Learning Expert plays Overrated Underrated with Study Techniques

Summary

In this episode of 'Overrated Underrated,' Dr. Justin Sung, a former medical doctor turned coaching consultant, shares his brief insights on various topics. He discusses the value and misconceptions of brain dumps, self-care, hell yeah/hell no decision-making, studying ahead, virtual meetings, and more. Dr. Sung highlights the underrated aspects of these practices while addressing common misunderstandings. He also provides his take on New Zealand, manifestation, the Feynman technique, spaced repetition, group assignments, gaming, and study groups, emphasizing the importance of proper utilization for maximum benefit.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Brain dumps are considered underrated by Dr. Justin Sung as they are underutilized and effective for different orders of learning.
• 💆‍♂️ Self-care is very underrated, often misunderstood, and essential to avoid burnout, especially in high-pressure environments.
• 🤔 The 'hell yeah, hell no' decision-making practice is underrated as it simplifies decisions with low consequence of failure.
• 📚 Studying ahead of class is underrated, but it should be done effectively by focusing on higher-order structures rather than just lower-order details.
• 💻 Virtual meetings are underrated despite being disliked by many, as they save time and allow for remote work and interaction.
• 🇳🇿 New Zealand is seen by Dr. Sung as overrated due to its 'Utopia' image, but he acknowledges issues like institutionalized racism and climate change policies.
• 🤷‍♀️ Manifestation is overrated compared to goal setting and planning, which Dr. Sung believes are more effective and aligned with actions.
• 🔥 The Feynman technique is underrated and a good method for developing higher-order relational thinking.
• 🔄 Spaced repetition is overrated in the sense that it is necessary but should not be overused or relied upon as the sole learning method.
• 👥 Group assignments are overrated because they often involve unequal work distribution and may not effectively contribute to learning.
• 🎮 Gaming is properly rated; it's fun and should be enjoyed in moderation, with addiction to gaming being the real issue.
• 👨‍🏫 Study groups are generally underrated and can be beneficial when used correctly and facilitated well among participants.

Q & A

What is Dr. Justin Sung's professional background?

Dr. Justin Sung is a former medical doctor who has transitioned into being a full-time running coaching consultant.

What is the main topic of the 'overrated underrated' series by Dr. Justin Sung?

The 'overrated underrated' series discusses various ideas and concepts, with Dr. Sung providing his perspectives on whether they are overrated or underrated.

Why does Dr. Sung consider brain dumps to be underrated?

Dr. Sung believes brain dumps are underrated because they are not commonly known or utilized, yet they are an effective technique for different orders of learning.

What does Dr. Sung suggest about the practice of self-care?

Dr. Sung suggests that self-care is very underrated and misunderstood, often neglected to the point of burnout, especially in high-pressure environments like Asian countries.

What is Dr. Sung's view on the concept of 'hell yeah, hell no' in decision-making?

Dr. Sung considers the 'hell yeah, hell no' approach to decision-making to be underrated, as it simplifies decisions where the consequence of failure is not significant compared to the potential benefit.

How does Dr. Sung feel about studying ahead of class?

Dr. Sung believes that studying ahead of class is underrated, but it should be done effectively, focusing on higher-order structures rather than just lower-order details.

What is Dr. Sung's opinion on virtual meetings?

Despite the common dislike for virtual meetings, Dr. Sung considers them underrated because they save time and allow for remote work and interaction, which would not be possible without them.

Why does Dr. Sung think New Zealand is overrated?

Dr. Sung feels New Zealand is overrated due to its perceived utopian image, which may not fully account for issues such as internalized racism, climate change policies, and the country's actual level of proactiveness.

What is Dr. Sung's stance on the practice of manifestation?

Dr. Sung considers manifestation to be overrated, as he believes it lacks the critical thinking and action alignment found in proper goal setting and planning.

What does Dr. Sung think about the Feynman technique for learning?

Dr. Sung believes the Feynman technique is underrated, as it is an effective introductory method for higher-order relational thinking with simple instructions.

How does Dr. Sung view spaced repetition as a learning tool?

Dr. Sung considers spaced repetition to be necessary but overrated, advising that it should be used correctly and not relied upon as the sole method for learning.

