i swear active recall, no matter how much energy it takes, is sooo rewarding. When you see a question in an exam that you have visualized multiple times is such a nice feeling.
This is spot on because I can feel my brain just get on fire, quickly telling itself how “correct” with “reasoning” on why I should bubble in that answer in .002 seconds lol
For years, I always pretended to be a teacher and teach these new concepts to a random person (my stuffed animals lmao) and i'm glad to know it's an actual thing called active recall!
1.Explain the concept to yourself 2.Check back and reconsolidate 3.Verbalize recall 4.Review each slide 5.Write concise notes 6.Repeat using repetition!
I did this accidentally for a history test I was sure I was going to fail. It was late in the night and I had done barely any studying, so I got out my textbook and read the entire chapter once. Every time I finished a paragraph I would look away and explain it to myself in simple terms. I cried before going to sleep that night because I felt that that it wasn't enough, but then ended up acing the test.
@@payelmondal6400 I think it may have to do with how you go about it, honestly I don't know lol it was some time ago and I definitely didn't do it on purpose haha. Just keep trying and make sure you explain things to yourself in simple terms. Good luck!
@@netrowthe thank you very much for your wishes. I am doing active recall now for my NEET exam september 12 17 lakhs students will appear for it..so much competition🤕🤕
I can’t believe I did this my whole life😭 like I wouldn’t study in the library or with friends because they tend to rewrite the content and work in silence whereas I would have deep ass monologues to explain a concept. Istg I always ended up dehydrated because I was speaking so much ahaha.
1. Explain the concepts to yourself 2. Check back and reconsolidate 3. Verbalise Recall 4. Review concepts 5. Write Concept Notes 6. Use Spaced Repetition Don'ts 1. Don't Skip 2. Don't re-read the information and explain why you cannot get the information
Holy crap. I wasn't going to use it because of how much brain power it requires, but your comment really motivated me and convinced me. Thank you and congratulations, that's amazing!
My story: I attended University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) for Undergrad. My first 5 quarters in a STEM major (Biopsychology) yielded a 3.03 GPA. I studied for exams one week prior like I did in high school using active recall, yet that was not working for whatever reason. Then I had an epiphany. When I took Intro To Physiology, I did poorly on a final that emphasized critical thinking (a weak point of mine). When I went over my answers, I realized I still thrived on one section compared to others. Why? Because I spent the most time on those series of lectures, whereas I had no time to substantially review the others. I still did get a C on Intro to Physiology. It sucked. But because I realized why I had more success on one series of lectures versus the others, I began to extrapolate an updated active recall strategy towards the remainder of my college courses. The strategy was that I started studying for midterms and finals using active recall immediately after a semester began versus waiting one week prior to an exam. What did that result in? A Cumulative UCSB GPA of 3.48, a final-two-year GPA of around 3.8, and an admission into the Program in Occupational Therapy at Washington University in St. Louis. The one last class I needed to get an A in to confirm my acceptance? Upper Division Physiology. I got an A in that class after changing my active recall strategy a couple years earlier. And I was off to Graduate School. It can be done. I hope I gave some of you confidence that you CAN turn your academics around by utilizing active recall. Thank you for the video Jimmy!
Joshua, this is incredibly inspiring. As an incoming freshman to university, I want to learn more about your process. When you said you started using active recall after a semester, what do you mean? Wouldn’t class have already ended then? Also, what was your process with active recall? How did you study?
Ahhhh this REALLY inspired me ! I’ve been struggling in my nursing courses 😫 & would miss class to study for other classes which only pushed me back further. I’m excited to try this method as I finish out my final semester of the ABSN program 🙌🏾 I’ll be back to share my testimony with you all in Jesus Name, AMEN !
@@StudyMD The given method is really effective. Didn't knew it has a name now. It has been used by Hafiz Al-Qur'an (Memorizing Al-Qur'an) since ages, there are estimated 200 millions Hafiz from all over the world, majority of them are Non-Arab! Yet this method has helped them to memorize it perfectly. Thanks for sharing!
