How to Study Smarter, Not Harder: The Cambridge System

Summary

In this video, Cambridge graduate and doctor Izzy shares seven effective study habits she adopted during her seven years at Cambridge University. She emphasizes studying smarter, not harder, and covers habits such as co-working with friends, focusing on core content, leading with curiosity, taking sufficient rest, using the Pomodoro technique, scheduling study themes, and tackling the hardest tasks first. These habits helped her manage academic challenges, improve retention, and avoid burnout. Izzy also offers a free Notion guide with these tips and invites viewers to explore more in her other videos.

Takeaways

• 😀 The importance of 'studying smarter' rather than 'studying harder' for academic development.
• 👥 The co-working habit can make studying more enjoyable and sustainable by fostering camaraderie and accountability.
• 📚 Focusing on the 'core content' or the 80/20 rule helps in learning the most important aspects of a subject efficiently.
• 🔍 The 'Curiosity habit' emphasizes the power of intrinsic motivation in enhancing learning and memory retention.
• 🌱 The 'less is more' habit suggests that working less and allowing for rest can improve learning outcomes and prevent burnout.
• 🏋️‍♂️ The Pomodoro Technique can make studying more motivating, especially for dry or difficult material.
• 📈 The 'Triplet habit' of scheduling three blocks of studying with different topics each day can bring clarity and focus.
• 🐸 The 'Frog habit' of tackling the most challenging tasks first can set a positive tone for the rest of the day.
• 💤 The significance of proper rest and sleep in enhancing creativity, concentration, and overall productivity.
• 🤔 The need to find ways to engage with uninteresting or difficult subjects, which will be discussed in further habits.
• 📘 The recommendation of 'Eat That Frog' by Brian Tracy for guidance on prioritizing and tackling challenging tasks.

Q & A

What was the biggest academic challenge the speaker faced during their seven years at Cambridge University?

The biggest academic challenge the speaker faced was learning the true value of studying and realizing that it's not about studying harder but studying smarter.

What are the seven study habits the speaker adopted during their time at Cambridge University?

The seven study habits are: co-working habit, core content habit, curiosity habit, less is more habit, sprint habit, triplet habit, and frog habit.

Why did the speaker find co-working beneficial during their first year at University?

Co-working was beneficial because it made studying feel more fun, enjoyable, and sustainable, and it provided a sense of camaraderie and support during the exam term.

What is the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, and how did the speaker apply it to their studies?

The Pareto Principle suggests that roughly 80% of outcomes result from 20% of causes. The speaker applied it by focusing on the core topics first, which would give them around 80% of the results, before delving into more niche details.

How did the speaker's curiosity habit help them during their third year at Cambridge?

The curiosity habit allowed the speaker to follow their intrinsic motivation to learn, leading to more effective learning and better retention of information on topics they were genuinely interested in.

What is the 'less is more' habit and how did it impact the speaker's study routine during their fourth year?

The 'less is more' habit is about working less and allowing time to rest. The speaker found that by not pushing themselves too hard when feeling drained, they were able to learn and perform better.

Can you explain the Pomodoro Technique mentioned in the script and how it was used by the speaker?

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method where you work for a set period (typically 25 minutes), then take a short break. The speaker used it to make learning more motivating and to help focus on dry or difficult material.

What is the 'triplet habit' and how did it help the speaker during their sixth year at Cambridge?

The 'triplet habit' involves scheduling three blocks of studying with a different topic for each in a day. It helped the speaker bring clarity, focus, and motivation to their unstructured days during the lockdown.

What is the 'Frog Habit' and why did the speaker find it effective for their final year exams?

The 'Frog Habit' is about starting the day with the hardest tasks or topics first. The speaker found it effective because it allowed them to build momentum and made the rest of the day feel easier.

How did the speaker's experience with the Pomodoro Technique influence their approach to studying difficult material?

The speaker found that using shorter Pomodoro intervals for drier material helped make the studying process more manageable and less mentally draining.

What advice does the speaker give regarding rest and how can it improve one's study efficiency?

