13 Years of No BS Study Advice in 58 Minutes

• I've been a learning coach for the past 13 years.
• Studying does not equal learning.
• Stop looking for study hacks.
• Learning is a personalized process.
• Avoid the illusion of learning.
• Keep a learning log to track progress.

I've been a learning coach for the past 13 years. I run a learning program called I can study, where I've worked with tens of thousands of learners around the world to help them reach their dream results. In this video, I'm going to compress 13 years of studying and learning advice into this one video.

Number one: studying does not equal learning. You can spend a lot of time studying and get very little learning out of it. Studying is just the thing that you do—it's the way you write your notes, the way you read your book, the way you test yourself. They're the physical activities we study to produce learning.

Learning is the outcome. It's the thing that happens in our brain that connects the dots together and turns information into knowledge. Learning has only occurred if the information is something that you can remember, understand deeply, and can apply it in the way that you need to apply it. If you spent 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or even 10 hours studying but don't have good retention, depth of understanding, and the ability to apply that knowledge, you didn't learn—you only studied.

It's this understanding that I wish I had 13 years ago when I was desperately trying to enter into medical school. I was studying 20 hours a day, sacrificing sleep, friends, hobbies, and relationships. I took a massive hit to my mental health because I was so sleep-deprived from studying so much.

I wish I realized that different methods of studying are set on a spectrum of effectiveness. Some methods produce almost no real learning, like rereading and just highlighting things. This produces almost no real learning. The amount of time you need to spend on that activity and the luck you have to rely on for that to accidentally create learning is astronomical.

On the other hand, there are techniques that produce much more learning. The idea is that we want to get rid of ineffective methods and replace them with techniques that produce a high amount of learning. It's important to think about studying not just as an abstract activity but to analyze how much learning each method is producing. This shift in focus makes you much more targeted in improving how you learn.

Number two: stop looking for study hacks. Real ones don't exist. If you search for study hacks on TikTok or Instagram, you will find hundreds of videos promising guaranteed top results. These videos get millions of views because many people are looking for shortcuts to learning.

The truth is if you've really been struggling to get better at learning, the solution is not going to come from a 30-second study hack. If it was that easy to solve, you would have already solved it. While sometimes small adjustments can be made, most problems that hold people back from success in studying are rooted in years of habits that can't be retrained overnight.

When I work with students who've been using study hacks for a long time without good results, they start believing they're just not smart enough. I remember one student, a bright, bubbly girl trying to enter medical school. After mapping out her learning process, I explained how her habits led to certain struggles. She started crying because she thought she was dumb. She believed that because the study hacks promised great results but didn’t work, the only conclusion was that she was not smart enough. This is a sad conclusion that stems from not realizing the answer doesn’t lie in shortcuts.

The natural question then is: what should you look at instead? Well, many people try to copy what successful students are doing, which leads me to number three: stop copying successful students. This may sound counterintuitive, but learning is a very personalized process. What works for one person may not work for another.

This is especially true in learning because of something called deep processing—your brain's ability to connect information together and extract meaningful learning out of the information you're consuming. Many successful students are not successful because of their techniques; they succeed due to a level of deep processing that may come naturally to them.

Number four: stop thinking techniques, start thinking systems. A few years ago, I worked with a student who had a belief that there was a 'perfect' technique and once he mastered it, all his problems would be solved. This is not realistic. There is no perfect technique. You need to think about techniques like tools; each has its own purpose and limitations.

Number five: avoid the illusion of learning. The illusion of learning is when you do things that feel productive but don’t actually enhance your learning. One common example is writing and rewriting notes. Many students spend hours writing notes but end up learning little of the material.

If you find yourself in the illusion of learning, don't panic. Instead, accept that you're doing something ineffective and learn about alternatives. There are more effective things you can do.

Number six: test yourself earlier and more often. For most of my life, I would study for exams without knowing how well I would perform. This shouldn't be the case. You should be testing yourself regularly to identify gaps in your knowledge. By doing so, you can fill those gaps faster and with less effort.

Number seven: test at each level of knowledge. Knowledge can be divided into different levels. At the low levels, it's just memorization, while at the higher levels, you can use concepts together and see how they connect. Be sure that your testing reflects how you'll be evaluated.

Number eight: test yourself in different ways. Combine theoretical knowledge with procedural knowledge—the ability to execute what you know. Both are essential for reaching a full understanding, especially in subjects requiring the application of knowledge.

Number nine: assume you'll make every mistake again. Many people believe the reason they missed something is due to silly mistakes. The reality is that many don't lose marks from silly mistakes; they reflect gaps in knowledge.

Number ten: do spaced repetition and active recall properly. The way you implement active recall significantly affects how well you learn.

Number eleven: rote memorize but only as a last resort. Rote memorization creates a surface-level understanding, which limits your ability to apply knowledge effectively.

Number twelve: use flashcards, memory palaces, and link methods for rote memorization—but remember to use them sparingly and effectively.

Number thirteen: study with friends, but ensure you have a structured approach to maximize the time spent learning together.

Next, study ahead to get ahead. If you're falling behind, don't just try to catch up; focus on getting ahead.

Embrace the power of scoping a subject before diving in, which primes your brain for learning.

Use cognitive load to eliminate passive learning and push yourself into higher cognitive engagement.

Finally, create analogies, as they require higher cognitive load and lead to deeper understanding.

Keep a learning log to track changes in habits and processes, making it easier to attribute successes to specific techniques.

That's my advice after 13 years of learning about learning. If you found this helpful, let me know, and check out the video here for more tips!