I've been using this technique way before I knew what it is, and when I was in college university, I could literally get a perfect mark on long exams even studying 30 minutes before. Now I'm in med school and I'm still using this technique (with mnemonics) but obviously I have to study ahead of time because of the humongous amount of information in the lectures. It's very helpful.
This is excellent. I did this several years ago in 6th grade but never knew there was a term for it. I used active recall to memorize all the 50 states of the United States, their respective capitals and categorized the states into different regions (New England, Middle Atlantic, Central, Southern, Western). I basically visualized the U.S. map and mentally placed the states like little puzzle pieces. I was in 6th grade then in the Philippines. The beauty of active recall is that you also retain the information for a long time. I'm in my 50's now and I still know all the 50 states of the U.S. by heart.
When using an app like Quizlet to study, only use the 'write-in' mode to answer questions. This forces you to use active recall instead of seeing the possible answers with multiple choice.
When I'm studying, I imagine that I'm talking to a 6yo. 🤣This idea came from a quote from abert einstein that if you can't explain it to a 6yo then you havent understand it yourself.
It feels great to know that I've already been doing this for the most part. It always felt faster than writing out encyclopedia-length lecture notes haha. This was probably the most well presented video on study techniques I've ever seen. Great work
This method is actually life changing. I don't know why this information about learning and studying isn't mainstreamed or talked about throughout most of school. As a incoming freshman going into college that wants to do pre-med, thank you!
I LOVE THIS SO MUCH because you not only shared your style of the technique, you shared ideas that helped to build it - actual primary literature research. This was extremely helpful to me, thank you!
When I watch this video for a second time, I realized Chinese students use this method since primary school, lol. At the first time, I didnt realize 背书 is just what you called active recall here, but yeah, it works really well.
After this video I realized my worst mistake which is LACK OF ENERGY because my schedule was awful. So that's why I couldn't do my active recall properly. Sleep is underrated for sure.
Really interesting video! It's funny cause I used this technique my entire life without knowing, and I guess every italian student does. Here we are orally quizzed every lesson on the current chapter and the ones already done during that semester, so we have to explain the concepts out loud to the teacher who judges our speech. I had no idea it was "active recalling", since I thought it was everyone's studying/ reviewing method. Since primary school we are taught to memorize reading, understanding and repeating outloud any new information, at least once a week. I've always wondered why this method compared to the one I experienced during my exchange year in California (multiple choices quizzes) helped me learn faster, and I found the scientific explanation here. This channel is super useful and informative, keep up the good work .)
Finally! This is how I study. I watched a lot of study tips videos and some of them like highlighting is not really working for me. But this, yes! This really works for me. Thanks for this
Thanks for the video and the step by step breakdown of your thought process, a lot of people talk a lot about these concepts but they don't have a step by step method of implementing the theory. Look forward to your video on retrospective timetables as it can be hard to implement spaced repetition with all the new information coming at you in a single day let alone a week.
"I hear and I forget/I see and I remember/I do and I understand" ~Confucius. You don't learn by reading the material once, you learn by "doing". Active recall is basically "doing".
Crazy. I never realized how i did so well in college but did relatively bad during proper med. Because of this video i realized that I used to subconsciously do this A LOT when i was in college for pre med. Albeit due to lesser coverage and reading material i had to cover. Thank you for this doc! I will try this for my licensure review! Subscribed Addendum: one thing i also noticed is i NEVER highlighted during my peak years. During med school peer pressure got the best of me and i started highlighting and rereading books but never really understood why so much effort didn't yield anything.
