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This article spoke directly to me! I’m in college right now completing a fairly difficult class, or so I was told.. A lot of my classmates tell me the class is

This article spoke directly to me! I’m in college right now completing a fairly difficult class, or so I was told.. A lot of my classmates tell me the class is so hard, but I think it’s easy so far. I asked most of them how they study, and they all tell me the same thing: They skim through the textbook AFTER hearing the lecture, and cram hard before the test. I do the opposite. As soon as I wake up in the morning I read the book for one hour, then I stop. I do this every day, weekends included. I also read the chapter before the lecture so it’s still interesting, and any questions I have, I can ask the professor during the lecture. Once I finish the chapter assigned for the week, I split this session into 30 minutes of creating Anki flashcards, and 30 minutes studying those Anki flashcards. I score significantly higher than the rest of the class. I just learned how to do this at the start of the semester thanks to commenters on HN, and it has changed my life. This also deals with my attention lowering after about the 1 hour mark of reading, but the concept is still the same. Before, I would procrastinate on reading, and spend most of my days playing video games. Now, I spend most of my day playing video games, but it’s always a very relaxed, guilt free gaming session because I already know I read for an hour. I hope I’m not rambling here.

criddell 7y ago
If you were trying to learn something on your and not attending a class, how would you modify your method?
- qzx_pierri 7y ago
  I wouldn't change anything about it. When I graduate and get my first network engineer job, I'll be studying for my CCNP, so I'll probably wake up at 7, read until 8, then get ready for work. After each chapter, I'll spend (2) 1 hour sessions to work on flash cards, then move on to other chapters. This could change though.
techopoly 7y ago
I had a similar experience in college. In the classes I did best in, I studied for consistently throughout the week, working out problems and reading the book on my own. Then, when test time came, I still studied, but I largely understood the material already. After a calculus class ended for the semester, I had the professor tell me that I was the only student that understood a certain basic concept of the class. I don't attribute that to me having a masterful intelligence, just that I happened to be diligent in the class and figured out a system based on seeking to really understand the material instead of just pass the tests. The classes where I heavily procrastinated, I had more trouble with, or at least much more stress. There was one class where I procrastinated and then speed-read 300-400 pages in the textbook the days before the midterm, and aced the midterm...but that was really a freak exception to the rule. It probably did me a disservice, thinking I could do the same for other classes and still succeed.
j45 7y ago
Spaced repetition is something that should be taught in every school.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
bvinc 7y ago
I did this for a few classes because my teachers had such a thick accent that I could barely understand them. I figured out that if I read the book beforehand, I basically knew what they were going to say and I could follow along much easier.
- arve0 7y ago
  Same experience. I use to joke about it; “The more crappy lecturer you have, the more you perform.” Understanding that you don’t understand is powerful.
- algaeontoast 7y ago
  I tried this with my algo class in college, but my prof also just cared about research and made the entire class a focus of obtuse proofs (still kind of interesting) and not vaguely applicable stuff for interviews etc. In retrospect I probably should’ve eaten $2k and dropped for a better prof. Then again $160 on leetcode has given me more algo knowledge than my $160k degree lol.
cryptozeus 7y ago
Just want to say this is great, you are already ahead of the many. Keep this going even after college. Studying never stops even after you get job.
- qzx_pierri 7y ago
  Thanks man
screye 7y ago
I think this is this is a great habit to get into early in life. I will however recommend one thing. Find out what internal representation of information works for you. I am an extremely visual thinker to whom things click the second they are put into context or situated in a flow chart / graph of concepts. Since I have started started fitting every new thing into that mental model, I have started found memorizing significantly easier. IMO, good studying and work structuring habits are among the most valuable long term skills a person can learn.
- qzx_pierri 7y ago
  I'm a very visual person as well! Sometimes when I'm reading a chapter, I'll draw a graph to understand certain concepts a bit better.
- varrock 7y ago
  How do you translate textbook literature into those visualizations if they aren't provided for you? I struggle with this, even reading news articles at times. It's funny how a simple infographic on a video can really make things click for me.
  - screye 7y ago
    It is more of a relation graph. You identify the root variables/ideas on which the whole premise hinges. These ideas are absolute, assumed true without rationale and independent. Then you establish dependent ideas and variables which are connected to these base variables along with a few minor isolated assumptions needed to support the structure. ( I mean it is not perfect, so the minor assumptions keep the whole thing form falling apart) Once you have all the nodes, you connect new ideas as they come and as they fit into this view. It is almost like a clustering task or think word2ve tsne visualization (https://miro.medium.com/max/3200/0*quUwP6EqEhFmNAqX https://miro.medium.com/max/3200/0*quUwP6EqEhFmNAqX) Now you have a visualization, from something that never had any images to begin with. The distance between nodes can indicate how strong the relation is and colors can indicate positivity/negativity. Once you have that, it becomes incredibly easy to hold very complex ideas in your head and it makes it a breeze to explain something. Just start from the root node and work your way up to the leaf, and the thing explains itself.
BBalzagn 7y ago
Can you expand on your process? or provide the original HN posts that helped you form this process? I've struggled with conceptualizing a proper routine for approaching work/study and incorporating it into my life properly sans dreading it/procrastinating the work.
- qzx_pierri 7y ago
  Not much to it. I use an app on iOS called 'AnkiApp' https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ankiapp-flashcards/id689185915 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ankiapp-flashcards/id689185915 I just read for an hour every morning, and once the chapter is complete, I go back through the chapter and create Anki flashcards for 30 mins, then study the cards I just created for 30 mins. So right now my professor will be lecturing us on Chapters 7 and 10 next week on November 18. I did an hour of reading for chapter 10 today. I'll finish Chapter 10 and Chapter 7 by next week on the 17th. So far, I've covered the material once: I read the chapter. When my professor lectures us next week, I'll take detailed notes over the material. I write all my notes by hand. So far, I've covered the material TWICE: I just took notes during lecture Next week, since I finished Chapter 7 and 10 already, I'll continue my one hour routine every morning, but I'll do 30 minutes of creating Anki flashcards, and 30 minutes of studying those flashcards. Each time I perform an Anki session, it would be my THIRD time going over the material. Each additional time I study an Anki deck, the number increases. I also realized that I become so much more productive when I started studying/reading first thing in the morning - I have the most energy, and it gives me that "Let's get this done and over with" mentality. I can wake up at 8, read until 9, then head out for class. Once I get home, I can do what I want.. I already studied. Homework is done in the afternoon. My day ends at 5. I treat school like a full time job essentially.

