Evidence-based Study Techniques

We discussed previously about the least effective study techniques that (sadly) almost everyone is using. The problem with re-reading, highlighting, and summarising is that it encourages passive learning. Learning effectively involves active thinking. It takes more effort, but it is precisely the effort that makes it really stick in our memory. Here are a few ways I use to learn actively.

🕸️ Scoping Your Subject

Before starting to study any subject, I find it useful to scope the subject with mind maps or spider diagrams.

Mind maps help us break up complex information into bite sized chunks, helping us understand the details, as well as keep a firm grasp on the bigger picture.

The idea is pretty straightforward. Think of it as Google maps, but for studies. Without it, we get lost inside all the details and never seeing the bigger picture. We don't know when to make a turn, and we don't know when to retrieve a particular set of information.

Our minds understand better through diagrams than in words. It's just the way our brain works. We are visual creatures, we have evolved over thousands of years relying predominantly on our sight as hunter-gatherers. Even though we have developed tools for putting our ideas down on paper, our brains just are wired to store information in pictures better than in words.

📗 Cornell Notes System

The Cornell notes system is a great way to take notes. The basic idea is that instead of writing content for notes, we create questions instead.

1. We create questions, and answer each question individually as we read our textbooks or as our class goes on.
2. At the end, we cover all our books and notes and try to summarise what we've learned based on whatever (little) we remember.
3. After we've actively tried to write the summary from memory, open up our notes and fill in the gaps.

🗣️ The Feynman Technique

If you want to learn something well, explain it!
- Dr Richard Feynman

This technique was named after Dr Richard Feynman (who was also called The Great Explainer) because he was able to explain really complex concepts in an easy-to-understand manner.

The Feynman technique is great for learning concepts because it forces us to explain things in a step-by-step, logical manner. Because of that, it helps us realize gaps in our knowledge that we didn't know we had ("unknown unknowns"). As Feynman said:

The first principle is that you must not fool yourself — and you are the easiest person to fool.

The Feynman Technique is simple:

1. Study: Choose a topic
2. Teach: Pretend you're explaining it to a 5 year old child. If you've talked to children before, you know that a child's favourite question is "Why?". This forces us to break down complex information into simpler and more intuitive chunks of info.
3. Fill the gaps: Identify gaps and go back to the source material. Very often, I'll get stuck somewhere because I don't really understand something. Rather than it being bad, being stuck is a great thing thing! It lets me pinpoint the exact part that I don't know, and I get to read up on it to fill the gap in my knowledge.
4. Review and Simplify: Go back and see if we've resorted to using complex terms to explain something (which usually means that we haven't understood that part well enough). Try to break it down further into simpler English so that even a 5 year old child could understand it (figuratively speaking, sort of like Reddit's ELI5)

And there you have it. Explaining something is the ultimate test of our understanding. I usually explain it to my dog or my pencil case, and I prefer to speak out loud rather than have an internal conversation in my head.

Try it for yourself, and if you're able to complete one round of Feynman technique on your chosen topic without resorting to using specialist terms, it means you've understood it well enough, congratulations.

Conclusion

I hope this has given you a brief idea of why active learning is the way to go. Active learning is harder and more effortful, but it is precisely the effort that strengthens our brain's neuronal connections. This will ensure that you can approach your exams confidently knowing that there are no gaps in your knowledge.

This is part two of a 2-part series on studying effectively. Check out the study techniques we should avoid as much as possible.

‌Enjoyed this post? If so, you might want to subscribe to my weekly newsletter. I discover new articles, books, and podcasts every week, and condense them down into a short life lesson or two.

Click here to check out the previous issues ( and maybe subscribe :D )