The 3 Month Study Smart Method: 100 HOURS to 2 HOURS a Day

Summary

The video script outlines a 3-month plan to transform one's study habits by focusing on learning techniques such as reading effectively, self-testing, note-making, active recall, and mind mapping. It emphasizes the importance of understanding and applying these methods gradually, building upon each skill to enhance learning efficiency and retention. The plan is designed to help students learn smarter, retain more information, and reduce study time while improving their overall learning process.

Takeaways

• 📚 Start by skimming through materials to grasp basic concepts and main ideas before diving into details.
• 🥊 Develop the skill of learning while reading by engaging with the material and asking questions as you go.
• 🧠 Use active recall by testing yourself on subtopics and concepts after learning the basics.
• 📝 Stop making traditional notes; instead, create a list of recall questions to serve as the foundation for revision.
• 🔄 Focus on understanding that learning happens in layers and requires continuous active testing and practice.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Build a strong general understanding of topics through consistent practice over time.
• 🤔 Actively recall answers during revision sessions and spend time correcting misunderstandings.
• 🌐 Structure your learning by creating mind maps that link new information to existing knowledge.
• 🚀 Optimize your learning process by applying the skills and techniques learned in the previous months to your studies.
• 🎯 Maintain a balance between high-effort and low-effort study sessions to ensure consistent learning.
• 📈 Gradually transform your study habits over a 3-month period to learn smarter and more efficiently.

Q & A

What is the main skill the speaker aims to teach in the video?

The main skill the speaker aims to teach is how to study smart, which involves learning techniques that allow for more efficient, effective, and long-term learning.

How long does it typically take to master the skill of studying smart according to the speaker?

According to the speaker, it took them over three years of trial and error to master the skill of studying smart.

What is the first step in recalibrating your learning process as suggested in the video?

The first step is to improve your ability to learn while reading by skimming through the material to understand the basic concepts and main ideas before diving into the details.

How does the speaker recommend handling difficult or complex information during the initial reading phase?

The speaker recommends skipping over complex information during the initial skimming phase and focusing only on the basic, easy-to-understand parts of the material.

What is the purpose of creating a list of recall questions according to the speaker?

Creating a list of recall questions serves as the central source for the revision process, making it easier to actively test oneself and remember information more effectively.

How does the speaker suggest one should engage with the material during the learning process?

The speaker suggests engaging with the material by actively exploring topics of interest, diving deeper into concepts that intrigue you, and learning in a non-linear, intuitive manner.

What is the main goal of the second month in the speaker's 3-month study plan?

The main goal of the second month is to structure the learning process by layering information, testing oneself continuously, and creating a mental structure or mind map of the topic being studied.

How does the speaker recommend students approach revision sessions in the latter part of the 3-month plan?

The speaker recommends that revision sessions should primarily involve active recall of answers to previously made questions, rather than rereading notes or lectures.

What is the importance of actively correcting mistakes according to the speaker?

Actively correcting mistakes is crucial as it helps fill in knowledge gaps, strengthens understanding, and improves long-term retention of the material.

What advice does the speaker give for maintaining motivation and consistency throughout the 3-month study plan?

The speaker advises maintaining a 70/30 ratio of high-effort to low-effort study sessions, ensuring that even on days when one is not highly motivated, some form of learning still occurs.

What is the speaker's final reminder to students about the process of efficient studying?

The speaker's final reminder is that studying inefficiently is still better than not studying at all, and it's important not to get too caught up in making every aspect of the study process perfect.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Recalibrating Your Learning Process

The first paragraph introduces the concept of learning to study smart as a skill that takes time and practice to develop. It emphasizes the importance of embedding effective study techniques into one's routine, rather than just consuming content without applying it. The speaker shares their personal journey of inefficient studying and internet exploration to eventually master this skill. The video aims to teach the audience how to study smart in three months, starting with recalibrating the learning process by improving reading comprehension and gradually layering information. The focus is on understanding the basics, diving into general concepts, and actively exploring areas of interest to build a solid foundation for learning.

