Give Me 3 Minutes and I’ll Show You How I Scored 94% by Cramming On Exam Day

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares an effective three-step SAT method to ace exams with minimal study time. The first step is summarizing: read the chapter, write down everything you know without referencing the text. The second step is analyzing: identify areas of weakness and focus on understanding them. The final step is testing: after a brief pause, write everything you remember and check for gaps. This method helps condense large amounts of information into digestible content, allowing you to review an entire year’s worth of material in just a few hours, boosting both memory retention and exam performance.

Takeaways

• 😀 Focus on summarizing key content instead of copying everything down.
• 😀 Use summaries from textbooks or websites, but don't just copy them word-for-word.
• 😀 Condense the material by writing down only what you remember, targeting 20% of the content.
• 😀 Prioritize writing down the material from memory, with only a short time between reading and writing.
• 😀 After summarizing, analyze the material to identify sections you struggled with.
• 😀 Separate summaries into sections: one for what you understand and another for areas needing more focus.
• 😀 Focus on the sections you find difficult and prioritize revising those first.
• 😀 Test yourself by recalling everything you know from the material after summarizing.
• 😀 Use a different colored pen to correct the areas you missed or didn’t recall correctly.
• 😀 Repeat the cycle of testing and correcting, focusing on weak areas first, until you can recall the material confidently.

Q & A

What is the first step in the SAT study method mentioned in the video?

The first step is to summarize. You read through the material, extract key information, and write it down from memory, without referring back to the original content.

Why is it important not to copy everything from the summary word-for-word?

Copying everything down is a waste of time. The purpose of the method is to force your brain to recall the information and store it in short-term memory, which is more effective than simply copying text.

How should you reduce the material when summarizing?

You should aim to condense the material significantly, reducing, for example, 10 pages of content into just 2 pages by focusing only on the most essential information.

What does the 'Analyze' step involve in the SAT study method?

The 'Analyze' step involves reviewing your summaries to identify areas where you missed key details or where you need a deeper understanding, and focusing on these areas.

What should you do with summaries that you don't fully understand?

For summaries you don’t fully understand, place them aside as a priority to revisit later. These are the areas you should focus on during your study sessions.

What is the purpose of the 'Test' step in this method?

The 'Test' step involves recalling everything you’ve learned by writing down what you remember from a chapter, comparing it with the original content to identify gaps in knowledge, and then revisiting those gaps.

How does self-testing benefit your study process according to the video?

Self-testing helps you actively recall information, which strengthens memory retention. It also highlights areas of weakness, allowing you to focus your efforts more effectively.

Why should you focus on the topics you struggled with the most during testing?

Focusing on the topics you struggled with helps you reinforce your understanding in areas where you are weakest, ensuring you improve your knowledge and memory of these concepts.

How does the method help in studying a whole curriculum in a short amount of time?

By summarizing content efficiently, analyzing your weaknesses, and self-testing, you can condense a large amount of material into a manageable format and target the areas that need the most attention, allowing for quicker, more effective study.

What is the overall goal of the three-step SAT method described in the video?

The goal of the method is to help you memorize large amounts of material in a short period by focusing on key concepts, identifying knowledge gaps, and reinforcing your understanding through active recall.