You're not stupid: My study formula for learning anything in less time
Summary
TLDRIn this educational video, the speaker shares her journey from a rigorous Chinese education system to attending Columbia University, emphasizing the importance of efficient learning over long hours of study. She introduces a two-part study system focusing on learning new concepts from the big picture to core basics and then details, followed by active revision through self-testing and using tools like the Theia study app. The speaker debunks the myth of long hours equating to good grades and advocates for a more strategic approach to studying.
Takeaways
- 🏫 The speaker began their educational journey at a young age, attending a rigorous military-style boarding school in China, which emphasized long hours of study and frequent exams.
- 🌐 Despite the intense study schedule, the speaker did not initially get into their dream college in China, which led them to pursue education abroad, eventually attending Columbia University.
- 📚 The speaker emphasizes the importance of efficient learning methods, rejecting the notion that good grades solely come from long hours of study.
- 🔍 They advocate for starting with a broad understanding and core basics of a subject before delving into details, drawing a parallel to the effectiveness of concise YouTube videos over lengthy lectures.
- 📈 The speaker introduces the 80/20 rule, suggesting that mastering the core basics (the 20%) often leads to 80% of the desired outcomes.
- 📝 They recommend using the table of contents or section headlines to structure the learning process and to answer basic questions about a topic in simple language.
- 🧠 The speaker highlights the effectiveness of active recall and self-testing as a means to improve long-term memory and mastery of a subject.
- 📱 They introduce 'Theia Study', an app that uses active recall and gamification to aid in learning and testing, which the speaker found particularly helpful.
- 📅 The speaker suggests that the best time to review and test material is soon after learning it, rather than right before an exam, based on research findings.
- 📈 The speaker outlines an ideal learning system that includes understanding core concepts, engaging in self-testing shortly after learning, and comprehensive revision before exams.
- 🎓 Lastly, the speaker reiterates their endorsement of Theia as a tool that encapsulates the learning strategies discussed and is accessible to all students for free.
Q & A
Why did the speaker start attending math Olympiad competition classes at the age of six?
-The speaker began attending math Olympiad competition classes at six not because they were good at or liked math, but to earn extra credits for the gaokao, China's college entrance exam, which is known as one of the toughest exams in the world.
What was the daily routine like at the military-style boarding school the speaker attended?
-At the military-style boarding school, the speaker studied 14 hours a day with no weekends. They would wake up at 6 a.m., run half a mile, and study until 10:30 p.m., only going home once every 40 days.
How many exams did the speaker take in one year at the boarding school?
-The speaker took over 200 exams in one year at the boarding school.
Why did the speaker decide to study abroad?
-The speaker decided to study abroad because they did not get into their dream college in China.
What is the speaker's perspective on the relationship between good grades and the time spent studying?
-The speaker believes that the idea that good grades come only from long hours of study is a myth. They emphasize that how one studies matters more than how long one studies.
How does the speaker approach learning a new concept?
-The speaker starts with the big picture and core basics before diving into the details. They learn by understanding the core basics first and then move on to more advanced materials.
What is the 80/20 rule as applied to learning according to the speaker?
-The 80/20 rule in learning, as mentioned by the speaker, suggests that 80% of the results come from 20% of the effort, and those important 20% are usually the core basics.
Why does the speaker not reread or rewatch lectures after the initial exposure to the material?
-The speaker does not reread or rewatch lectures because mastering information is not about the number of times one is exposed to the material, but about testing oneself and recalling information from memory, which leads to long-term memory and mastery.
What is the speaker's recommended time frame for reviewing material after learning it?
-The speaker recommends reviewing the material the same day or relatively soon after learning it, as research shows that this leads to better performance compared to reviewing right before an exam.
What is the speaker's ideal optimized Learning System?
-The speaker's ideal Learning System involves understanding the core basics from lectures, diving into details, asking and getting answers to questions promptly, doing homework or self-testing the same day or the day after learning, and reviewing and doing mock tests before exams.
How does the speaker feel about the Theia study app and its features?
-The speaker is very impressed with the Theia study app, appreciating its incorporation of efficient learning techniques and strategies, and its features that help students study more efficiently. They also value the app's accessibility as it is currently free.
Outlines
📚 Learning Efficiently: The Journey from Traditional to Optimized Methods
The speaker begins by recounting her rigorous educational background, starting with math Olympiad classes at a young age and moving to a military-style boarding school with an intense study schedule. Despite the grueling routine, she didn't get into her dream college in China and decided to study abroad. She eventually got into Columbia University, her dream school. She emphasizes that her focus is on efficient learning rather than just getting good grades. She introduces her study system, which is divided into two parts: learning and revision. For learning, she advocates starting with the big picture and core basics before diving into details, drawing a comparison with the effectiveness of concise YouTube videos versus traditional lectures.
