How to Learn Anything FASTER  ## Metadata - Author: [[YouTube]] - Full Title: How to Learn Anything FASTER - Category: #articles - Document Note: --- tags: [learning, productivity, study-techniques] author: Ali Abdaal source: YouTube reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unityETmypk date created: 2024-12-28 15:30 --- # 🏷️ Title: How to Learn Anything FASTER ## 🧰 Action Inbox - [H1] Create meta-learning research plan before starting new skill — preparation phase #learning - [H2] Apply 5-minute rule to overcome learning activation energy — focus optimization #productivity - [H3] Document learning process while acquiring new skills — teaching preparation #knowledge-sharing ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📚 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) - [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ### 🔗 References - [Make It Stick (book)](https://www.amazon.com/Make-It-Stick-Successful-Learning/dp/1612180027) - [Ultralearning by Scott Young](https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/ultralearning/) ## 📝 Summary - Ali Abdaal shares nine evidence-based techniques for accelerating learning any skill - Emphasizes meta-learning (learning how to learn) as a foundational superpower - Covers preparation, focus optimization, immersion, weakness identification, active recall, feedback loops, deep understanding, spaced repetition, and teaching - Key stakeholders include students, professionals, and lifelong learners - Bottom line: Learning efficiency comes from deliberate practice of learning techniques, not just practicing the skill itself ## 📖 Main Content This video presents a systematic approach to accelerating learning based on cognitive science research and personal experience. The core argument is that meta-learning skills provide exponential returns across all domains of knowledge acquisition. Abdaal draws from his medical school experience, music learning journey, and teaching background to demonstrate practical applications. The techniques span from preparation strategies (sharpening the axe) to retention methods (spaced repetition) and knowledge consolidation (teaching others). Each tip builds on established learning science while providing actionable implementation strategies. ## 🗒️ Notes #### ⏱️ [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unityETmypk?t=0) — [H1] Learning as Meta-Superpower Introduction - Key idea: Learning how to learn is a meta skill that impacts everything we do - Evidence: "Learning has been probably one of my main superpowers since I was very young" #### ⏱️ [01:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unityETmypk?t=92) — [H1] Tip 1: Sharpen the Axe - Preparation Strategy - Key idea: Spend significant time learning how to learn before diving into content - Evidence: "If you gave me six hours to chop down a tree, I would spend the first four sharpening the axe" #### ⏱️ [03:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unityETmypk?t=185) — [H2] Piano Learning Research Example - Key idea: Meta-learning research on Reddit accelerated actual skill acquisition - Evidence: "Spending time on the learn piano subreddit really helped accelerate my learning process" #### ⏱️ [03:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unityETmypk?t=205) — [H2] Tip 2: Focus Optimization Crutches - Key idea: Use specific techniques to maintain focused attention during learning - Evidence: "When we're fully focused on the thing that we're learning, our brain learns the thing a lot better" #### ⏱️ [04:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unityETmypk?t=250) — [H3] Five Minute Rule Implementation - Key idea: Overcome activation energy by committing to just five minutes of practice - Evidence: "More often than not I find that if I've been practicing the guitar for five minutes, I do want to continue" #### ⏱️ [04:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unityETmypk?t=285) — [H2] Tip 3: Find Immersion Opportunities - Key idea: Learn in environments where you'll actually use the skill - Evidence: "We learn best when we're in the environment where we're actually gonna be using the skill" #### ⏱️ [05:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unityETmypk?t=330) — [H3] Magic Performance Immersion Example - Key idea: Real performance contexts accelerated learning beyond mirror practice - Evidence: "Paid gigs at balls and parties helped improve my abilities in a way that just doing it in front of the mirror wouldn't have" #### ⏱️ [06:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unityETmypk?t=385) — [H2] Tip 4: Identify and Drill Weak Links - Key idea: Focus practice time on areas of greatest weakness rather than comfortable topics - Evidence: "If the exam were tomorrow, what topic would I be the least happy about? And then I would just study that topic" #### ⏱️ [08:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unityETmypk?t=480) — [H2] Tip 5: Test Yourself - Active Recall - Key idea: Learning happens by retrieving information, not by inputting it - Evidence: "We don't learn by trying to put stuff into