criddell 7y ago

If you were trying to learn something on your and not attending a class, how would you modify your method?

qzx_pierri 7y ago
I wouldn't change anything about it. When I graduate and get my first network engineer job, I'll be studying for my CCNP, so I'll probably wake up at 7, read until 8, then get ready for work. After each chapter, I'll spend (2) 1 hour sessions to work on flash cards, then move on to other chapters. This could change though.

techopoly 7y ago

I had a similar experience in college. In the classes I did best in, I studied for consistently throughout the week, working out problems and reading the book on my own. Then, when test time came, I still studied, but I largely understood the material already. After a calculus class ended for the semester, I had the professor tell me that I was the only student that understood a certain basic concept of the class. I don't attribute that to me having a masterful intelligence, just that I happened to be diligent in the class and figured out a system based on seeking to really understand the material instead of just pass the tests. The classes where I heavily procrastinated, I had more trouble with, or at least much more stress. There was one class where I procrastinated and then speed-read 300-400 pages in the textbook the days before the midterm, and aced the midterm...but that was really a freak exception to the rule. It probably did me a disservice, thinking I could do the same for other classes and still succeed.

j45 7y ago

Spaced repetition is something that should be taught in every school.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

bvinc 7y ago

I did this for a few classes because my teachers had such a thick accent that I could barely understand them. I figured out that if I read the book beforehand, I basically knew what they were going to say and I could follow along much easier.

