it becomes easier
and easier to learn more new information
is less new because there are so many
more anchor points of prior knowledge
that you can actually connect to and
make sense out of it's like doing a
jigsaw puzzle as you complete it it's
easier to see how the remaining pieces
fit in but if you avoid the effort and
you're just trying to make it faster and
easier and you're not thinking about how
to spend the right effort in the right
way and that makes you learn things in
isolation or just memorize things
superficially using whatever apps or
software like I spent a lot of time
trying to do then it makes it harder
because it's harder to build those
connections it's kind of like trying to
solve a jigsaw puzzle by just seeing all
the pieces scattered on the floor and
just like looking at it waiting for you
to magically just see how it fits
together so now I'm always making sure
that I invest that effort in up front as
early as I can to build that knowledge
as quickly as I can to make the future
version of myself have an easier time of
handling that knowledge not only am I
not creating learning debt I'm actually
building myself a learning asset that
continues to give myself rewards over
time so if you want to learn a little
bit more around the specific methods
that you can use to try to build this
high quality knowledge then a good place
to start might be a big picture overview
of how I structured my learning system
for when I ranked first at Monash for my
Masters or if you've got time there's
this playlist you can check out which
goes through the foundations of
efficient learning it's a good place to
start make sure to like this video
comment and subscribe thanks for
watching I'll see you next time
[Music]
thank you
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