The speaker advises taking genuine rest, including proper sleep and engaging in relaxing activities away from screens, to replenish energy and boost concentration, ultimately improving study efficiency.

How did the speaker's approach to studying change when they intercalated with a Bachelor of Arts in biological anthropology?

The speaker learned to tailor their learning to their interests, following their curiosity which led to more effective learning and better retention of information.

What is the significance of starting the day with the most challenging task according to the speaker?

Starting the day with the most challenging task helps build a sense of momentum, making the rest of the day seem easier and more manageable.

What is the connection between curiosity and memory retention as discussed in the script?

The script mentions that when one is genuinely curious about a topic, they learn more effectively and retain more information, as curiosity enhances activity in the midbrain and nucleus accumbens.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Embracing Smart Study Habits at Cambridge

The speaker reflects on their seven-year medical journey at Cambridge University, emphasizing the importance of studying smarter over harder. They introduce seven study habits that were pivotal to their academic success and mental well-being. The first habit discussed is 'co-working,' where the speaker shares their experience of studying with a friend during their first year, which not only made the process enjoyable but also fostered a sense of camaraderie and accountability. The speaker also mentions a notion guide with all these tips available for free, and introduces themselves as Izzy, a Cambridge graduate and a doctor.

05:01

🌟 Prioritizing Core Content with the Pareto Principle

In the second year, facing an overwhelming volume of pre-clinical knowledge, the speaker adopted the Pareto Principle, or the 80/20 rule, to focus on the core topics that would yield the majority of the results. They explain the principle's origin and application to their studies, suggesting that by concentrating on the essential 20% of content, one can achieve 80% of the learning outcomes. This approach helped them avoid the burnout notorious among their peers and maintain a more effective study routine.

10:01

🤔 Cultivating Curiosity for Enhanced Learning

During their third year, the speaker intercalated with a Bachelor of Arts, delving into biological anthropology. This experience taught them the power of curiosity in learning, as it led to a deeper engagement with the subject matter and better retention of information. They cite a study demonstrating that curiosity enhances memory and learning, and discuss the neurological basis for this phenomenon, including the role of the midbrain and nucleus accumbens. The speaker acknowledges the challenge of finding curiosity in all school subjects and hints at strategies for dealing with less interesting content in upcoming habits.

🛌 The 'Less is More' Approach to Rest and Productivity

In their fourth year, as the speaker began clinical studies and faced the reality of patient care alongside study, they discovered the counterintuitive benefits of working less to achieve more. They highlight the importance of rest and recharge in maintaining energy levels and productivity. The speaker references 'Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less' by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, which advocates for strategic breaks and stopping at the right time to avoid burnout. The summary also touches on the importance of proper sleep and choosing genuine relaxing activities during rest periods.

⏱️ Mastering the Pomodoro Technique for Focused Study

The speaker shares their experience with the Pomodoro Technique as a method to tackle the challenging pathology exam in their fifth year of medical school. They explain the technique, which involves 25-minute focused study sessions followed by short breaks, and suggest that this approach can make learning more motivating, especially for dry or difficult material. The speaker also discusses the flexibility of the technique, mentioning that the focus periods can be adjusted according to personal rhythms and the nature of the task at hand.

📈 Structuring Study with the Triplet Habit

During a gap year in their sixth year, the speaker found structure in their unstructured time by adopting the 'triplet habit,' which involves scheduling three blocks of studying with different topics for each block in a day. This method provided a sense of order and allowed for a variety of topics to be studied with full focus. The speaker found this approach helpful during lockdowns and suggests it as a strategy for others with unstructured days or full days to study.

🐸 Eating the Frog: Taming the Toughest Tasks First

In their final year, preparing for comprehensive exams, the speaker learned the value of starting the day with the most challenging tasks, a strategy encapsulated by Mark Twain's advice to 'eat the frog.' They found that tackling the hardest tasks early leveraged their morning willpower and set a positive tone for the rest of the day. The speaker recommends the book 'Eat That Frog!' by Brian Tracy for further guidance on this habit and shares an affiliate link for those interested. The video concludes with a prompt for viewers to share their experiences and additional tips, and a reminder to take care of themselves.