What is Dr. Sung's opinion on group assignments in education?

Dr. Sung finds group assignments to be overrated, often due to uneven participation, questionable educational value, and logistical challenges.

How does Dr. Sung evaluate the current status of gaming?

Dr. Sung believes gaming is properly rated; it is fun and enjoyable, and its bad reputation is not necessarily deserved, similar to any other activity that can be overindulged in.

What does Dr. Sung think about the effectiveness of study groups?

Dr. Sung considers study groups to be underrated, as they can be beneficial when used correctly and facilitated effectively among participants.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Brain Dumps and Self-Care: Underrated Practices

Dr. Justin Sung discusses the underrated nature of brain dumps, a technique not commonly known or utilized, emphasizing its effectiveness in various learning orders. He also touches on the importance of self-care, which is often misunderstood and neglected, leading to burnout. Dr. Sung points out that self-care is crucial, as one cannot pour from an empty cup, and highlights the societal pressures, especially in Asian countries, that contribute to overworking and depletion.

05:00

🤔 Decision-Making and Study Techniques: Underrated and Overrated

The video script addresses the underrated aspect of simple decision-making, suggesting that not all decisions require deep thought, especially when the stakes are low. Dr. Sung also talks about the underrated practice of studying ahead of class, but notes that it should be done effectively to prime the mind for higher-order learning. He mentions virtual meetings as an underrated necessity, despite the common dislike for them, due to the time-saving benefits they offer. Lastly, he expresses his personal opinion that New Zealand is overrated, pointing out issues such as internalized racism and climate policy shortcomings, while acknowledging its natural beauty and free healthcare.

10:01

🚫 Overrated Concepts: Manifestation and Group Assignments

Dr. Sung critiques the overrated concept of manifestation, arguing that it lacks the practical benefits of proper goal setting and planning. He advocates for a more strategic approach to achieving goals. The script also labels group assignments as overrated, mainly due to the uneven distribution of work, questionable educational value, and logistical annoyances. Dr. Sung suggests that educators may not fully consider the effectiveness of such assignments in their curriculums.

🎮 Gaming and Study Groups: Properly Rated and Underrated

Gaming is discussed as a properly rated activity that is fun but can be problematic if addictive. Dr. Sung defends gaming against its negative reputation, stating that addiction to any activity is harmful. He then highlights study groups as generally underrated, suggesting that they can be highly beneficial when facilitated correctly. The script concludes by inviting viewers to comment on topics they wish to see expanded upon in future videos, emphasizing the need for specificity in feedback.

Keywords

💡Brain Dumps

Brain dumps refer to a technique where one writes down or speaks out all the thoughts and ideas on a particular topic without worrying about the order or structure. In the video, Dr. Justin Sung highlights that brain dumps are underrated because they are not commonly known or utilized enough. He explains that they are effective for different orders of learning, emphasizing the importance of not just focusing on lower order retrieval practice but also ensuring higher order learning is engaged.

💡Self-Care

Self-care is the practice of taking actions to maintain or improve one's own health and well-being, especially through the use of relaxation techniques, exercise, and healthy eating. Dr. Sung mentions that self-care is very underrated, often misunderstood, and neglected. He uses the analogy of an empty cup to illustrate the importance of not overworking oneself to the point of depletion, which is a common issue, especially in high-pressure environments.

💡Hell Yeah/Hell No Decision-Making

This concept, as discussed by Dr. Sung, is about simplifying the decision-making process by determining whether a decision is worth the mental energy based on the potential consequences and benefits. If a decision does not elicit a strong 'hell yeah' or 'hell no' response, it suggests that the decision may not be significant enough to warrant excessive deliberation. This approach helps in streamlining one's thought process and avoiding overthinking on trivial matters.

💡Studying Ahead of Class

Studying ahead of class is the act of preparing for upcoming lessons before they are taught. Dr. Sung considers this practice underrated but notes that it is often not done effectively. He suggests that studying should involve higher-order thinking and not just lower-order memorization. The script mentions 'priming' as an effective way to study ahead, which implies preparing the mind for deeper learning rather than just surface-level understanding.