I teach my 8th graders this method. It’s complex for younger students. It’s a year’s journey to really refine it but it is sooo worth it. Former students have shared their success with it throughout high school and even college! Thanks for this comprehensive video that explains why active recal so impactful. 👍
Whatt, i have been doing this without knowing, especially in biology, this really works, it has earned me a perfect 200 out of 200 score in my exam, about 1 out of every 5000 students got that too (i'm from Portugal), oh and I had an amazing teacher
This is a very powerful technique that I wish was universally thought. I learned about active recalling technique five years ago. It radically changed my approach in life when learning anything even stuff outside Academia. I would never go back. The way I do it is basically I talk to myself explaining as if I was the tutor teaching. So when I can finally explain it with little effort and no stumbles is precisely when I feel comfortable and experienced enough to move on to the next subject.
I used to get C+ for my pathophysiology during my diploma days. This morning I woke up and saw I got DISTINCTION for my Advance Diploma, all big thanks to your video that first got me introduced to Active Recall. Thank you MDprospect.
I started developing this myself during the critical care component of our pharmacology. I couldn't remember why we used Med A over Med B for a particular presentation until I started teaching myself aloud in a private room at the library. Great summary of this fantastic studying technique!
I just want to thank you for sharing these videos. I am a University Instructor and use these as a mandatory assignment for my students! They listen to you when they wont listen to me.
It takes me forever to get through a textbook but Im always stopping and re-imagining/ explaining it out loud. so by the time I'm done it's usually pretty cemented in my mind.
Thank you for this study method! I found your video on active recall and discovered Anki and started studying daily a few weeks ago, well I've been getting nothing but As ever since!!!
I usually don’t write comments. But I have to appreciate the fact that you had a clear source of information during the whole video. I like that a lot!
I can confirm this actually works. I’ve been using this method for years. When I started my first job at McDonald’s, I mastered all the stations and gotten promotions. I then moved to other jobs and learned fast. The ones who have the knowledge climb up the ladder quicker. I used this during my undergrad studies and aced all my exams. Please use it and be the best you can be!
I used to that in high school. Didn't know it was a known technique. 100% works like a charm. I am able to recall sometimes 95% of the material on the following day.
I tried actively recall for organic chemistry from orgo 1 to orgo 3 and I got straight As. Instead of drawing out and doing practice problems on paper, I had the solution on my computer screen but I hide it. I read the question and solved the question in my head. Writing took so much times! Doing everything in my head was faster. After completing solving the question, I read the solution and fixed it in my mind and tried to recall one more time. I studied for an exam in a week.
Ay man, I am an aspiring psychiatrist who just now started to get their GPA higher. Your videos really help and I am tremendously inspired by you. I am so honored to feel like I have someone who genuinely helps and supports struggling premed students. Thank you!
Great video Jimmy! My favourite way to do active recall is either to create a handwritten 1-page "brain dump" of a lecture within 1-48 hours after the lecture, or, prior to an exam, I'll go for a long walk where I try to rant for as long as I can about everything I know about the exam material. Sometimes I'll invite one or two classmates along with me. I find this helps to organize and interconnect the information in my brain so that I'm better able to make use of it during an exam or clinical situation.
Thank you for this video. It confirms the conclusion I have already come to. For several years I have been living in the rural highlands of Guatemala, teaching English to Maya children, using a computer program that I developed. So far I have taught about 2,000 Maya children in 5 public schools. Because of the coronavirus, all schools have been closed this year, and I have been working a totally new part of the program to implement what you call active recall.
Since I study like this I succeeded a lot ! I used to write down everything and it took so much time and I still forgot everything. But since I visualise it in front of my eyes it just manifests in my brain
I am really amazed that in my high school itself I was using this method of active recall😃 unknowingly....I used to read my paragraph ,will close my book,will try to say what I have read loudly and will repeat that paragraph 3times and will move to next....So I was the topper in all my exams and all..... When I entered medical school I changed my method of studying.Just reading once has became my study style due to huge syllabus......Now I am not in the top list in my class....😣So this was the reason!!! Thanks alot ...I will go back to my active recall method of study ... And will become a great doctor 🤩🤩🤩🥰😍
@Hoodie i started this technique around 2-3 years ago. Before then, I’ve just been reading mindlessly and taking notes as I read. I never actually absorbed the material and never excelled in any class. One day, I took a course that I fell in love with (interest helps a lot) and I listened attentively to the entire lecture, no notes taken. When it came to reading, I would read everything once w/o notes paying attention to every single word, then i would re-read and take notes. Although time consuming, that’s when i noticed a major difference in exam taking. I’ve been applying this method ever since.