our brains, we actually learn by trying to take stuff out" #### ⏱️ [09:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unityETmypk?t=555) — [H3] Desirable Difficulty Concept - Key idea: Optimal learning occurs at challenging but manageable difficulty levels - Evidence: "Learning is not supposed to be easy, it is supposed to be hard" #### ⏱️ [10:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unityETmypk?t=630) — [H2] Tip 6: Intense Rapid Feedback - Key idea: Fast feedback loops accelerate learning more than delayed feedback - Evidence: "Ever since getting a personal trainer, everything in the gym has improved because now I have someone giving me feedback" #### ⏱️ [12:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unityETmypk?t=725) — [H2] Tip 7: Overlearning - First Principles Understanding - Key idea: Learn deeper than necessary by understanding why things work - Evidence: "Continuously asking why a thing works the way that it does" #### ⏱️ [14:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unityETmypk?t=850) — [H2] Tip 8: Spacing - Spaced Repetition - Key idea: Combat forgetting curve through strategically timed review sessions - Evidence: "We have to keep on practicing or testing ourselves to continue to have our brain use up space for that thing" #### ⏱️ [16:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unityETmypk?t=1005) — [H2] Tip 9: Teach What You Learn - Key idea: Teaching others solidifies your own understanding of the material - Evidence: "Anytime I try and teach something, it really solidifies my own knowledge and understanding" ## 📚 References - [Make It Stick by Brown, Roediger, McDaniel](https://www.amazon.com/Make-It-Stick-Successful-Learning/dp/1612180027) - [Ultralearning by Scott Young](https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/ultralearning/) - [Anki Spaced Repetition Software](https://apps.ankiweb.net/) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase - Effective learning requires meta-cognitive preparation - researching optimal learning strategies before diving into content acquisition - Focus optimization through environmental design and commitment devices creates better learning conditions than passive consumption - Immersive practice in real-world contexts accelerates skill transfer compared to isolated drill sessions ## 📰 Newsletter **Level Up Your Learning Game: 9 Science-Backed Techniques That Actually Work** Ever feel like you're spinning your wheels when trying to master new skills? Ali Abdaal's latest deep-dive reveals why most people learn inefficiently - and more importantly, how to fix it. The game-changer? Meta-learning. Before jumping into content, invest time researching HOW to learn your target skill. Whether it's WordPress development, design principles, or business strategy, the learning methodology matters as much as the material itself. Key practical wins: - Use the 5-minute rule to overcome procrastination - Practice in real-world contexts, not just tutorials - Focus on your weakest areas (uncomfortable but effective) - Test yourself constantly instead of re-reading materials - Teach others to cement your own understanding The thread connecting all techniques: deliberate difficulty over comfortable repetition. Resources: [Ali Abdaal's Channel](https://www.youtube.com/c/aliabdaal), [Make It Stick](https://www.amazon.com/Make-It-Stick-Successful-Learning/dp/1612180027), [Anki](https://apps.ankiweb.net/) ## ✅ Action Items #### DevRel - Developer education: Create immersive coding challenges that mirror real development contexts - Community engagement: Implement peer teaching programs where junior developers mentor newcomers - Content strategy: Design progressive learning paths with built-in active recall checkpoints #### Community - Maintainers: Establish focused contribution onboarding that identifies and addresses individual skill gaps - Contributors: Create feedback loops for code review that emphasize understanding over compliance - Ecosystem: Document learning journeys to help others navigate similar skill acquisition paths ## 🧪 Hypotheses - Meta-learning research phases reduce overall skill acquisition time by 25-40% - Immersive practice environments improve skill transfer to real-world contexts compared to isolated tutorials - Teaching newly acquired skills within 30 days improves long-term retention rates - Focused weak-link practice outperforms balanced skill development for accelerated competency ### 📊 Methodology - Controlled study comparing preparation time vs. total learning duration across different skill domains - A/B testing of immersive vs. tutorial-based learning environments with performance assessments - Longitudinal tracking of retention rates between learners who teach vs. those who don't ### ❓ Questions - How do optimal meta-learning research durations vary by skill complexity and domain? - What immersion strategies work best for abstract skills like programming or design thinking? - Can AI-powered feedback systems replace human coaching for rapid learning acceleration? ### 🔮 Future Research - Investigation of personalized