05:00

🎯 Structuring Your Learning Journey

This paragraph delves into the specifics of the first month, which is dedicated to recalibrating the learning process. It outlines a two-week plan for learning while reading, starting with skimming through materials to grasp basic concepts, followed by a deeper dive into the subject matter. The emphasis is on creating a structured yet intuitive approach to learning, where understanding is built in layers and curiosity is used as a guide. The paragraph also introduces the idea of self-testing as a crucial part of the learning process, encouraging the audience to quiz themselves after learning each subtopic to reinforce understanding and retention.

10:02

🌟 Enhancing Retention Through Active Recall

The second month focuses on enhancing the learning process through active recall and fluid revision. The speaker advises viewers to actively recall the answers to the questions they've prepared, spending time formulating responses before checking against the source material. This active engagement with the material helps to strengthen memory and understanding. The paragraph also stresses the importance of correcting misunderstandings immediately after identifying them, which is essential for long-term retention. The speaker encourages the creation of mind maps to visualize the connections between different concepts, making the learning process more efficient and memorable.

🚀 Optimizing Your Study Techniques

The final month of the three-month plan is about optimizing the learning process. The speaker suggests that while there are many strategies to optimize focus and organization, the key is to apply the skills learned in the previous months to real-world study scenarios. Instead of focusing on minor optimizations, the speaker emphasizes the importance of consistent practice and application of the techniques. The speaker acknowledges that there will be times when less effort is put into studying, and that's okay, as any study is better than none. The video concludes with a reminder that the journey to studying smart is gradual and requires ongoing practice and adaptation, and the speaker offers to create a more detailed guide based on audience feedback.

Keywords

💡Learning Process

The learning process refers to the way in which individuals acquire new knowledge and skills. In the context of the video, it is about recalibrating and upgrading this process to study smarter, not harder. The video outlines a timeline for improving the learning process through techniques like skimming, active recall, and creating recall questions.

💡Information Layers

Information layers refer to the gradual buildup of knowledge where one starts with the basics and then adds more complex details. This approach is advocated in the video as it makes learning more manageable and memorable. By learning in layers, one can establish a solid foundation before tackling more challenging aspects of a topic.

💡Active Recall

Active recall is a learning technique where one actively tries to retrieve information from memory, rather than passively rereading notes or textbooks. This method strengthens memory and understanding, as demonstrated in the video by suggesting to quiz oneself after learning each subtopic.

💡Mind Maps

Mind maps are visual diagrams that represent ideas, tasks, or concepts linked to a central topic. In the video, mind maps are used to structure the learning process by illustrating how different concepts and subtopics interconnect, which aids in better understanding and retention of information.

💡Studying Smart

Studying smart refers to the efficient and effective strategies used to learn and retain information. The video emphasizes the importance of learning techniques that optimize the study process, such as layering information, active recall, and creating mind maps, to achieve better results with less effort.

💡Revision

Revision is the act of reviewing previously learned material to reinforce memory and understanding. The video stresses the importance of active revision, where one engages with the material by recalling answers and correcting mistakes, rather than just rereading notes.

💡Efficiency

Efficiency in the context of studying refers to the ability to achieve maximum results with minimal effort or resources. The video advocates for efficient studying methods that save time and enhance learning, such as using active recall and mind mapping to improve memory and understanding.

💡Note-taking

Note-taking is the process of recording information during lectures or while studying. However, the video argues that traditional note-taking can be time-consuming and less effective, suggesting that creating recall questions is a better method for active learning and long-term retention.

💡Understanding

Understanding is the ability to comprehend the meaning or significance of something. In the video, it is emphasized that true understanding of a topic is achieved by learning in layers and actively engaging with the material, rather than just memorizing facts.

💡Engagement

Engagement in a learning context refers to the active participation and involvement in the study process. The video encourages viewers to engage with the material by asking questions, teaching concepts to others, and testing themselves, which promotes a deeper understanding and better retention.

💡Optimization

Optimization in studying involves improving methods or techniques to achieve better results. The video discusses optimizing the learning process over a 3-month period through practices like active recall and mind mapping, which help to retain information more effectively and reduce the time spent on studying.

Highlights

Learning to study smart is a skill that can be mastered in 3 months.

The first step is to upgrade your ability to learn while reading by skimming through the material and understanding the basic concepts.

Instead of linear reading, learn by exploring topics that interest you and answering questions in your head.

