Best Study Method if You Struggle to Focus | How I got into MIT despite ADHD | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

This video explains the struggles of staying focused while studying and introduces Anki, a software that utilizes active recall and spaced repetition techniques for effective memorization.

Key Insights

• 🧠 The speaker struggled with ADHD and lack of focus in school, but eventually became the top student in their country and attended prestigious universities.
• 📚 Many successful students don't use advanced study methods, but instead rely on incredible focus.
• 🔑 Understanding and memorization are the two key components of successful studying. ⏳ Focus on understanding complex concepts before attempting to memorize them.
• 🗒 Summarizing and making notes can help with understanding and memorization, but may not be effective for long-term retention.
• 💡 Anki, a software based on active recall and spaced repetition, is a highly effective tool for memorization.
• 📱 Anki can be used for learning anything and has been shown to significantly increase exam scores.
• 🔄 Regularly reviewing flashcards on Anki resets the forgetting curve and improves long-term retention.

Transcript

Read and summarize the transcript of this video on Glasp Reader (beta).

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Anki work and what makes it an effective study method?

Anki is a software that uses active recall and spaced repetition to aid in memorization. Users create Q&A cards for different topics and review them at increasing intervals, resetting the forgetting curve and ensuring long-term retention of information. The process of creating and reviewing these cards helps with both understanding and memorization. By actively engaging with the material and constantly making decisions about what they remember, users reinforce their knowledge effectively.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker shares their personal struggle with ADHD and lack of motivation in school and their journey to finding effective study methods.

• Understanding and memorization are two key components of successful studying.

• The speaker discusses different study methods, such as rereading, highlighting, mind mapping, and summarizing, and explains why they may not be effective for those with attention problems.

• Anki, a software that utilizes active recall and spaced repetition, is introduced as a more effective method for memorization.