learning style optimization within meta-learning frameworks - Cross-cultural validation of learning acceleration techniques across different educational backgrounds - Integration of biometric feedback (attention, stress) into learning optimization systems ### 💡 Implications - Practice: Restructure skill development programs to prioritize meta-learning phases - Education: Design curricula that explicitly teach learning techniques alongside domain knowledge - Technology: Develop tools that provide real-time feedback on learning effectiveness and focus quality - Community: Create mentorship structures that leverage the guide-vs-guru teaching model ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment Reading level estimate: 8th Grade (accessible to broad audiences) #### 👀 Visual learners - Present: Clear numbered structure, examples from multiple domains - Improve: Learning technique flowcharts, skill progression diagrams #### 🔊 Aural learners - Present: Full video format with clear narration - Improve: Podcast version of key techniques with implementation examples #### 🗣️ Verbal learners - Present: Rich analogies (axe sharpening, guide vs guru), clear definitions - Improve: Learning technique glossary, comparison tables of approaches #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners - Present: Actionable techniques with immediate implementation steps - Improve: Practice worksheets, skill assessment checklists #### 🧠 Logical learners - Present: Evidence-based approach, systematic progression of techniques - Improve: Learning effectiveness metrics, decision trees for technique selection #### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social learners - Present: Teaching component, community learning examples (Reddit) - Improve: Learning partner matching system, group challenge formats #### 🧘‍♀️ Solitary learners - Present: Individual focus techniques, self-testing methods - Improve: Personal learning journal templates, self-assessment rubrics #### 🌿 Naturalistic learners - Present: Organic skill development analogies (muscle memory, brain atrophy) - Improve: Learning ecosystem thinking, skill interconnection mapping ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment #### Screen reader semantics - Present: Clear heading hierarchy, timestamped structure - Improve: Alt text for any visual demonstrations, ARIA landmarks for sections #### Keyboard navigation - Present: Standard video controls, clear link structure - Improve: Skip-to-content options, keyboard shortcuts for technique sections #### Contrast and readability - Present: High contrast text in video, clear typography - Improve: Transcript formatting optimization, adjustable text sizing #### Media and captions - Present: Full video transcript provided - Improve: Time-synced captions, downloadable transcript formats ### 🌍 DEIB Assessment #### Cultural breadth - Present: Examples from diverse domains (medicine, music, business) - Improve: Cross-cultural learning tradition examples, non-Western pedagogical approaches #### Inclusive language - Present: Encouragement for different starting points, growth mindset framing - Improve: Acknowledgment of learning privilege, resource accessibility considerations #### Neurodiversity support - Present: Multiple technique options, customizable approaches - Improve: ADHD-specific focus strategies, autism-friendly learning environment tips #### Representation - Present: Single perspective from privileged educational background - Improve: Diverse learning journey case studies, varied socioeconomic contexts ### ✅ Logical Validity #### Strong reasoning - Deductive strength: Learning science principles clearly applied to practical techniques - Inductive strength: Personal examples effectively generalize to broader applications - Causal reasoning: Clear connections between technique implementation and learning outcomes - Analogical strength: Effective metaphors (axe sharpening, guide vs guru) clarify abstract concepts #### Fallacies - Survivorship bias: Heavy emphasis on personal success without addressing failure cases or individual differences - Hasty generalization: Limited acknowledgment that techniques may not work equally for all learning styles or conditions #### Tone of voice - Overall tone: Enthusiastic and encouraging with evidence-based confidence, maintains accessibility without oversimplification ### 🛡️ DARVO Analysis - Deny: No denial patterns present - Attack: No attacks on traditional learning methods or institutions - Reverse victim/offender: No victim/offender dynamics present - Emotional cues: Positive framing throughout, emphasizes personal agency and growth potential ## 🎯 Conclusion Meta-learning techniques provide leverage for accelerating skill acquisition across all domains. The key insight is that learning efficiency compounds when we deliberately practice learning itself, not just domain-specific content. Implementation requires initial time investment in research and setup, but pays dividends through faster skill acquisition and better retention. The most practical next step is conducting meta-learning research