Once you have a general understanding, dive into the complicated details which will no longer feel complex due to the layered learning approach.

In the second week, start testing yourself while learning to reinforce the information.

Eliminate the traditional note-taking process and instead create a list of recall questions for each topic.

Month two focuses on structuring your learning process by continuing to layer information, test yourself, and create recall questions.

Week five involves actively recalling the answers to your questions and checking them against the resources.

In week six, after active recall, revise what you don't know and fill in the knowledge gaps.

Week seven and eight are about building a mind map before studying to understand how concepts fit and link together.

The third month is about optimizing your learning process by applying the skills and practices from the previous months.

It's important to remember that studying inefficiently is still better than not studying at all.

The 70/30 ratio is recommended, where 70% of the time is spent on efficient learning and 30% on low-effort study sessions.

This 3-month process is designed to gradually transform the way you study and learn, making it more effective and memorable.

Practicing these methods will help you level up as a student, learn faster, and remember more.

Creating a mind map is a powerful tool to strengthen your base understanding of any topic and make future learning easier.

The process of learning smart is gradual and requires consistent practice and application of these techniques.

Transcripts

you're probably someone who watches a

ton of videos on how to learn smarter

faster better but honestly at the end of

it what do you actually take away from

them nothing and I know because I was

the exact same I never really embedded

these techniques to study smart into how

I actually study but remember learning

to study smart is a skill it took me

three plus years of revising pointlessly

and efficiently bumping around the

internet to finally figure it out but

what I'm going to do is teach you this

skill of studying smart and how to

master it in 3 months I'm going to walk

you through the exact timeline of what

specifically you should incorporate into

into you're studying when you should do

it every small change you can easily add

on in each week of these next 3 months

and how you can gradually get like super

realistically transform the way you

study and learn forever month one

recalibrate your learning process the

very first thing you need to upgrade is

your ability to learn while you read

through information this skill will take

the most time to Monster by far so we're

starting off right from week one

Implement what I'm about to say with the

very next thing that you study or the

next topic that you study right after

watching this video instead of blankly

reading through the textbook or watching

the lecture and hoping that somehow it

makes sense when it never really does

and you always have to end up actually

going through it like eight times and

rereading that sentence again and again

before it sticks what you do is only

start with reading and understanding the

easiest basic information literally pick

up the book open the PowerPoint and

don't do anything but this skim read the

entire chapter or lecture and only look

at the basic stuff on the pages the

definitions the title The diagrams the

bolded stuff things that you need to

look up on Google Google if the slide

looks too difficult or too detailed

don't even spend a single second on it

you're purely skimming through for 15 to

30 minutes just figure out what the hell

the topic is about what are its main

Concepts then you watch a quick video on

it just to quickly grasp it visually and

that's it simple and easy only once

you've skimmed through these Basics you

then go into the general concepts diving

a bit deeper into the causes effects the

processes the background but remember

you're not just reading you are learning

at this point you know where things are

and you know what the general concept

that you have to learn about like where

they are and what the structure of the

oh but there's this one thing that you

kind of don't understand there's this

process that you need to have a question

about go look into that it's simple you

just start reading through what is

naturally intriguing to you that is

learning it doesn't have to be linear

line by line you have a general idea

right now you can now go and explore the

topics that actually you have questions

about that you interest you that you

need to know more about get involved

your aim should be to answer the

questions in your head by reading about

it that way you slowly dive deeper into

each concept and intuitively understand

in a way that intrigues you that

interests you and you will remember it

for longer that is the first step in

learning to study smart and then only

once you've built a good General

understanding of the main Concepts you

have a good idea about how everything

works and what the specifics are do you

then go and dive into the complicated

difficult details except now they won't

be complicated there will be very little

chance that you actually get stuck on

them you've built your knowledge in

layers so they won't feel that complex

or hard to remember this is how you

learn while you read for the very first

time it's fluid yet also structured and

the only way to to do it is through this

process of learning information in

layers doing it intuitively and actually

using your brain while you read now

you've started to practice learning

while reading so in week two now you

incorporate testing yourself while you

do that learning what I want you to do

is simply start to quiz yourself while

you read about each subtopic do it at

