The Ultimate Strategy for Studying Anything (Feynman Technique) (2024)

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The Ultimate Strategy for Studying Anything (Feynman Technique)? ›

Blurting Method

The blurting study technique is a simple and quick way to understand and learn things. In this method, you read through the material or content, such as notes, topics, or presentations, and then put away your notes. After that, you assess how much you know and remember by writing it down.

Blurting Method

The blurting study technique is a simple and quick way to understand and learn things. In this method, you read through the material or content, such as notes, topics, or presentations, and then put away your notes. After that, you assess how much you know and remember by writing it down.

Feynman", I asked, "Einstein was one of the greatest geniuses of physics, and certainly a lot smarter than me. He knew more physics that I ever hope to. But, he didn't believe in quantum mechanics--so why should I?" Feynman paused -- which surprised all of us -- and smiled.

He showed quite some skepticism toward Feynman's theory and when asked Einstein's opinions about it, Einstein said, “The only difficulty that I would find is in the corresponding theory for gravitational interaction.

The Feynman Technique is not only a wonderful recipe for learning but also a window into a different way of thinking that allows you to tear ideas apart and reconstruct them from the ground up. It also allows you to supercharge your learning from others. Too often, we want to seem smart rather than learn.

One of the most impactful learning strategies is “distributed practice”—spacing out your studying over several short periods of time over several days and weeks (Newport, 2007). The most effective practice is to work a short time on each class every day.

This technique rejects memorizing facts without understanding their meaning and favors true comprehension through selection, research, writing, explaining, and refining. Feynman's biography, written by James Gleick, provides a host of clues into the famous nobel prize winning physicist's learning process.

How can I learn anything quickly? ›

The Feynman Technique is a mental trick for learning anything. The rule is simple: write down all the points you know about a topic, then take 20 minutes to write down everything else you don't know about it. You can repeat the process as many times as you want.

The main idea behind the technique is to take something that's hard to understand and try to clarify it in your mind by explaining it as if you were talking to a child. In doing this, the learner is compelled to simplify the ideas in their mind and use clear and concise language.

In practice, Feynman's trick is often applied to integrals with a single variable; the idea is to artificially introduce a second variable and then build a differential equation in terms of derivatives with respect to 1 Page 2 the new variable.

When you use the Feynman method, you learn with intention. Breaking down topics into digestible chunks and explaining them helps you identify gaps in your knowledge. This creates new neural pathways in your brain, which makes connecting ideas and concepts easier.

Feynman's genius lay in his ability to understand and present complex ideas in an intuitive and natural way.

In 1939, Feynman received a bachelor's degree and was named a Putnam Fellow. He attained a perfect score on the graduate school entrance exams to Princeton University in physics—an unprecedented feat—and an outstanding score in mathematics, but did poorly on the history and English portions.