Keywords

💡Academic Challenges

Academic challenges refer to the difficult tasks or problems encountered in the pursuit of education. In the video, the speaker mentions facing the biggest academic challenges during their seven-year medical studies at Cambridge University, which were crucial to their academic development. The concept is related to the theme of the video as it sets the stage for discussing effective study habits that helped overcome these challenges.

💡Studying Smarter

Studying smarter emphasizes the importance of efficient and effective learning strategies over simply spending more time studying. The video's theme revolves around this concept, as the speaker shares specific study habits that contributed to their academic success. The phrase is used to illustrate the realization that learning is not about harder work but smarter work.

💡Co-working Habit

Co-working habit is the practice of studying with peers, which can make the process more enjoyable and sustainable. The speaker describes how studying with a friend during their first year at university not only made studying more fun but also supported each other through the academic term, leading to a sense of camaraderie and shared success.

💡Accountability Buddy

An accountability buddy is a person with whom you share goals and progress, ensuring mutual responsibility and motivation. In the script, the speaker explains how having an accountability buddy can increase goal success and help in getting things done, which is a key aspect of the co-working habit discussed in the video.

💡Core Content Habit

Core content habit involves focusing on the most important topics or concepts that yield the majority of the results. The speaker applied the Pareto principle, or the 80/20 rule, during their second year of medical school to manage an overwhelming volume of knowledge, emphasizing the importance of concentrating on the core 20% of content that would yield 80% of the outcomes.

💡Curiosity Habit

Curiosity habit is about leading with intrinsic motivation to learn, which can enhance learning effectiveness and retention. The speaker discovered that following curiosity in their third year of study led to better memory retention and a more enjoyable learning experience. The video uses this concept to highlight the benefits of learning through genuine interest.

💡Less is More Habit

Less is More habit suggests that working less can sometimes lead to better learning outcomes, especially when feeling drained. The speaker found that allowing time to rest and recharge improved their ability to memorize and learn, which is a counterintuitive yet effective approach to studying discussed in the video.

💡Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method that involves breaking work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes, separated by short breaks. The speaker used this technique in their fifth year to tackle dry or difficult material, making the learning process more manageable and motivating.

💡Triplet Habit

Triplet habit is about scheduling three blocks of studying with a single topic focus for each block in a day. The speaker found this habit helpful during unstructured time, such as lockdowns, to bring clarity, focus, and motivation to their study routine, which is a strategy shared in the video for effective time management.

💡Frog Habit

Frog habit is the practice of starting the day with the most challenging tasks, akin to 'eating the frog' first. The speaker learned that tackling the hardest tasks early in the day builds momentum and makes the rest of the day easier, a strategy that is highlighted in the video for improving productivity and reducing procrastination.

💡Burnout

Burnout refers to a state of chronic stress that leads to emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion. The speaker mentions experiencing burnout during their second year of medical school, which is a context used in the video to discuss the importance of managing workload and preventing excessive stress as part of effective study habits.

Highlights

The importance of studying smarter, not just harder, for academic development.

Introduction of seven study habits adopted during medical studies at Cambridge University.

The co-working habit for increased enjoyment and support during study sessions.

Accountability in studying to increase goal success and motivation.

The application of the Pareto Principle (80/20 rule) to focus on core content areas in pre-clinical studies.

The significance of curiosity in enhancing learning and memory retention.

The benefits of working less and allowing time for rest to improve learning efficiency.

The Pomodoro Technique for managing study sessions and breaks to tackle dry or difficult material.

The Triplet Habit for structuring unstructured days with three focused study blocks.

The Frog Habit of tackling the most challenging tasks first to build momentum and ease the rest of the day.

The impact of genuine curiosity on the effectiveness of learning and the role of the midbrain and nucleus accumbens.

The importance of rest and the right timing for stopping work to avoid burnout and enhance creativity.

The role of technology in rest and the distinction between true rest and passive activities like social media scrolling.

The personal experience of burnout and the strategies to manage it during the pre-clinical years.

The effectiveness of the Pomodoro Technique in managing focus and breaks for improved productivity.

