Close-up of a human brain model with bright lighting and a white background.

Against the Curve

Most students study hard. The problem is that the strategies they often rely on are among the least effective ways to build lasting knowledge. I learned this the hard way: an MCAT score that put me squarely in the middle of the pack among admitted medical students, followed by a complete overhaul that carried me to 99th+ percentile on every board exam since. This series breaks down what the research actually shows about how learning works, one principle at a time. No filler, no fluff, just the evidence, my personal takeaways, and how to apply these principles to improve your learning and performance.

New posts weekly.

AC 8/17/26 AC 8/17/26

Contextual Learning: Why the Room You Study In Matters Less Than You Think

You’ve probably heard you should study in the room where you’ll be tested. The evidence says the room matters less than that advice assumes. Studying in more than one place, and picturing it at test time, does more than trying to match the exam.

AC 8/10/26 AC 8/10/26

Mnemonics: Cues for Facts That Have No Logic of Their Own

You can recite the cranial nerves in order and still not know what the seventh one does. A mnemonic gives you a way back to a fact without telling you anything about it. For truly arbitrary lists that can be enough, and the research shows where it stops being enough.

AC 7/20/26 AC 7/20/26

Emotional Learning: Why the Memories That Stick Aren’t Always Right

You might assume the moments that shook you are the ones you remember most accurately. Emotion does help memories last, but it keeps the gist, drops the details, and leaves you confident either way. Here is what the research supports, and what that means for the material that never comes with a story attached.