after each process you study after each

big concept do it for the first time

after you go through the basics cover

the resource and act like you're

teaching someone what the topic is about

then do it again when you gain a deeper

understanding do it at every stage don't

fall under this misconception that oh I

can only do questions and test myself

after I study no that's dumb start with

testing yourself do it continuously quiz

yourself do questions test yourself

right from the start these first two

weeks are very important the recap of

these two weeks is that one I want you

to really focus on understanding that

learning can only happen in layers and

number two that you need to continuously

be active and start testing yourself

right from the start now we're at week

three and four where you need to just

cut this whole making notes thing out

changing this making notes habit for

better technique is a big push for a lot

of you so we're giving it 2 weeks but

honestly we are way past the era where

people need to spend hours taking notes

about a topic there's no need to be your

teacher secretary transcribing every

single word they're saying you're not

there to transcribe you are there to

learn there's already such amazing High

resources that are well formed with all

the information on a single topic that

you need and it's all online there's

absolutely no need to collate all the

content together and make your own

resource don't make notes all you're

going to be doing is rereading them

anyways they have literally zero utility

so instead for the next 2 weeks during

class outside of class when you're

learning topics for the very first time

simply convert all the information that

needs to be revised into a list of

recall questions creating a list of

questions is not only faster but it will

then act as the central source of your

entire revision process in for the

future you can then use them to actively

test yourself in every revision of this

topic later on month two structure your

learning process you've now spent a full

month on number one layering the

information actually learning while read

number two testing yourself while you're

doing that reading quizzing yourself and

number three you've also started to

create recall questions all of this

while you go through a topic for the

very first time this simple stuff is the

key is the entire basis of studying

smart some of you may think this is easy

I don't need a full month to practice

but you do these are skills that slowly

developed that took me years so you

definitely need to be continuously

practicing not only for this last month

but for throughout your revision process

in this 3mon period and later on some of

you may think that this stuff is easy I

need a month to practice this but you do

this is a skill it's going to take you

going through 10 20 30 topics to even

improve this method of yours you can't

just rewire the way your brain learns in

a single day so spend the month

recalibrating and upgrading your process

slowly improving if you do this for the

next month you will not believe the

difference that it will make week five

actively recall these questions this is

the second month so in week five now we

are going to completely transform the

way the way you structure your entire

revision sessions when you revise a

topic you're revision sessions need to

be primarily about testing yourself on

the questions that you made about this

topic previously no rereading through

your notes or going just going through

the lectures again this week you will

pick all the weakest topics that you've

studied recently pick one for a start

sit down open your list of questions and

start recalling what you know about the

answers and don't just spend 2 seconds

looking at the question and then flick

to the answer spend several minutes

formulating the answers in your head for

each question take your time and put

effort into the testing that is the only

way that you will learn by testing

Yourself by by getting questions wrong

again and again you will strengthen the

information that you'll revise and then

obviously after that you go back and

check your answers with the resources

that you made the questions from so this

week practice recalling answers and

checking them this is very very

important in the process of studying

smarter week six revise fluidly and

actively correct after doing a few of

those active recall sessions as the main

form of your vision in the previous week

I want you in week six to not only keep

on working on the skill of testing

yourself but to also go back and revise

what you don't know most of you even if

you do questions rarely actually go back

and learn after testing yourself you

barely go back to the textbooks or

lectures to see what you got wrong to

spend time on fixing your understanding

you just skip to the next question

because oh you have this big golf I'm

going to do 500 flash cards today but

that's just stupid isn't it like you're

just pushing yourself to do so many

questions you're clicking forward and

just doing them based on pure pattern

recognition no real studying learning is

happening so as we said spend time

actually recalling the answer first and

then and there revise what you got wrong

fill in the knowledge gaps why were you

wrong what was missing in the way you

were thinking about the topic if you

didn't remember something then how can

you relearn it in a way that you will

remember it for sure for the next time

it is this active process of correction

that really helps you actually study

Less in the long term and retain the

information for longer regardless of how

many questions you got wrong build on

this fluid process of testing and then

filling in the gaps more and more and

trust me you will go far ahead of any