💡Virtual Meetings

Virtual meetings are online gatherings that allow people to communicate and collaborate without being physically present in the same location. Despite the common dislike for them, Dr. Sung argues that virtual meetings are underrated because they save time and allow for remote work and interaction. He acknowledges the loss of certain benefits compared to in-person meetings but emphasizes the practicality and necessity of virtual meetings in modern work environments.

💡New Zealand

New Zealand is a country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, known for its beautiful landscapes and relaxed lifestyle. Dr. Sung, who lives there, has a nuanced view of New Zealand, suggesting it is overrated in terms of its reputation as a utopia. He points out that while there are benefits such as free healthcare, there are also issues like institutionalized racism and climate change policies that may not live up to the idealized image people have of the country.

💡Manifestation

Manifestation is a concept where one believes in the power of positive thinking and intention to make desires or goals a reality. Dr. Sung expresses a critical view of manifestation, considering it overrated compared to traditional goal setting and planning. He argues that manifestation can be too broad and lacks the action-oriented approach of proper planning, which aligns actions and behaviors with one's goals.

💡Feynman Technique

The Feynman Technique is a learning method named after physicist Richard Feynman, which involves explaining a concept in simple terms to ensure true understanding. Dr. Sung considers this technique underrated, as it is an effective way to engage in higher-order relational thinking. He suggests it as a simple and introductory method for self-regulated learning, although he notes that its effectiveness can vary based on individual interpretation and processing abilities.

💡Spaced Repetition

Spaced repetition is a learning technique where material is reviewed at increasing intervals over time, which has been shown to improve retention. Dr. Sung states that while spaced repetition is necessary and cannot be avoided, it is overrated and should not be the sole method of learning. He advises using it correctly and for appropriate types of knowledge, suggesting that it should be balanced with other learning strategies for optimal results.

💡Group Assignments

Group assignments are tasks given to a team of students to complete together. Dr. Sung considers them overrated, citing issues such as unequal contribution, questionable educational value, and logistical annoyances. He suggests that while there are exceptions, group assignments are often not well thought out and can be tokenistic, implying they may be more for appearance than actual learning.

💡Gaming

Gaming refers to the activity of playing video games, a popular pastime that has gained significant cultural attention. Dr. Sung believes that gaming is properly rated, meaning it is neither overrated nor underrated. He acknowledges the potential for addiction but argues that this is a risk with any activity, and he defends gaming against its critics, suggesting it gets an undeserved bad reputation.

💡Study Groups

Study groups are collaborative sessions where students gather to learn and discuss course material together. Dr. Sung finds study groups to be underrated, as they can be beneficial when used correctly. He notes that people often avoid them due to past negative experiences but asserts that with proper facilitation, study groups can enhance learning and understanding of the subject matter.

Highlights

Brain dumps are underrated and underutilized as a learning technique.

The importance of higher order learning in addition to lower order retrieval practice for brain dumps.

Self-care is often misunderstood and underrated, with many pushing themselves beyond the point of exhaustion.

The concept of 'hell yeah, hell no' in decision-making as a way to simplify choices with minimal consequences.

Studying ahead of class is underrated, with effective priming being key to higher order learning.

Virtual meetings are underrated despite being disliked, as they save time and enable remote work.

New Zealand is considered overrated due to its clean image, but there are concerns about policy and institutional issues.

Manifestation is seen as overrated compared to goal setting and planning with aligned actions.

The Feynman technique is underrated for its simplicity in promoting higher order relational thinking.

Spaced repetition is necessary but overrated; it should be used correctly and not over-relied upon.

Group assignments are often overrated due to uneven participation and questionable effectiveness.

Gaming is properly rated despite its hype, with addiction being a concern but not unique to gaming.

Study groups are underrated and can be beneficial when used and facilitated correctly.

A call to action for viewers to comment on what they want expanded upon in future videos.

