{"id":1084,"date":"2013-09-15T20:46:53","date_gmt":"2013-09-16T04:46:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scotthyoung.com\/members\/?p=1084"},"modified":"2013-10-05T21:47:14","modified_gmt":"2013-10-06T05:47:14","slug":"day-6-the-routine-i-used-during-the-mit-challenge-to-learn-hard-classes-in-under-a-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/members\/?p=1084","title":{"rendered":"Day 6: The routine I used during the MIT Challenge to learn hard classes in under a week"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the previous emails, we’ve mostly discussed tactics–smaller methods that help you solve a particular learning problem. Tools like these are important–the more you have, the more learning challenges you can overcome with confidence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, instead, I want to talk about strategy. In particular, the high-level approach I used when doing the MIT Challenge to learn classes in calculus, biology and engineering to pass exam just days after I first saw the material.<\/p>\n

This strategy applies whether you’re unsure how to tackle a hard class you have coming up, or whether there’s a subject you’ve always wanted to learn but have been daunted by the prospect of tackling it.<\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

I worked out this routine for tackling classes during the MIT Challenge, because I was acutely aware of the time constraints. With only a week or two to tackle each class, I needed to make sure every hour of time spent studying was the most efficient it could be. Too many hours wasted on less important tasks would have meant I failed the class.<\/p>\n

To implement this prioritization, I made a couple observations:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Coverage is generally inefficient. There are exceptions, but usually reading books and watching lectures is normally one of the most time consuming parts of learning anything. Therefore, any ways this could be whittled down would save me effort later.<\/li>\n
  2. Self-testing is essential. As I explained yesterday, self-testing is one of the few methods with near universal agreement in its effectiveness as a learning tool. Self-testing also allowed me to pinpoint weaknesses that went unnoticed during coverage.<\/li>\n
  3. A quick insight can save dozens of hours of reading and practice. Having the right mental picture to solve a problem can be worth more than hours of drills. Similarly, the right metaphor or mnemonic can drastically cut the time to remember a fact or idea.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    These observations allowed me to build a routine that I could use to tackle any class and prioritize my time to focus on the most important studying goals first.<\/p>\n

    —-<\/p>\n

    The MIT Routine<\/h3>\n

    This routine is fairly general, so I’d say it could work for many different types of classes, with a few modifications. During the MIT Challenge, I used this same template on classes as diverse as biology, chemistry, economics and programming.<\/p>\n

    The basic strategy divides into three parts:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Coverage<\/li>\n
    2. Practice<\/li>\n
    3. Insight<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Part One – Coverage<\/strong><\/p>\n

      When learning anything, you have to start by covering the material. This means reading the textbook, watching the lectures or getting tutoring. In order to learn anything, there must be a first introduction to the idea.<\/p>\n

      The problem is that coverage is often inefficient. Many teachers are bad at explaining the topic or engaging with students. Textbooks are often boring or hard to connect to real examples. Even with good resources, listening and reading are passive learning strategies which are less efficient.<\/p>\n

      Coverage, therefore, is a good candidate to eliminate possible waste:<\/p>\n