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 the top 3% 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 regularly.
The Feynman Technique: What Explaining Does, and Where It Fools You
You probably think explaining something to an audience is the best test of whether you understand it. In one study, students who explained a text to another student did worse on deeper questions than those who explained it to themselves. The technique can still work if you change who is listening and check what you said.
Self-Explanation: Why Explaining Each Step to Yourself Works, and What It Costs
Reading a clear worked solution feels like learning. Explaining each step to yourself before you check, gaps and all, has better evidence that it carries over to new problems. It also costs time, and the research shows when that time pays off.