🔄 The Power of Active Recall and Effective Revision Techniques
In the second paragraph, the speaker discusses her revision strategy, which involves active recall and self-testing rather than passive re-reading or re-watching of materials. She introduces 'Theia Study,' an app that facilitates active recall through flashcards and games, and emphasizes its utility in enhancing learning efficiency. The speaker also touches on the psychological aspect of testing, explaining that while it might make students feel less confident due to the直面 of mistakes, it is actually more effective for long-term retention and mastery of topics. She suggests that the best time to review material is soon after learning it, supporting this with research findings. The speaker concludes by outlining her ideal learning system, which includes starting with core basics, engaging in active recall through homework or self-testing, and doing mock tests before exams.
🌟 Empowering Education with Technology: Theia's Role in Efficient Learning
The final paragraph serves as an endorsement of 'Theia,' highlighting its comprehensive features that align with the learning strategies discussed throughout the video. The speaker appreciates Theia's use of technology to make education more accessible by offering its services for free. She encourages viewers to try the app and reiterates the importance of having a structured and enjoyable study plan. The speaker wraps up by thanking the viewers for watching and expressing hope that the video was helpful.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Math Olympiad
💡Gaokao
💡Military-style boarding school
💡Columbia University
💡Efficient learning
💡Big picture
💡Core basics
💡Active recall
💡Theia Study
💡Passive learning
💡Spaced repetition
Highlights
Began math Olympiad competition class at six for extra credits in China's college entrance exam.
Attended a military-style boarding school with 14-hour study days and no weekends.
Took over 200 exams in one year to prepare for the rigorous Chinese college entrance exam.
Did not get into the dream college in China, leading to a decision to study abroad.
After getting straight A's in a liberal arts college, transferred to Columbia University.
Developed a valuable skill in efficient learning through extensive research and personal experience.
Learning is more about using the right tools than the amount of time spent.
People can only do about 4 hours of deep work each day for maximum productivity.
The myth that good grades come from long hours of study is debunked.
Learning starts with the big picture and core basics before diving into details.
Short YouTube videos can sometimes be more effective than long lectures.
The 80/20 rule applies to learning, focusing on the core basics for maximum results.
Testing oneself is a more effective learning tool than passive rereading or rewatching lectures.
Active recall through apps like Theia Study can enhance learning and memory.
The best time to review material is the same day or soon after learning it for the first time.
Homework is effective because it involves testing and applying what has been learned.
An ideal learning system includes starting with core basics, asking questions, and self-testing.
Theia Study incorporates techniques and strategies for efficient learning in one platform.
Theia Study is recommended for its features that support efficient studying and is currently free.
Transcripts
I think you've been taught to learn in
the wrong way when I was six I started
my first math Olympiad competition class
not because I was good at math or even
liked math but for extra credits in the
gal Cal China's college entrance exam
which is also known as one of the
toughest exams in the world at 17 I
transferred to a military Stout boarding
school we studied 14 hours a day every
morning we will get up at 6: a.m. in the
morning and then we'll run half a mile
together and then we'll study until
10:30 p.m. and there were no weekends
and we can only go home once every 40
days just in one year I took over 200
exams at the end of the year we followed
the brutal cycle of taking two days of
exam studying for one day and then take
another exam for two days despite all
that I actually didn't get into my dream
College in China so I decided to study
abroad and I went to a liberal art
college first and after a couple years
of quizzes exams and essays where always
get straight A I finally applied and got
into Columbia University which is my
dream school and where I got rewarded
for more quizzes and exams hi welcome to
my channel my name is Han as someone who
spent nearly her entire life in
education the single most valuable skill
I developed is how to learn more
efficiently I've also done extensive
research on this topic and in this video
I'm going to share all that with you
before I dive in I want to clarify that
when I'm going going to share with you
is not just a shortcut or a trick to get
better grades on your exams without
putting in any time or effort the way I
think about it it's more like oh say if
you want to travel 100 miles walking
would take more than 40 hours but
driving only takes about an hour and 40
minutes the right tool makes all the
difference in fact research has showns
that people only can do about 4 hours of
deep work each day and for maximum of
productivity we shouldn't work for more
than 72. hours a day so I believe the
idea of good grades only come from
really long hours of time and effort is
a myth how we study matters way more
than how long we studied so now let's
actually get into my study system
there're broadly two parts learning and
revision so the way I learn a Brand New
Concept is quite different from how we
traditionally taught in school or
presented in textbooks I start with the
big pictures and core Basics and then
dive into the details later let me
explain this I've always wondered why I
sometimes learn way more from a 15
minutes YouTube videos than like an hour
and a half lectures taught by my IV
League degree Professor well the short
answer is probably the YouTube videos
just explain things better but after
digging a little bit deeper I actually
come to this conclusion of why this
happens lectures usually present
Concepts or subjects in order they will
cover every single details around this
topic or even complicated variations no
matter whether they're important or not
before they moving on to the next
subject while YouTube videos are usually
quite the opposite each video only
provide the core Basics there's no fluff
it's just everything that you needed to
know for the basics and if you want to
learn more details or more Advanced
Materials there's usually a separate
videos for them so the way I learn is