one of your classmates week seven and 8

build mind map by this point you've been

practicing reading and understanding

Topics in layers easiest to hardest

you've been doing this for the last few

weeks but to really take your learning

process to the next level you have to

understand that when you learn your

brain needs to take this new information

that you're learning and stick it to

something and relate it to something and

the best way to help your brain do that

is to first before you start studying to

build a mental structure of the entire

topic to reiterate this is before you

actually start to study anything in our

case this mental structure is simply as

creating a mind map of the topic so for

the next two weeks your goal should be

to create this mind map for every topic

that you're studying and create this

mind map before you sit down and

properly learn the topic do it in that

initial skimming that learning the

basics phas the purpose of making this

is to actually see how every single

concept subtopic Etc fits in and links

together within this big topic how does

it all link together and how can we make

sense of it all in our head what is the

key idea that we can link everything

through and how can we make sense of it

all in our head memorable way to link

everything in that topic in a single

mindmap than studying everything all the

general concepts every single detail

becomes way faster and easier when you

actually learn new Concepts new details

you will immediately think where does

this fit in my mental model in my mind M

how does this new detail that I've

learned add to the topic and add to the

way I'm thinking about this whole thing

it's just an easy way to slot any detail

that you learn in a big category on that

mind map and you don't even have to keep

working on this mind map you just make

that initial mind map as I do and then

you remember it you relate the

information back to it it's all in your

head I only found out about this

creating a my map thing a few months ago

but honestly it's completely changed how

strong my base understanding is of any

topic that I've revised and also let's

say weeks from now I'm introduced to New

Concepts about that old topic that I

revised it's so easy for me to collect

that knowledge and put it in my head it

just sticks because I have that such a

strong base understanding of the whole

thing anyways I made a full video on how

I do it step by step I go through a

topic on hand how I do it live in front

of you check it out right here but the

key for these weeks is to create that

mindmap for any topic that you are

studying in that initial skimming phase

month three optimize your learning

process I was initially going to give a

ton of optimizing Strat IES on your

learning process like optimizing your

focus Cycles or color coding or tracking

your rision perfectly but I think that

takes away from this idea that studying

smart is a gradual slow process it needs

to be built up with so much practice and

even after two months of studying smart

you can't really just drill in and RAM

these little bits of optimizations in so

in this month instead what I'm going to

tell you to do is put all of your effort

and skill building of the last 8 weeks

and practice it all with the topics that

you're learning in school or for your

exams I've presented it to you in the

last eight weeks week by week and the

order how I think I actually learn it in

the first place as well I think pretty

much this is the full summary of the

timeline for how you can gradually start

to study smart I really think that these

are very implementable basic steps that

you can incorporate in your revision

every single week in this journey in

this journey of 3 months of studying

smart and I think incorporating these

will be very beneficial for any student

that is looking to level up and learn

faster spend less time studying and to

remember more this was a very brief run

through though I can definitely make it

more detailed add add more practicality

to it add more actions to this whole

3-month process potentially make it a

full guide let me know do remember

though that in the reality of efficient

studying we sometimes get too caught up

in making everything in the process

perfect and Super Active and efficient

and effective so much so that no actual

study ends up happening so please do

remember studying inefficiently is still

better than doing nothing for example as

you can probably tell I'm quite ill

right now and I have to travel somewhere

for placement after right after the

recording this video I have to study on

the train so I'm not going to be

actively recalling everything that I'm

studying on the train itself I'm just

going to be like reading through trying

to understand the topics and layers and

studying generally because some days you

just won't be bothered to teach yourself

the content out loud or make mind maps

so it is okay to just read through stuff

or watch videos on it do low effort

things to make sure you get a little bit

in rather than going all the way for me

it's always been a 7030 ratio and I've

done it for a long time like this where

70% of the time I'm fully thinking about

how to absorb this information

efficiently how to learn it quickly how

to remember the most and learn it very

effectively For My Future Self but 30%

of them I'm honestly just doing the

minimums doing the chill study sessions

doing the stuff that actually just gets

me to my desk in order for me to do

something rather than absolutely nothing

anyways thank you so much for watching

I'm linking in my live studying series

up here let me know if you want me to

make this into a full guide leave a like

hope you enjoyed spam the comments

subscribe do all this stuff and I will

see you in the next one