before starting any new skill development project. ## 🧱 Refactor Appendix ### 📚 Literature Split Pad Purpose: Stage CEE units that become Literature notes. Split level: H3 ### [H1] Meta-learning research accelerates skill acquisition > [!quote] [How to Learn Anything FASTER](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unityETmypk) by [[Ali Abdaal]] via [[YouTube]]. Published 2024. Accessed 2024-12-28. > "If you gave me six hours to chop down a tree, I would spend the first four sharpening the axe." Preparation phase where learners research optimal learning strategies before content acquisition. [view highlight](https://www.youtube.com/watch? - Document Tags: [[learning]] [[knowledge]] [[productivity]] - Summary: How to Learn Anything FASTER - URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unityETmypk Hey friends, welcome back to the channel.Today, we're talking about learning.Now, learning has been probably one of my main superpowerssince I was very young.And learning how to learn is one of those meta skillsthat no one ever really teaches us,but that can have an enormous impact on our lifein basically everything that we do. For example, when I was in med school,I learned how to learn,and therefore I could study for everything that I was doingmore efficiently, and that freed up my own time to do thingslike set up a business and set up this YouTube channel. And these days,even though I don't have many more exams to prepare for,learning is still a huge part of my life.Trying to get better at making these YouTube videos,trying to get better at running a business.All of this stuff involves learning. And so in this video, I'm going to share nine tipsthat I found really helpful that are evidence-basedabout how we can learn anything we want faster, let's go. Tip number one is to sharpen the axe.Now this is from a quotethat's attributed to Abraham Lincoln,where he famously said thatif you gave me six hours to chop down a tree,I would spend the first four sharpening the axe.And he's really talking here about the power of preparation.And this definitely applies to learning anything as well. Let's say we are studying for an examand we want to learn it a little bit better.Reading a great book called "Make It Stick"would be a great way of learning how to learn,or checking out my Skillshare classon evidence-based study techniques. Equally, let's say we're trying to learn somethinglike the guitar or chess or anything like that.Something that's not related to studying.We should still spend a decent amount of timefiguring out the meta-learning behindwhat we're actually going to learn,like how we are going to learn the thing. For example,when I was learning how to play the piano by ear,I spent a decent amount of time on the learn piano subredditwhere people were explaining how to learnhow to play piano by ear,and just spending a little bit of time sharpening the axebefore I actually sat down to learn the thingreally helped accelerate my learning process. Tip number two is to use crutches to optimize our focus.Now, whenever we're learning anything,it's really tempting to kind of learn it in the background,like practicing the guitar while watching TVor something like that.But obviously, when we're fully focusedon the thing that we're learning,our brain learns the thing a lot better.And so I found a few different crutches or hacksThat have been particularly helpfulin helping me focus on things. One is the five-minute rule,which is a general tip for productivity as well,which is that if we want to do somethingand we're finding ourselves having difficultyin starting out doing the thing,like actually getting started,overcoming the activation energy.The five-minute rule says thatwe just have to convince ourselvesthat we're just going to do the thing for five minutes.And then after we've done it for five minutes,we're allowed to just not do it; but more often than not,I find that if I've been practicing the guitar,or playing the piano for five minutes,I do then want to actually continue to practice. The other thing that's really helpfulis to just chuck my phone away.I literally take my phone and I toss it onto the sofaor on the floor like a good tosser.And then I'm ready to focus and not be distractedwith the thing that I'm trying to learn, all right? Tip number three is to find opportunities for immersion.So there's a great book called "Ultralearning"by a chap called Scott Youngwhere he talks about his journey through learning languagesin like three months at a time,and becoming fluent in a language in three months.And the key to that, as all language learners say,Immersion is key. Just being as immersed in the language as possible.And the general principle here is thatwe learn best when we're in the environmentwhere we're actually going to be using the skill.So, for example, when I was learning how to do magicto become a close-up magician,yes, I was doing some practice in front of my webcamand in front of my mirrorjust to get the sleight of hand down.But really, my webcam or mirror is not the arenain which I'm going to be performing. And so I made it