that I will start with the big picture I
will kind of ask myself what I'm a
what is this thing about I will try to
use one sentence where like the simplest
language to summarize and describe what
I'm learning for example for linear
programming is about finding the maximum
and minimum values so you may have no
idea what linear programming is but we
can have a very very basic understanding
of what this thing is kind of in my mind
there is immediately a familiarity if I
ever get lost in the details I can
always come back back after that very
quick first step now I will actually
start learning all the core Basics the
backbone of everything the way I do this
sometimes is that I can look up the
table of content or they're usually like
subsections or headlines and I will try
to use those as my structures to try to
understand each of those topics on the
very basic level for example for linear
programming I have this table of content
and I will just start going through this
list and ask myself questions like what
is the definition of linear programming
what are the basic components of linear
programming and I will try to answer
those questions by like either looking
up at textbooks or just found it online
yourself and try to answer it in a very
simple language there's the 8020 rules
means 80% of the results come from 20%
of effort and those important 20% are
usually the core Basics and then I will
move on to learning more details and
in-depth materials and not just because
of the 020 rules but also because I'm
already familiar with the topic and I
have a foundation in my mind it's going
to be easier for me to make connections
based on those fundamental concepts and
understand the more complex information
faster now for the second part revision
after being exposed to the materials or
like learn it once I never reread or
rewatch the lectures again because
mastering information and make it stick
to your mind is not about how many times
you're being exposed to the material
it's about being exposed to it once and
then you can test yourself and recall
that information from your mind testing
as a learning tool is what actually
leads to long-term memory and the
Mastery of a specific topic I'm actually
really surprised to learn this data is
that after we learned the material
testing it once actually improve the
correctness of that information by 50%
there are so many amazing apps out there
that can help you do this and I recently
actually discovered this app called
theia study it's completely for free and
honestly hands down I think it's one of
the best learning tool out there they
actually not only have flesh cards but
also have games that also use active
recall you can use Thea to study any
subjects like even math to get started
you create a study kit and input the
subject you're studying as you can see
the smart study feature can just
generate a bunch of questions for you to
answer they also have detailed
explanations there's another feature
that can help you create a study guide
so this feature is just so useful cuz
before sometimes I create my own study
guide and this just will save me tons of
time they also have this mock test
so you can understand your pace which
will be so helpful during your actual
exam and can also just help out with
test anxiety I really wish I have had
this when I was in high school or
college it basically incorporate all the
strategies and SCI based techniques that
I talked about in this video so I really
recommend you to check it out it's
completely for free right now and I
genuinely think it will be so helpful in
you're studying the link is in my
description and thank you so much Thea
for sponsoring this video and back to
testing is best learning tool funny
thing is that actually students that do
more passive learning which is like
rereading or like rewatching or like
highlighting copying notes those
students actually feel more confident
before their exams compared to the
students that do more testing and know
like rereading the materials um those
students actually don't feel as
confident because they tested themselves
and sometimes they get things wrong and
they're like oh I'm actually not ready
but the results are exactly the opposite
so testing is really the best way to
learn please don't waste any time on
passive learning even though they may
make you feel good and in terms of when
to review the material and when I say
review I mean like testing I usually do
the same day or relatively soon after I
learn the material this is also research
backed as we take two groups of students
and expose them to the same material but
one group of student review it the same
day they learned the material and the
other group review the material the day
before their assessment test and it's
very surprising that even though the
second group review the material right
before the exam you would think you know
like the memory is the freshest like you
know it's the next day the first group
performed way better so the best time to
review your material is relatively soon
after you learned it the first time this
is why homework is actually very
effective in our ideal Learning System
so in the ideal world my ideal optimized
Learning System is like this I
understand almost everything from the
lectures start with the core Basics and
then dive into details and if I have
questions I will ask them and they
should be answered pretty quickly then
the same day or like the day after I
learn the material I will do homeworks
or assignments or like some self testing
to help me put what I learned into
practice and before the exam I will
reveal everything and then do like more
mock testing it's not possible to always
have the best teachers but this system
also works really well if you're just
like teaching yourself for most of the
things and the key to be more consistent
is really have a plan and make studying
as easy as enjoyable as possible which I
actually have a whole video on how to
make study more enjoyable here if you
want to check that out at the end of the
video I actually want to adore Thea one
more time as I mentioned earlier in the
video I'm genuinely very impressed with
Thea they're incorporating all the
techniques and strategies that I talked
about in this video and have all the
features in one place which just help
students to study more efficiently I
also really appreciate the fact that
they are using technology to make
education more accessible as they're
completely for free right now so
definitely check them out I really hope
this video is helpful and thank you for
watching to this point I hope you have a
wonderful day and I will see you next
time bye-bye
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