POMODORO TECHNIQUE
1. REMOVE DISTRACTIONS
2. SET TIMER FOR 25 MINS
3. DIVE IN STUDYING OR WORKING FOR 25 MINS
IF DISTRACTIONS COME UP, WRITE THEM DOWN IN A TO-DO-LIST SO YOU CAN TACKLE THEM AFTER THE POMODORO
SESSION.
4. REST 5 MINS
LISTEN TO MUSIC.
GO FOR A WALK.
DRINK COFFEE OR TEA.
AVOID CHECKING EMAIL OR PHONE.
IF YOU’RE DOING A SERIES OF POMODOROS, TRY TAKING A LONGER, 10- TO 15-MINUTE BREAK AFTER EVERY THIRD OR
FOURTH POMODORO YOU COMPLETE.
5. REPEAT AS APPROPRIATE
WHAT TO DO WHEN STUCK?
Focused Mode Di used Mode
More useful when learning sth new and di cult.
Used when learning sth relatively straightforward or
It happens when taking a break, whether a few hours or
related to ideas already mastered.
overnight.
EXAMPLES OF HOW TO EXPLOIT YOUR DIFFUSE MODE
Start a di cult essay before dinner.
Begin a di cult problem set right before you take a break.
Read di cult passages before going to bed—continue the next day.
Rework an especially tricky or important problem before taking a shower.
Review vocabulary lists right before going shopping.
The Hard Start Technique. This means to begin with the hardest problems on tests or homework. Pause when you
get stuck so that you can work on another problem. Return to the hard problem after a while.
Do not edit when you’re writing the rst draft of a report or essay.
A good way to avoid editing is to cover or turn o your computer screen so you can’t see what you’re writing.
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LEARNING ANYTHING DEEPLY
STUDY ACTIVELY: THINK HARD, ACTIVELY SOLVE THE PROBLEM OR RECALL INFO
GENERAL TECHNIQUES: TO DEEPEN LEARNING:
1. Work out example problems yourself without looking at the solutions.
CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH MORE ADVANCED MATERIAL
2. Recall key points. If your reading is di cult, pause and recall after
every page.
ELABORATION
3. Formulate your own questions about the material. ACTIVELY EXPLAINING YOUR OWN WORDS WHAT YOU’RE
LEARNING
4. Take practice tests that simulate the time constraints of the actual test.
5. Find out ways to explain concepts in simpler terms. INTERLEAVING
6. Work with others, meet and discuss the concepts, and compare MAKE YOUR OWN LIST OF PROBLEMS FROM DIFFERENT
CHAPTERS
approaches.
TAKE PICTURES OF DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES FROM
7. Create ashcards DIFFERENT CHAPTERS AND CREATE FLASHCARDS
8. Explain your thinking out loud to others, teach key concepts to
PROCRASTINATION
someone else.
USE THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE
9. Ask a partner to quiz you
10. Take a practice test even if you haven’t studied much yet PHYSICAL EXERCISE
TRY HIIT 20 MIN, 3 TIMES X WEEK X 6 WEEKS
11. Make your own practice test
MIN 30 MIN MODERATE ACTIVITY, 5 DAYS X WEEK
12.Try to remember key details when doing mundane things.
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MAXIMIZE WORKING MEMORY—AND TAKE BETTER NOTES
To make the best use of working memory (short-term memory):
1. Simplify: synthesize the key ideas
2. Break material into chunks
- Focus on the fundamentals
- Work from the easiest problem to the most di cult without peeking at the solutions
- When studying a new language, focus on a few words that you can put together into a sentence
3. Translate what you’re learning into more understandable terms.
4. Make a task list to clear your working memory.
5. Put ideas on paper to extend your working memory; for example, a keyword, number, or formula.
To improve note-taking:
1. Prepare: get a rough idea about how the text is organized, see captions, pictures, bolded text.
2. Split notes: divide your paper into two, right side for your notes, left side for summarizing keywords or headings
3. Use mind maps
4. Do a rst-time review of your notes the same day you take them
5. Borrow notes from someone else
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HOW TO MEMORIZE
Memory tricks (mnemonics)
a. Verbal memory tricks:
- Acronyms like RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation)
- Sentences like “My Very Elderly Mother Just Served Us Noodles” to remember the planets
b. Visual memory tricks
- Vivid Image: use crazy, fun and vivid images to represent concepts. You can also movement or sounds.