The personal strategy of scheduling study sessions around core topics to maximize retention and focus.

The practical application of the 'Eat the Frog' philosophy in daily study routines for better time management.

Transcripts

during my seven year studying medicine

at Cambridge University I was presented

with the biggest academic challenges I'd

ever faced in my life it was sink or

swim and what I learned during this time

about the true value of studying was

absolutely crucial to my academic

development I realized learning is not

all about studying harder but rather

studying smarter in this video I'm going

to walk you through seven specific and

simple study habits I've adopted which

saved both my grades and my sanity and

can hopefully do the same for you today

we'll go beyond just the basics of

active recall and space repetition which

you might be familiar with if you've

watched some of my other videos and I'll

bring you along on a little journey with

me through each of my years at Cambridge

from first year up to my seventh year

I've made a mini notion guide with all

of these tips which you can access

totally for free via the link below if

you're interested if you're new here my

name is Izzy I'm a Cambridge graduate

and a doctor without further Ado let's

get into the video the first habit is

the co-working Habit studying is not

known for being a particularly fun

activity but that doesn't mean we can't

try during my first year of University

one of my friends who was also studying

medicine studied with me every single

day during our first year exam term we'd

meet up in the morning and start

studying together then go get lunch in

college together and Hall and generally

support each other through the whole

process we'd cover topics at the same

time and help each other check our work

this made it feel so much more fun and

enjoyable and sustainable and then when

we ultimately passed all of our exams

together we felt a real sense of

camaraderie and could celebrate together

it can be really easy to sort of retreat

into your own space when studying and

shut out the outside world and thinking

that by being zoned in we do things more

effectively but in reality this is

actually a great time to work with

friends to not only bounce ideas off

each other but also to strengthen those

friendships additionally having an

accountability buddy for something is

actually proven to increase goal success

and help you to move towards whatever

your goal is so for example in the case

of studying studying with a friend and

keeping each other accountable can help

you to feel that sense of accountability

and get things done within a an hour day

week month you can make an agreement

together and be like today we're going

to get through all of the topics in

renal for example number two is the core

content habit my second year of medical

school was when we had the most

pre-clinical knowledge to learn it's

literally a volume of knowledge that I'd

never experienced before among Cambridge

Medical students as well it was a

notorious year for Burnout which was

something that I personally experienced

and also several of my friends and I

have a video talking more about that

I'll link that somewhere over here it

was physically impossible to learn

everything and know everything and one

of the features of the pre-clinical

medical curriculum at Cambridge is that

the syllabus is not clearly defined and

there's almost an unlimited volume of

stuff to learn if you wanted to which

was a feeling I was really not used to

as previously at school I was always

able to learn everything on the syllabi

because it was very much limited so here

I learned to apply the perito principle

also known as the 80 20 rule this

concept was discovered by Italian

economist Wilfredo perrito who in 1896

observed that roughly 80 of Italy's land

was owned by roughly 20 20 of its

population and he continued to notice

this 80 20 phenomenon for example 20 of

the plants in his garden bore 80 of all

the fruit the central idea behind this

concept is that 80 of all functional

outcomes result from 20 of causes so

when you study focus on the core topics

first in other words focus on that rough

20 that's going to give you around 80

percent of the results laser focus in to

all of those 20 on each topic before

moving on to anything else or going into

more depth for example in Pharmacology

which is the study of medications and

mechanism of drug action I would start

by learning the core drug classes and

also the main few examples of these as

the core 20 of the knowledge before only

later considering adding all the rest of

the drugs in that class some of which

aren't actually used in clinical

practice anymore and also any specific

side effects for any Niche drugs that

aren't really used anymore by

establishing this core understanding of

these core content areas I could reap 80

of the benefit of studying without

having to go through all of the niche

details that were unlikely to really

come up in the exam in any big way

number three is the Curiosity habit

which is essentially about leading with

curiosity curiosity can be defined as an

intrinsic motivation to learn in my

third year at Cambridge I intercalated

with a Bachelor of Arts in biological

anthropology which essentially is the

