On Learning and Remembering New Ideas Effectively

How do you learn and remember ideas more effectively? Even if you are not a student, the ability to learn and retain information is an important skill for professionals. I watched a few videos on the topic and summarized the key takeaways below.

How to Study & Learn Using Active Recall | Dr. Cal Newport & Dr. Andrew Huberman

Dr. Cal Newport interviewed top-performing students and discovered that active recall is the most effective skill they use. Active recall involves reproducing information from scratch as if you are teaching it to someone else — without referencing notes. Active recall is the only way to learn.

I learned a system for remembering everything

Ryan Holiday recommends a systematic approach to learning and note-taking:

1. Take notes as you read a book.

2. Revisit and revise your notes when you are finished with books.

3. Categorize and file your notes.

We tend to prioritize information that is frequently used, recently used, and likely to be needed to make decisions. Making active use of the information as you take them in is key.

How to Remember Everything You Read

There are two phases to reading:

1. Consumption

2. Digestion

Everything you consume must be digested in order for you to retain and use it. Learning actually occurs only when consumption is followed by digestion. What goes into your brain is less important than what stays in your brain.

The PACER System

The PACER system categorizes types of information and outlines processes to help you digest them.

• Procedural: Information that tells you how something should be executed.

  • Practice. Apply the procedural information as early as possible.

• Analogous: Information that is related to something you already have prior knowledge about.

  • Critique: Critically examine how good the analogy is by asking: 1. How are these things related? 2. How are they different? 3. In what situation does this analogy not make sense anymore? 4. Is there a better analogy?

  • This critique process dramatically drives up the depth of the understanding of new information.

• Conceptual: Facts, theories, and principles.

  • Mapping: Connect facts and concepts to create a bigger picture.

• Evidence: Details that make conceptual information more concrete.

  • Store: Collect the information and note it down somewhere.

  • Rehearse: Think about how to use the information, how to apply the information, and what type of conceptual information is this an example of.

• Reference: Specific details that do not change your conceptual understanding.

  • Store and rehearse: Keep this information organized and accessible

Optimal Protocols for Studying & Learning

Testing yourself immediately after studying improves retention. Simple self-quizzes can reinforce knowledge.

Active learning: Teaching others enhances understanding and recall.

How I Plan to Apply These Concepts

1. Capture any useful information that I come across.

2. Write a brief summary of the idea and what I have learned. Specifically note any analogy by capture how the idea is related or different from what I already know.

3. Use a theme column to categorize the information by conceptual area.

4. Use a tags column to think about how the information can be applied in the future.

5. For ideas that would be useful for others, share it on Twitter with a brief commentary.

6. For ideas I want to explore in-depth, write it into a long-form essays and post it on this website.