arve0 7y ago
Same experience. I use to joke about it; “The more crappy lecturer you have, the more you perform.” Understanding that you don’t understand is powerful.
algaeontoast 7y ago
I tried this with my algo class in college, but my prof also just cared about research and made the entire class a focus of obtuse proofs (still kind of interesting) and not vaguely applicable stuff for interviews etc. In retrospect I probably should’ve eaten $2k and dropped for a better prof. Then again $160 on leetcode has given me more algo knowledge than my $160k degree lol.

cryptozeus 7y ago

Just want to say this is great, you are already ahead of the many. Keep this going even after college. Studying never stops even after you get job.

qzx_pierri 7y ago
Thanks man

screye 7y ago

I think this is this is a great habit to get into early in life. I will however recommend one thing. Find out what internal representation of information works for you. I am an extremely visual thinker to whom things click the second they are put into context or situated in a flow chart / graph of concepts. Since I have started started fitting every new thing into that mental model, I have started found memorizing significantly easier. IMO, good studying and work structuring habits are among the most valuable long term skills a person can learn.

qzx_pierri 7y ago
I'm a very visual person as well! Sometimes when I'm reading a chapter, I'll draw a graph to understand certain concepts a bit better.
varrock 7y ago
How do you translate textbook literature into those visualizations if they aren't provided for you? I struggle with this, even reading news articles at times. It's funny how a simple infographic on a video can really make things click for me.
- screye 7y ago
  It is more of a relation graph. You identify the root variables/ideas on which the whole premise hinges. These ideas are absolute, assumed true without rationale and independent. Then you establish dependent ideas and variables which are connected to these base variables along with a few minor isolated assumptions needed to support the structure. ( I mean it is not perfect, so the minor assumptions keep the whole thing form falling apart) Once you have all the nodes, you connect new ideas as they come and as they fit into this view. It is almost like a clustering task or think word2ve tsne visualization (https://miro.medium.com/max/3200/0*quUwP6EqEhFmNAqX https://miro.medium.com/max/3200/0*quUwP6EqEhFmNAqX) Now you have a visualization, from something that never had any images to begin with. The distance between nodes can indicate how strong the relation is and colors can indicate positivity/negativity. Once you have that, it becomes incredibly easy to hold very complex ideas in your head and it makes it a breeze to explain something. Just start from the root node and work your way up to the leaf, and the thing explains itself.

BBalzagn 7y ago

Can you expand on your process? or provide the original HN posts that helped you form this process? I've struggled with conceptualizing a proper routine for approaching work/study and incorporating it into my life properly sans dreading it/procrastinating the work.

qzx_pierri 7y ago
Not much to it. I use an app on iOS called 'AnkiApp' https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ankiapp-flashcards/id689185915 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ankiapp-flashcards/id689185915 I just read for an hour every morning, and once the chapter is complete, I go back through the chapter and create Anki flashcards for 30 mins, then study the cards I just created for 30 mins. So right now my professor will be lecturing us on Chapters 7 and 10 next week on November 18. I did an hour of reading for chapter 10 today. I'll finish Chapter 10 and Chapter 7 by next week on the 17th. So far, I've covered the material once: I read the chapter. When my professor lectures us next week, I'll take detailed notes over the material. I write all my notes by hand. So far, I've covered the material TWICE: I just took notes during lecture Next week, since I finished Chapter 7 and 10 already, I'll continue my one hour routine every morning, but I'll do 30 minutes of creating Anki flashcards, and 30 minutes of studying those flashcards. Each time I perform an Anki session, it would be my THIRD time going over the material. Each additional time I study an Anki deck, the number increases. I also realized that I become so much more productive when I started studying/reading first thing in the morning - I have the most energy, and it gives me that "Let's get this done and over with" mentality. I can wake up at 8, read until 9, then head out for class. Once I get home, I can do what I want.. I already studied. Homework is done in the afternoon. My day ends at 5. I treat school like a full time job essentially.