a pointto try and perform magic for real peopleas much as possible.I would take a deck of cards to schooland I'd have cards in my room at all times,and so friends would come over.I'd kind of be like,"Hey, do you wanna see a magic trick?"And eventually, once I got okay at performingfor friends and family,I started then reaching out and doing paid gigs,even though I was nowhere near good enough in my headto get paid to do magic. Eventually, I did end up getting paid to do magic.And those walk-around gigs at balls and partieshelped improve my abilitiesin a way that just doing it in front of the mirrorreally wouldn't have done. Tip number 4 is to figure out what our weak linksare and then use lots of drills and stuff to improve them.So if we use med school as an example,I had a few subjects that I was pretty weak in.Neurology was one of them.If you’d asked me what Guillain-Barré syndrome was,I’d have been like, "Oh God, I have absolutely no idea."I didn’t even have a mental modelfor where it would fit into the subject of neurology. And so when it came to studying efficiently for my exams,I knew that,okay, I have to drill the things that I’m weakest on.And I spent a whole daybasically creating a one-page syllabus of just neurology,just focusing on that one subject.And just because I spent eight to twelve hoursthat day doing it,I basically plugged it as an area of weakness,and it was no longer an area of weakness.And the question I would keep asking myselfevery day when I sat down to study was,if the exam were tomorrow,what topic would I be the least happyor the most pissed off about?And then I would just study that topic. And this is really good because whenever we’re learningor studying or anything like that,it’s very tempting to just do the stuffthat seems familiar to us.If we’re studying for an exam,It's very tempting to open up the book to page oneeven though we already know what's on page one. If we're learning the guitar,it's very tempting to just play through songsthat we've already played before.But really, the learning only happenswhen we're trying to fix our weaknessesand we're trying to operate at a decent level of difficulty. If something is too easy,we're not gonna learn anything at all.And so if we want to maximize the learningand learn anything faster,we want to really hone downon what these areas of weakness are,what these weak links are,and how do we use drillsto improve those as quickly as we can? Tip number five is to test ourselves.Now, this is a thing that in the world of studyingis called active recall,but it also appliesto the world of learning anything in general.I have a whole video about that,that's linked in the card over there.And if you want to find out more,you can definitely check out my Skillshare courseabout how to study for exams,also linked in the video description,by the way, Skillshare is sponsoring this video.I'll tell you more about them a little bit later. Anyway, the idea behind active recall or retrieval practiceis that we don't learnby trying to put stuff into our brains;we actually learn, counter-intuitively,by trying to take stuff out of our brains.And so, if you've had that experiencewhere you've read something in a textbook or on a websiteand someone asks you about it a few days laterand you've completely forgotten about it,that's just because you haven't tested yourselfon that knowledge. And the word testing has all these negative connotationsbecause we think of testing as like a school thing,and we get graded and we get judged.But if we move towards thinking of testing ourselvesas being a strategy for learning,everything becomes so much easier. That's why, when learning to play the guitar,there's only so many tutorials you can watchbefore you actually start having to put it into practice.When you're studying for exams,there's no point reading the textbookand just summarizing what's in the textbook;the point is you have to test yourselfso that your brain has a chance to workto retrieve the information.And that is what really drives learning. And in the field of learning,there is this concept calledthe desirable difficulty concept. Which basically just meanssome things shouldn't be too hard.For example, if I were to try playing tennisagainst Roger Federer, itwould just be too hard.I wouldn't really learn anything.But equally, if I were to try playing tennisagainst a 10-year-old who doesn't know how to play,it wouldn't be fun; I wouldn't learn anythingbecause the difficulty is at two different extremes.I want to be playing tennis against someonewho is at my level or a little bit better than me,because that is the real arenain which I'm gonna be learning.And that's why having a coach,for example, is really goodbecause a coach can moderate their play styleto be at my level, and therefore I'm more likely to learnas desirable difficulty. And so whatever we want to learn efficiently,we want to apply this conceptto try and make it a little bit more difficult.Learning is not supposed to be easy;it is supposed to be hard.And if it's hard, then it meanswe're doing something right.Tip number six is to get intense