- Memory palace: create an image for every concept you want to remember, then anchor these images
to familiar physical locations
c. Metaphors
- What does this remind me of or resemble?
- Try describing the concept to a friend
GAINING INTUITION AND THINKING FAST
Two pathways to store information in long-term memory:
- Declarative system helps you to get started with learning di cult topics or skills.
- Procedural system helps you to handle those topics or skills more quickly and intuitively (practice is key).
To make use of the procedural system in:
x Internalize key, exemplar problems (explain in detail every step)
x Pick up a problem with complete solution, but don’t look at the solution yet.
Problem-solving x Listen to internal voice. If you don’t get a hint, peek at the rst step and then continue on your own.
in math x Practice until no peeking is necessary.
x Don’t forget to interleave and internalize example problems and examples from old tests.
Retrieval practice
Space repetition
Interleaving
Foreign language Optimal time to space out repetition? Depends on how long you want to remember the material:
x If you have a test in one week, repeat each day during that week
studies x If you want to remember it for a year, review it once every three weeks.
x Once comfortable with a word or phrase , put the next repetition further out.
x Sleep and brief periods of mental relaxation help.
x Interleaving: create ashcards, roughly grasp di tenses, speak with a native.
Franklin approach:
Improving x Find a writing you admire
x Take a paragraph and jab a word or two down to remind yourself of key ideas of each sentence
writing and x Use those keywords as hints to see if you can recreate the sentence
artistic skills x Check again your sentence against the original and see which one sounds better. Does the original has better vocabulary?
Better prose?
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SELF-DISCIPLINE
Take measures that reduce the need for self-discipline
A. Make tough choices easy
x For example, when planning to go to the gym, pack your stu the day before.
x When having homework, at the end of the study session, prepare your desk for the next day with your book open on the right page, pen, etc.
x When struggling to wake up early, out your alarm clock on the other side of the room or download an app that requires you to solve math problems to turn it o .
B. Eliminate temptations and distractions
x If mobile phone is distracting you, put it in another room.
x If you’re always tempted to buy sweets, limit visits to the supermarket once a week after you’ve already eaten.
C. Change your habits
x Find out the trigger for one of your undesirable habits
x Find ways to remove the trigger or change your reaction to it
x Habit formation may take about 2 months
D. Plan your goals and identify obstacles
x Plan when, where, and how to reach your goals, and how to respond to obstacles
E. Don’t forget to recharge
x Spend time with the ones you love and have fun
F. Involve others
x Promise someone that you’ll nish a certain task in a speci c period
x Meet someone who you can work with at the same time and place
READING TIP: 20 pages a day = over 20 books in one year
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HOW TO MOTIVATE YOURSELF
MOTIVATION IS ABOUT HOW MUCH EFFORT YOU’RE WILLING TO EXERT TO GET STH
IT CAN BE CREATED, STRENGTHENED, AND MAINTAINED THROUGH INTELLIGENT TACTICS
Change perception:
x Reframe the task - ppl value what’s di cult to get
VALUE x Make a list of all the bene ts if you nish the task
x Reward yourself once the task is done
x If the task is too hard, try breaking it into chunks, seek help, or get better resources (videos, questions in discussion forums, tutoring
MASTERY: centers)
experience x Rubber ducky: talk to a toy duck and explain to it the problem
x Take a step back and start from a lower level
progress x How to deal with setbacks = opportunities to learn
x Long-term goals
Excites and makes you feel good about it
Keep sth to remind you about long-term goal
Mental contrasting: compare your present and what you want to be
GOALS Negative contrasting: Remember where you don’t want to be
x Milestone goals: steps on the road to help you reach long term goals, eg, reaching a certain grade point average
x Process goals: steps to help you reach your milestone goals. Speci c, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time limited.
