digest
Short Summary
Main recommendation: Use active reading strategies such as summarizing, marginal notes, mind maps, study guides, and practice tests instead of passive reading, since the speaker says you only retain 10% of what you read and claims these strategies can help you remember over 75%. The video presents 10 named strategies, each designed to keep you engaged with the material and make it easier to remember at exam time.
Key Points
- The 10 active reading strategies the video promises are: (1) Read/summary method, (2) Marginal notes, (3) Think like a teacher (TLT), (4) Memory boost method, (5) Mind maps, (6) Study guide, (7) Einstein strategy, (8) Personal connection, (9) Posted notes, (10) Practice tests.
- The read/summary method relies on extracting the most important information from scattered textbook text into organized notes as you read.
- Marginal notes involve summarizing the key takeaways of each paragraph in the margin, which the speaker credits with raising a grade from a C to an A+.
- Think like a teacher (TLT) means reading with the question "what would the professor ask on the exam?" to put your brain in active hunting mode.
- Mind maps organize material chapter by chapter into branching connections, producing one visual map per chapter to review before exams.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Read/summary: keep a notebook beside you and write the most important extracted information in a clear, organized way as you read each chapter.
- Marginal notes (RTS): read the paragraph first, think about what the author was trying to communicate, then summarize the key points in the margin.
- Think like a teacher: read with one question in mind, "if I were the professor, what would I ask on the exam?", then use color coding or highlighting on the answers.
- Memory boost: keep blank paper and a pen nearby, and quickly write down every list, name, keyword, or date you encounter; then repeat by writing the list from memory, and once more until it flows.
- Mind maps: after finishing a chapter, recall or check the main topic, draw it at the center, add branches to connected subtopics, then mini branches linking those branches.
- Study guide: keep it to one or two pages, include only concepts you have trouble remembering, avoid repetition across lecture notes and textbook, and use sticky notes to add material without erasing.
- Einstein strategy: read as if you must explain the material to a six-year-old, then take notes or prepare a simple PowerPoint to organize it concisely.
- Personal connection: while highlighting keywords, think of an example from your own life, or draw or joke about the text in the margins to make it memorable.
- Posted notes: summarize each chapter of a novel in one or at most two sticky notes, then review only those notes before a test.
- Practice tests: write a question for each important theory, keyword, or list, then build a practice test to take midway through studying and again the day before the exam.
- The speaker notes that reading alone may not be enough for understanding and memorization, and that the strategies help you study less while remembering more.
- The memory boost method is described as the speaker's favorite; she says it's strange, hard to explain, but in her experience works every time.
- The study guide tip about white space is a useful check: if you keep searching for room to add more, you have not filtered the material enough.
Bottom Line
Active reading is the core message: pick a few of these strategies that suit your learning style, such as mind maps for visual learners or practice tests for reducing exam anxiety, and apply them consistently while reading.