feedbackas often and as quickly as possible.So feedback obviously is how we learn.We do something, we see that we're doing it wrong,and then we improve the thing.And again, feedback is one of those words thatcan seem a little bit like dirty at times. Especially if we’re starting something outwhere we’re not sure of our own abilities.If we get constructive or critical feedback,that can really be a blow to our ego.If you’re that sort of person that needs the ego massage,then at the start of learning something,what you need is praise and encouragement.For example, if I was just starting to learn how to sing,and people would just give me critical feedback immediately,I’d probably feel a little bit like, oh, okay.I don’t really want to sing.I’m one of those people who just can’t sing.Equally, if I were to start drawing,and people would be like, oh, ha! Ha! That’s really crap,you should do this instead.I’d probably feel pretty bad about it,and therefore it wouldn’t help me continue on the journey. So I think at the start of a journey for most of us,we need that injection of positivity and enthusiasmrather than necessarily critical feedback.But if we do decide to switch gearsand to start taking learning something super seriously,we want to kind of avoid the praiseand recognition aspect of it, which is kind of unhelpful,and instead focus on the critical, constructive feedback.What can we do differently?Again, this is why having a coach for stuffis actually really, really helpful.Ever since getting a personal trainer,everything in the gym has improved. My biceps have gotten bigger.I'm one step closer to becoming a Gymshark athletebecause now I have someone who is there and thengiving me feedbackon the things that I should do differently.Whereas before, maybe once in a blue moon,I'd film a video of myself, send it to a friend,they'd reply a few days later.It's not really a tight feedback loop.And really, it's the tight feedback loopsthat encourage learning, whether it's for examsor whether it's for anything else in life. Tip number seven is the concept of overlearning,which is that when we're learning something,we actually want to try and understand or learn itin more depth than we necessarily need to.And the idea here is to continuously be asking whya thing works the way that it does.So, for example, when I'm working as a doctorand I see senior doctors who, you know,most of being a doctor, admittedly,is about following guidelinesand following a prescribed set of rulesand basically a flow chart for everything that we do.And so there are some doctors who have that view of,"All I have to do is memorize the guidelines,and look them up."But then there are other doctorswho have a more first principles understanding approach to medicine. Which is that, okay, I know what the guidelines are,that I should prescribe this drug,but I’m actually going to take a step to figure outwhy that's the guideline and why do they do that?What's the paper, what's the evidence around this?And, you know, in my experience,it's hard to say thatcamp two is objectively a better doctor than camp one,but certainly the sort of doctor that I want to beis the doctor who understands stuff from first principlesand understands the rationale for doing stuffrather than just memorizing the guidelines.This applies to music theory in the guitar as well. I had a guitar lesson this morning,and we were talking about howit's very easy to learn how to play anythingby just following a tutorial.But when you follow a tutorial,the thing that you're learning is,my fingers are going in this particular position.Whereas what we want to try and get to,and John Mayer talks about this a lot on his Instagram,what we want to be getting tois just an understanding of music theory. So that instead of,I put my fingers in A, B, and C positions,we think, okay, I’m playing a C7 chordand the reason I’m playing a C7 chord is because of this.And therefore my fingers are going to goin A, B, and C position. And so the end result is the same.We're still playing that chordand we could still probably just play the song.But when you have that deeper appreciationof the reasons behindwhy things are the way that they are,it just makes learning anything elsein that particular sphere,much easier and much more efficient. Tip number eight is all about spacing.This is something in the world of studyingwe call spaced repetition.Basically there's a concept called the forgetting curvethat was discovered by a chap called Ebbinghausin the 1800s.And the forgetting curve is that whenever we learn anything,whether it's a fact or a skill or whatever,we're just going to forget it.And our memory for the thing is going to decay over time.And so we have to keep on practicingor testing ourselves on the thingto actually continue to have our brainkind of use up space for that kind of thing,because it's like with our muscles. When we don't use our muscles,our muscles are going to atrophyand they're going to get smaller,and we're going to get less hench.Equally with our brain.If we learn, let's say, a language when we were five years old,And then we