study of human evolution Health cultural

development social networks since seven

million years ago this was assessed by

essays and also a dissertation with some

research and was more free form than my

pre-clinical medical studies and I found

myself learning a lot and also being

able to tailor my learning to what I was

interested about I learned to follow my

curiosity with Academia and so for

example in one of my modules which is

around social networks one of the topics

was memes and I found myself asking more

questions about how memes spread and how

viral memes can become a part of our

culture and spread throughout a whole

society so quickly and as a side effect

of this I realized that the things I was

genuinely curious about really stuck in

my memory so much more you might have

found this yourself when you find

yourself remembering really random and

potentially not very applicable or

functional facts that are just really

interesting and you're genuinely curious

about and actually there's a lot of

science behind this because when

exploring a topic to learn about we

learn much more effectively and retain

more information when we're genuinely

curious about it in this study which

I'll pop on screen the researchers found

that Curiosity does indeed have a potent

effect on learning itself in both

immediate and one day delayed memory

tests participants showed improved

memory for information that they were

curious about and for incidental

material learned during states of higher

curiosity as part of this study they did

fmri scans which stands for functional

magnetic resonance imaging and they

found the activity in the midbrain and

nucleus accumbens was enhanced during

states of high curiosity so essentially

if you're in this state of really being

in the sense of wonder of like oh I

really wonder what happens next or oh

why does this happen then you can

naturally learn things more effectively

and remember stuff much more efficiently

so you might be thinking okay Izzy but

what if I'm not curious about a subject

I'm learning in school and that's really

a fair point because I think we've all

been here and not everything we learn

will naturally be interesting to us I'll

talk a bit more about how we can deal

with content that we don't find super

interesting or that we find difficult in

habits five and six so stick around for

that if you're interested number four is

the less is more habit which is

essentially about working less which I'm

sure you'll be very pleased to hear in

my fourth year I started my clinical

studies and I started clinical

patient-facing placements in hospitals

I'd go into placement from nine to five

and then try to go home and study

afterwards and maybe go to the gym and

push myself and I found that quite

quickly I was getting a really really

tired out and my energy levels were

dropping along with my productivity I

found something really unexpected which

was the less I pushed myself to work

when I was feeling drained the better I

actually learned and performed this

links in with the point before about

curiosity where when I was allowing

myself to really rest and recharge and

feel curious and excited to learn I was

able to memorize and learn and absorb

material much more effectively through

this experience I discovered first hand

how important taking care of yourself

and actually allowing time to rest is I

know literally everyone harps on and on

about how important it is to take breaks

and allies or to rest it's so true so

take it from me after seven years of

studying at Cambridge I'm telling you

work Less in his book titled rest why

you get more done when you work less the

rest expert Alex student Kim Pang talks

about the benefits of rest and its

ability to help you think more

creatively and effectively he recommends

simple measures like taking breaks to

walk or nap which can really replenish

your energy fill up your cup and boost

your ability to concentrate one crucial

component of rest that he also mentions

is stopping at the right time and this

can be actually really counterintuitive

and actually super interesting so this

actually triggered my curiosity into

something I won't forget Pang recommends

that you actually stop working at just

the right point which is when you see

your next move but you decide to leave

it until tomorrow the writer Ernest

Hemingway was a famous advocate of this

practice actually and he would say to

always stop when you know what is is

going to happen next overall this is a

great way to avoid burnout and also

provide a sense of clarity and ease of

restarting reducing that activation

energy when you're starting work the

next day because you already know your

next step of course the crucial

Foundation of a rest is getting proper

sleep I've made a more in-depth video

all about this subject which you can

check out over here with a bunch of

evidence-based tips if you're interested

and when we talk about rest we mean real

genuine relaxing activities that allow

your body and mind to actually take a

break from over stimulation so what I

don't mean to say that technology can

never be involved so such as watching a

movie or show can sometimes be a nice

way to unwind try to be mindful about

what you choose to do during this rest

period And I would potentially

controversially suggest that scrolling