@@zeezalo damn bro, congratulations, I’m in 8th grade, and do you have any pointers for me considering I don’t exactly understand, can you explain step by step, literally, like from the moment you turn the page from the moment your recalling, thanks.
@Hoodie this is my technique, when i take notes after re reading, i am doing active recall because i’m writing in my own words whatever i just read. Writing in my own words also requires me to digest the information i read so i take a second to summarize in my head ( i visualize the concept) and then i write down my notes
@@fries9833 sure! Try this first: read a paragraph, but pay attention to every word, don’t mindlessly read it. Then take a second, conceptualize what you just read (i make a picture or scenario in my head). then, re read the paragraph (this is optional, but this is what i do). write in your own words what you just read, no peeking at the book. then look back at the paragraph and check if the info you wrote seems right, if not, then correct it. Do not move on until you completely understand what you have read, so repeat if necessary. It’s time consuming, but it’s worth it! When you are able to do a paragraph, you can try reading a whole page or 2, and do the same thing.
Omg this is so true!! I try active recall & can never recite what i did but i know i have understood it.. so like u said I need to understand why am getting it wrong and fill those gaps .. thanku so much for such wonderful videos! & specially for breaking this one for me... everybody swears by this but nobody talks about this prospect of active recall ... U just earned yourself a subscriber! U are absolutely amazing this is the least i could do!
Passed the CPA exam using active recall....only had to study 2 hours each weekday after work and 4 hours on Sat and Sun. Actually had time for a life as well....
@@SummeRain783 you can, but I didn't. I just studied what I wasn't getting right. I did a ton of multiple choice questions. Even the questions that I got as a repeat, I didn't just select the answer and move on. I tried to recall as much theory as I could, wrote out the full journal entry, and redid each calculation and T account as necessary. The repetition drilled the concept into my head.
Most of these are excellent tips that I've been using myself for the last couple years of undergrad and it works really well. One thing to point out too is in order to not overwhelm yourself with too much information to comprehend, try to find the right pace that fits you at the current state you're in. Don't rush or drag, just enough so that the material you're learning is interesting enough but not too simple for you to keep going.
I’m so happy you made this video! Interestingly enough, I’ve always used this method of studying-even without knowing the name of it. It certainly is the best way to study. Many of my friends have asked about how I remember information in math/science so well, and I tell them that I just explain the concepts to myself vocally
This was truly helping. As a freshman and zoom student, I want to admit to not doing the best I could of this first semester. I am starting to think about my studying methods and tendencies. I am planning on solidifying a studying method that will work for not only my undergrad but graduate.
I absolutely loved the video! The advice and tips were well organised and had a good combination of evidence and mr bean shots! ;D i am a premed student btw!