don't use it for the next 10 years,we're actually going to forget most of the languagebecause our brain doesn't need to have that informationin it anymore. But thankfully we can combat the forgetting curveby using this concept of spaced repetition.This applies not just to exams,but to any other skill as well.Which is that if we repeat the thingat spaced intervals,let's say I might learn a song on the guitar on day one,and then I might repeat it again tomorrow.And then I might test myself on it again next weekand then next month, and then six months from now.And if I've spaced my repetition of this thing enough,eventually playing that songis going to go into my muscle memory,it's going to go into my long-term memoryand I won't need to practice it very much anymoreto be able to play it whenever I want. Now, if you're trying to learn somethingthat has specific facts,there are all sorts of different appsthat you can use to help with spacing.The one that I personally enjoy the most, it's freeand it's called Anki, after the Japanese for "Anki Shimmers",which I think means to memorize.And Anki is just like an incredible appthat completely revolutionized my experience of med school.It does have a bit of a learning curve. And so, did you know I have an entire Skillshare classabout how to use Anki? The basicsalong with some advanced tips, along with some guideson how to use Anki to learn absolutely anythingalong with bonus interviews from other studentsall around the world who are using Ankifor stuff very effectively.If you wanna check that outand any of my other 10 classes on Skillshare,you should hit the link in the video descriptionbecause Skillshare is currently sponsoring this video. So if you wanna check out my class on Anki,or my class on evidence-based study tips,or any of my three classesabout how to be more productive,then hit the link in the video description.When I was filming this video, Skillshare had an offerof giving you 30% off the annual premium subscription,but it actually changed that offer.So now, if you’re one of the first thousand peopleto hit the link in the video description,you will get a one-month free trial,completely free to Skillshare premium,where you can check out my Anki classand all the other 10 classes I’ve got on Skillshare.So hit the link in the video description,be one of the first 1000 people to hit that linkto get a one-month free trial.This is amazing; it's a no-brainer,you can just watch all my classes. So thank you, Skillshare, for sponsoring this video.And finally, tip number nineis to teach what you are trying to learn.We often have this thing of like,oh, I'm not allowed to teach somethinguntil I become an expert at it.But there's this concept that C.S. Lewis talks aboutthat I talk about a lot called the curse of knowledge.Which is that, when we're trying to learn something,often we don't learn best from experts;we learn best from people who are just one stepin front of us along that same journey. And so the way I think of itis that I would rather learn from a guidethan learn from a guru. Guide versus guru.And I would rather be a guide than try and be a guru.And certainly for me,I found that when I was going through medical school,my favorite revision sessions or lectureswould be the ones that were given by medical studentsin the year above me rather than those given by world-classNobel Prize-winning professorsbecause those guys were old and, like, really far removedfrom the things that I needed at the time. Whereas another medical student just one year above mewas like really, really helpful.And then when I started teaching medical students,when I started teaching guitar,when I started teaching piano,and YouTube as well with my part-time YouTuber academy,I found that anytime I try to teach something,it really solidifies my own knowledge and understandingand learning of the thing itself. And so now I have a general policy that whenever I'm learning anything,I'm documenting my process while learning it.And that helps me learn betterbecause I know that I might be teaching this thinga few months or years from now. If you like this video,you might like to check out two specific booksabout learning.One is called, "Make it Stick"and the other one is called "Ultralearning."And you can actually find summariesfor both of those on Shortform,which is my favorite way of getting summaries of books.That'll be linked in the video descriptionif you want to check it out. And if you're interested in this science of effective learning,check out this video over here,which is from a few years ago,but it’s still genuinely one of my favorite videos of all timethat I've ever made.One of the best ones, I think as well.And that's all about the power of active recalland why testing ourselves is the best thing ever.And I talk about a lot of scientific evidence around it,and loads of people have said that that video aloneHas changed their lives. So, thank you so much for watching. Hit the subscribe buttonif you aren't already,and I'll see you in the next video. Bye-bye., How to Learn Anything FASTER, YouTube, 01ka89enhmb3vzhaqw0axhap5z.