on Instagram doesn't really count as

true rest and unwinding and instead

maybe take some time to read a book stay

away from screens maybe go for a walk

something like that number five is the

Sprint Habit in my fifth year of medical

school we had the infamous pathology

exam at Cambridge which was one of if

not the most challenging exam I've ever

taken in my life but this exam would

have to to interpret histological slides

understand the pathophysiology of

disease along with clinical presentation

investigation and management some of the

content was unbelievably dry so I

experimented with a lot of different

ways to try to combat this and one thing

that I found really really helped was

blocking a set time to focus Pomodoro

Style by using a Pomodoro Technique we

can make learning feel a bit more

motivating and encourage ourselves to

study dry or difficult material if

you're unfamiliar the Pomodoro Technique

is a method of studying developed by a

student in Italy named Francesco cirilla

in the 1980s it was named Pomodoro

because the clock that he used was

shaped like a tomato which is pomodoro

in Italian the keycepts are number one

get your to-do list and a timer to set

your timer for 25 minutes which is the

set time for a Pomodoro and then focus

on a single task until the timer Rings

number three when your session ends mark

off of Pomodoro take a five minute break

in Cirilla's book he recommends

25-minute Pomodoro intervals and five

minute break intervals but you can

actually Tinker with these times and

various different Studies have found

different times work for different

people often our minds and bodies work

in almost ultradian rhythms which are

usually around 90 minutes so generally

setting a focus period of somewhere

between 25 up to maybe 90 minutes would

be effective and generally I find that

for drier material shorter pomodoros are

better because it's more mentally

draining to make yourself look at

something that you really don't want to

whereas if it's something you can get

into a flow with then try increasing the

Pomodoro duration because then you can

actually really get into some deep work

on the topic six is the triplet habit

which is scheduling three blocks of

studying with a topic for each in a day

in my sixth year at Cambridge covered

lockdowns had hit and delayed a lot of

teaching and exams and I ended up taking

a gap and some time out for part of the

year and I was at home with a lot of

unstructured time I found that by

planning each day with three topic

themes I could give myself some sense of

structure for example in the morning I'd

study Mandarin then in the afternoon

slots in the early afternoon I'd learn

medicine and then in the late afternoon

maybe I'll learn about another medicine

topic groundbreaking it's a great way to

divide up the day and have a variety of

topics to study but still allow time to

focus fully on each one and by its

nature this is very helpful with

unstructured days so in my case this was

during covert lockdowns but it could be

something really helpful if you have

weekends or if you're a student who has

full days to study to see if it helps

bring Clarity focus and motivation to

your day number seven is the Frog Habit

in my final year at Cambridge Medical

School I had exams which were the

culmination of all of the years of study

beforehand which was like meant to be

the Pinnacle of my clinical knowledge

and examination skills for these I had

to demonstrate that I was fully ready to

graduate as a doctor I learned that I

could make my day flow more smoothly by

starting with the hardest tasks or

topics first I don't know about you but

I find that in the morning my willpower

to get through difficult things is much

higher so as soon as I wake up if I get

the hardest things out of the way I'd

feel a sense of momentum and then the

rest of my day would play more easily

because I'd be like oh ha I've already

finished the hardest thing the rest of

my day seems relatively pretty chill

this is summarized so nicely by this

quote from Mark Twain which I absolutely

love if it's your job to eat a frog it's

best to do it first thing in the morning

and if it's your job to eat two frogs

it's best to eat the biggest one first

of course even in the morning it can be

hard to do things that you're

intimidated by the most and this won't

work for everyone and getting there is

not an overnight process so if you're

looking for like a bit more guidance or

inspiration on this subject I'd really

recommend the book eat that Frog by

Brian Tracy and if you're interested you

can read a summarized version with a few

extra juicy links and Analysis on short

form and you can get free trial plus 20

off via my affiliate link down below if

you're interested if you enjoyed this

video I think you might like this one

over here where I talk about seven life

lessons from seven years at Cambridge

University where I talk about the

broader life lessons Beyond just

studying that I learned at Cambridge

University which is some of the most

valuable things that I learned during my

time there let me know in the comments

below or by email if any of these tips

helped and if you have any more that

you'd like to add thank you so much for

watching and as always take care of

yourself and I'll see you in the next

video bye