Transcripts

hey everyone it's Dr Justin sung here

I'm a former medical doctor and now

full-time running coaching consultant

and welcome to another episode of

overrated underrated where we're going

to be going through lots of different

ideas and I'm going to be explaining my

take on them as briefly as possible

[Music]

brain dumps are underrated because most

people don't know them I'm pretty sure

it's not a commonly known technique it's

one of the more common ones I think but

it's still fairly underutilized yeah

brain dumps are good they're effective

you need to be able to do different

orders of learning for brain dumps don't

just do the lower order ones like low

order brain dams are good for lower

order retrieval practice but you you

need to make sure that it's not the only

method of retrieval practice like make

sure to hit the higher rotors because

you're going to get tested at the higher

orders anyway self-care self-care is so

misunderstood and for that reason I'd

say it's very underrated and and I say

this as someone who like probably

doesn't do enough self-care myself and

I'm also internally saying I'm

underrating it myself but you know you

can't pull out an empty Cup right but

most people is not like empty cup it's

like the cup is broken and the hand is

cut and then like the person is scars

from ever holding a cup ever again like

people will push themselves to the point

not of tiredness not of exhaustion not a

fatigue not at the point that they

should rest but way beyond that point

and they'll cycle through that point

again and again and again through

burnout to get to the point where now

they're just like completely depleted

especially in Asian countries where

there's a lot of pressure to just have

that like success of whatever that means

so self-care is underrated really

underrated

hell yeah

hell no in terms of the decision-making

uh practice I'm presuming this is

definitely underrated yeah yeah there

are so many decisions that you can make

that are so much simpler when you've

realized that this decision doesn't

require me to think too much because the

consequence of failure versus the

potential benefit is not significant

enough for this question for this

decision to be that meaningful the idea

is that if it's not a hell yeah or how

no decision then it doesn't really

matter just make the decision and go

with it it's not worth just like mulling

over it too much and oh this is a really

really complicated field I don't want to

go into it too deep because to keep it

brief but overall look it up underrated

studying ahead of class yeah definitely

underrated but you don't have to like be

studying everything ahead of class I

think the issue is that most people

don't know how to study ahead of class

in a way that's effective for them that

is good priming when people study ahead

of class they still study at lower

orders ahead of class and that is

honestly like a little bit pointless

like there is still a benefit but that

amount of time could have been used for

something that's so much more productive

and people aren't used to working with

purely higher order structures before

filling in lower order detail but if you

were able to do that then that method of

Presidio priming is very helpful and

also all the ways that I teach about

pre-studio priming any of my other

videos

are teaching the more effective way FYI

virtual meetings

people hate virtual meetings

I think they're underrated because

people hate them

I don't love having virtual meetings but

honestly like be being able to have a

virtual meeting saves so much times like

you know like physical meaning always

takes more time and yes you're losing

out on these other benefits yes I

understand that and if you're only doing

virtual meetings I know it's like kind

of

you know it kind of affects you but like

it's it's still like a good thing like

you know you're able to work remotely

you're able to you know interact with

all these other people and not have to

like imagine if virtual meetings didn't

exist

like what would your life look like you

know would you be able to even do the

work that you do could you interact with

the people that you interact with for

that reason I'd say it's underrated even

though people hate them it's like it's

necessary evil

New Zealand New Zealand is

um

hmm you know what

you know what I I like living in New

Zealand you know I live in New Zealand

not because I have to but because I I

want to I think it's a beautiful country

I think in a lot of ways though I think

it is overrated I think it's always that

grass is greener on the other side type

of thing and I say this knowing that the

entire world sees New Zealand as almost

like this Utopia I think anyway I think

that's the impression that a lot of

people have is like this like like a

beautiful amazing place where like

everything is really great and the

healthcare is free and that's good the

fact that Healthcare is free is good

um like I'd much rather live in New

Zealand than in the US for example where

like I don't know if I get hit by a car

I'll probably just die

um but uh there's a lot of stuff that

goes on in terms of New Zealand's like

policy like Politics as well as

um like the nature of the policies and

sort of internalize and

institutionalized racism

um the climate change policies and level

of proactiveness it's like this clean

green image is like hmm do we really

deserve that really or are we just

writing off of it because the country

naturally happens to be beautiful and

we've got such a small population that

these problems don't seem too massive

yeah

so a little overrated I think

but still great

manifestation

I feel like I'm going to get hated on by

like every single

um I don't know like Tick Tock Instagram

um like I don't even know what you call