FIND SOMEONE xx Discussion forums
Look for students who ask good questions
TO WORK WITH x Study groups (motivation contagion)
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READING EFFECTIVELY
To read faster you need to speed up the word recognition and conversion to concept
Preview the - Take a few min to skim the text to understand the big picture
material - Summary, chapter goals, end-of-chapter questions, bolded headings, pictures, and captions
Avoid passive reading - Highlighting, underlining or rereading don’t help in the learning process
- Read a page as carefully as you can, try to pick the key ideas.
- Then look away and either tell yourself or write down those key ideas.
Practice recalling - If it’s di cult, reread and try again
- Attempt recalling the next day
- Use recalling with your own notes.
- Pause occasionally - Find someone you can discuss the content with
Think about the - Summarize what you’ve read in your own words - Answer questions about the text
text
- Use elaboration technique - If reading involves technical material, try problem sets.
- Main ideas, rephrasing using as few words as possible
-
Annotation - Relationships between concepts
-
Potential test questions
(notes in your words) -
Do not write just simple abstracts, be more speci c
-
Own examples or references
Summaries of key paragraphs
- At the end, write a three to ve-sentence summary of the assignment
How to handle - Ask advisor or last year students to get advice on what
- Split reading with other students, or share summaries.
di cult texts
readings are mandatory, highly recommended, and
supplementary - For di cult concepts, ask a friend, tutor, search in YouTube, or take a
break.
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HOW TO WIN BIG ON TESTS
Familiarize Review information about the test
Clarify things you’re uncertain about
with upcoming Discuss the upcoming test with others.
test Where to nd old tests?
Practicing Practice problems yourself
X Licensing: books or online
BEFORE THE TEST
When old tests not available, rewrite learning objectives
with old tests as exam questions (non-quantitative tests) X College: search name of class, unit, or key terms
X Course Hero
X Try to prepare for two exams on any given day to build spacing
X Check how much time you have to prepare for each test
into your studying (except 1 -2 days right before test)
Plan your time X Look at number of days available and divide it among
X Focus on immediate subject
the exams
X Choose courses strategically
Read instructions X Look at the questions at least 3 times before you start, mid-way through and when you’re done with your answer
carefully X Check clock regularly X Hard start approach: start with what seems the hardest problem,
Keep track of X Divide time among the number of questions, adjusting but work on it only a few minutes until you get stuck, then move on
time for any questions that are weighted more. to an easier problem.
DURING THE TEST
Review your X Check for ambiguous language X Don’t leave hard questions blank, unless wrong or incomplete
X Knock down most common errors answers give negative points
answers
Dealing with X Focus on process goals, eg. completing 3 hours of X Watch your breathing, put hand on belly and breathe slowly and
studying over end goals deeply
anxiety
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HOW TO BE A PRO LEARNER
EXTRA BRAIN OUTSIDE YOUR MAIN BRAIN/ ASSESS WHETHER YOUR APPROACH IS EFFECTIVE
What are the resources available to help me when I struggle?
Asking Do I focus on the right things at the right level?
metacognitive Should I prioritize di erently?
questions What can be improved?
What do I nd di cult and why?
1. Understand what’s required of you
Four-step 2. Set goals and plan
model 3. Learn according to your plan
4. Monitor and adjust
X Before the test X During the test
Did you get enough information? Did you understand instructions correctly?
Learning from Did you answer all questions?
Did you set aside enough time to prepare?
Were you tired or hungry?
past exams Did you study all relevant parts? Did you have severe anxiety?
Did your work e ectively and in a focused Did you distribute time well?
manner? Did you organize your ideas in a clear, cohesive way?
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