Author: Mike and Matty
When I was a freshman in high school, I was a total bookworm. Sure, I spent most of my after-school hours studying, but I was getting the grades I wanted. But when I became a sophomore, life became more interesting. I suddenly had to make room for sports, make time for my new girlfriend, and find time to practice music. I had to make a change because I was definitely spending way too much time studying. That’s when I discovered the first of 3 efficient study habits that I would later call “the 3 D’s that decrease your study time.”
1. Define
Define what you need to know and forget the rest.
The first way to define is to look at the syllabus. Some teachers are nice enough to put all graded assignments on the syllabus. Some teachers go a step further and give you a percentile breakdown of the topics by importance. With planning, you can get by with minimal effort and maximum return. If you have no syllabus, then go to the source: ask the teacher directly. Stay after class or go to office hours. Be that kid who asks “will this be on the test,” because I’m sure most of your classmates will want to know as well.
The second way to define is to ask your seniors and upperclassmen who have already taken the classes before you. When I was a junior, I took AP art history, and I remember asking my senior friend for tips. She ended up giving me all of her notes, complete with highlights, and even told me what to focus on for each test. All I had to do was ask.
The third way to define is to identify your weaknesses. Take practice tests or quizzes to pinpoint which topics consistently stump you. Once you have a good idea of your strengths and weaknesses, you can save a lot of time by not overstudying the topics you already know well.
2. Digitize
When I started university, classes continued to get more difficult, and extracurriculars became even more demanding. I needed another efficiency boost, and luckily I discovered the second “D,” which was going digital.
The first way to go digital is with digital notes. Throughout high school, I took paper notes, but when I went to college, my parents bought me a laptop. This unlocked the world of digital note-taking, which I believe to be superior to paper notes in every way. File management, the search function, and the ability to annotate images/PDFs/lecture slides all save you time studying.
The second way to go digital is to take advantage of pre-recorded lectures. Many of my college professors had pre-recorded lectures from the year prior posted on their website. Sometimes I would just watch them on my own time at double speed in the comfort of my own room. Additionally, I found that Youtube was a great source for pre-recorded lectures. These were often produced by test prep companies or even fellow college students, all of whom were more engaging than the actual course professor.
The third way to go digital is by using digital flashcards. And not just any kind of digital flashcards, but specifically ones with built-in spaced repetition algorithms. Spaced repetition tracks your strengths and weaknesses, and will build a study schedule that helps you spend more time studying your weak topics and spend less time studying your strong topics. This ultimately reduces your overall study time if you stay consistent with the flashcards. Digital flashcards with spaced repetition changed our lives and inspired us to build RemNote as a way to pass it forward.
3. Deep Work
After university, I went to medical school. And as you may have guessed, the coursework multiplied in both quantity and difficulty. My time in medical school was spent sharpening the 3rd “D,” which is the skill of deep work. Deep work is essentially learning how to focus and getting into an unbreakable flow state.
The first way to practice deep work is to stop multitasking. When we switch between different tasks too often, we are left with attention residue from the previous task that slows our brain’s ability to switch context. When trying to focus on something as cognitively demanding as studying, you’ll need your full undivided attention if you don’t want to be reading the same paragraph over and over.
The second way to practice deep work is to use the Pomodoro technique. Set a timer for 25–30 minutes where you do nothing else but focus on your task at hand. Then afterward, set a timer for 5–10 minutes where you do nothing else but focus on enjoying your break to the fullest. Over time, you can add more minutes to your intervals and improve the endurance of your concentration.
The third way to practice deep work is to add the element of ritual. Our brains are easily conditioned by rituals and habits, so use it to your advantage. Find a spot in your apartment or library with a comfortable chair and reliable toilet nearby. Go to this same spot at the same time every day that you intend to study. By staying consistent, you’ll eventually reach a point where your brain becomes so familiar with “your spot,” that you enter deep work mode the instant you sit down.