them they're just influencers for the

sake of influencing

um but I think it's like super overrated

I really think it's very overrated I I

think I don't I don't see the benefit of

like all this manifestation stuff that

is better than just doing like proper

goal setting and planning you know like

you get all the benefits you know it

allows you to like focus in and

centralize in and visualize where you

want to go and think about it critically

and then and make sure that everything

is aligned to it but at least in that

when you do proper goal setting and

planning for it you're actually aligning

your actions and behavior for it as well

whereas manifestation can be Broad and

some people are like literally thinking

they can manifest anything by just like

speaking it into the universe

well let's do this you speak into the

universe I'll do things we'll meet up in

10 years and see where we got okay let's

just empirically test it

Feynman technique I think it's

pronounced but uh a fireman technique is

underrated the fireman method is very

good it's a great introductory way of

learning about how you can actually

start breaking into some levels of

higher order relational thinking in a

very simple easy to understand set of

instructions

again and this is kind of the the case

with any type of self-regulated learning

technique is that there's always nuances

and there's always different ways that

it can go like you can try to do the

technique but you can interpret it wrong

or you might not be able to do the

processing required to get the benefit

from it and then you wouldn't find it

very effective and so from an individual

level there's lots of other things to

consider but generally if you're just

shotgunning an approach if I was talking

to like a a 13 year old or a 14 year old

that's just getting into study

strategies for the very first time

finding technique would be definitely

maybe top 10 on the list of things that

I'll get them to start working with

yeah okay well look I think most people

if you're watching this video you

potentially subscribe to me uh and if

you subscribe to me you probably already

know what my views are on Space

repetition let me be super clear

space repetition is overrated

space repetition is necessary you can't

avoid it but you shouldn't abuse it you

need to know how to use it correctly and

you need to know how to use it for the

right types of knowledge you cannot

space repetition your way you cannot

wrote spaced repetition your way to

success right like just think about how

easy it would be to succeed if that's

all you needed to do especially now with

AI low order learning is becoming less

and less valuable anyway data

availability and just knowing things is

going to be less and less important

space repetition if you're not using it

use it if you're not using it use it if

you are using it you're probably using

it enough already you don't have to do

more and more so

having some lower order space repetition

active recall just retrieval practice

coverage is good once you've covered it

you're done you don't have to just keep

covering it more work on the other

things that are going to increase your

initial encoding or your ability to have

interleaved retrieval or higher orders

of retrieval those are the things that

are going to get you more bang for buck

roof assignments uh yeah they're

overrated for sure because most people

in your group are not pulling their

weight and and number two most people

that are giving you the assignments

don't really know if their time is even

going to help you in the first place uh

and then number three they're often very

annoying logistically and just to get

your head around to try to complete them

there are some exceptions obviously but

just as a blanket statement and I'm

saying this like I've looked through

lots of different curriculums and I've

looked through different ways that

Educators and different institutions at

both secondary and tertiary education

tend to think about assignments well I

don't think it's very well thought out

in a lot of ways so I'm going to say in

general group assignments are kind of

overrated they can be really tokenistic

as well gaming

gaming

I mean gaming is so hyped at the moment

right like it's such a popular thing

like

um I think gaming is properly rated

it's fun I like gaming

um you know if you're addicted that's

not good but so is being addicted to

anything I think it gets a bad rip

um but I don't think that bad rep is

necessarily deserved actually so I'm

gonna say that it's super hype and it

has a bad rip property rated

study groups

study groups are generally underrated I

think people tend to avoid study groups

in some situations because they haven't

had good experiences with study groups

before and as a result they don't feel

like they

will get benefit from it so they avoid

it but I think if you know how to use

study groups in the right way and you

know how to sort of facilitate it with

each other then I think study groups can

be really beneficial actually

so yeah underrated

so that's it for this episode of

overrated underrated if there's anything

that I mentioned that you want me to

dive into in more detail please leave a

comment down below let me know what it

is that you want me to dive into and

also specify the question about what

aspect of it you want me to dive into in

the very very first overrated underrated

video that we did for this I just said

leave a comment below on what you want

me to expand on people just said like

the word expand on it and I was like

what about it so that that was my fault

this time be a little bit more specific

but anyway thank you for watching if you

like this stuff leave a like leave a

comment make sure to subscribe and I'll

catch you in the next one

thank you

[Music]