I did a version of active recall to study for some of my classes. What I did was after I had read the material a couple of times, I then made simply bullet point index cards. Then, closed off in a room so I wouldn't bug my wife - I also spoke very quietly to myself, I then would review my material by acting like I was giving a lecture to a class of students. This forced me into having to think about and recall the materials with the bullet points only serving as a reminded of what I wanted to teach....an empty room about. I used it for most of my classes including calculus. I would lecture silently to nobody (even walking side to side and making hand gestures like a real lecture) then I would work out examples on my dry erase board. It made active recall easier to do. Rather than asking myself things like "why and how" since I was play acting I was lecturing I had to recall those things in order to teach someone else. Plus, to even pretend to teach you have to verbalize. Coming up with concise notes happened almost naturally as finding gaps in my knowledge was pretty easy to do pretending to teach as you often hit a wall. That wall where you have nothing to say....time to make a note on the side and add a bullet point, if needed to your 'lecture' bullet points note cards. The note cards I made I would NOT put anything on them that I could just read verbatim, just a few words to tell myself what topic I need to lecture on. It works great, especially when you start studying a week or two out. Just give a lecture for each test, quiz, final, or chapter (however you wish to structure it) twice per day which takes maybe 1.5 hours the first few times you do it, but as you do it you get better at it even with a new class or new topics. You can get the bulk of your studying time (not counting stupid assignments) via pretend lectures down in around an hour (15 mins per class less you are trying to hammer out a pile of math problems). This even helps to cement things that you don't necessarily include in your pretend lectures as, for me anyhow, the pretend lectures were also great memory triggers for things that I read once or twice but didn't always include in by lecture bullet points. Repeating the lectures once or twice per day leading up to a test, final, etc. were my poor man's SRS. In short, I accidentally ended up doing it all and it worked out awesome.
I first read and pretend that I'm the teacher. I talk to myself as if I'm teaching nonexistent people in front of me. This has actually helped a LOT. (straight A student btw)
Active recall actualy works . I have used for years active recall ; without knowing it ( evethough i have followed different steps to achieve it ) . I managed to cover an entire textbook in 4 months and did well on the test thanx to this technique ...
Thank you so much. I took notes and recalled the tips you mentioned in your videos. To keep it simple, I only follow your channel to learn how to study. Feeling more and more confident even though I am not in school at the moment.
wow, I've been active recalling all my life without even realizing it. Not gonna llie I've always scored in the higher percentages of the class (not to brag but to solidify that this actually works). I'm only watching videos now about effecient studying because in a month I'll be starting my senior year and I want to get as many high marks as I can.
Neha Koolath sorry some of us aren’t taught everythung about life, shit... even if you think they’re easy, some people don’t know the correct way to study, clean, stay dedicated, etc
Yeah i rate this, went from E/D/D on my AS Levels to A/A/B in my A levels (for non english, these are two-year post secondary qualifications you can do, AS level is the name of the first year, A level is the name of the second year). Writing down step by steps/terms and definitions/facts about a topic that you keep forgetting, to begin with, and keep writing it out, skipping bits that you know. After every time you write it out, explain it to yourself out loud. Once you feel confident you know something, recall it again one day after, one week after, then every two/three weeks after until your exam.
I love how I figured out with trial and error that this is the most effective method to find gaps in your knowlege and plug them. I just recently realized this to be a real scientific method.
I have gone though some failures in life and active recall does take much energy yes. But i get more and suffer less. Thanks for sharing the idea of active recall. My personally take away is to read the my courses, and explain the concepts on papers. I will then compare, add information, disprove what i thought, and know obvious what i really need to know more or better about. Of course, this is not the general take away from your vid, but it helped me and reminded me of taking notes of each chapter with only pen and rubber.
It's disappointing how little people actually watch such informative, and scientifically established videos like this but for for videos without any basis for their advise.
WOW. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO. I was a pretty good student my whole life until my senior year in high school (other stuff got in the way that year). I am now in college and I've been wondering why I felt so much more clear-headed with the material then compared to now. I didn't realize until now I practiced active recall my whole life until I went to college. I took a few years off and honestly forgot I even did it. Well this should be a game changer my last year.
I have been studying like this since elementary school and just thought everyone studies like this🤫😂 I had no idea it is a complete concept called active recall
Same but a bit different. I might have hyperphantasia so I imagined many scenarios while studying and they'd pop in my head during exams. I did pretty well in school in general but wasn't great with languages (scored above 85% on them even when I studied hard). I just never applied it to languages because it's hard to imagine scenarios for me in a language. I'm going to try this method though.
@@shredder807 i think i did good. When it comes to foreign languages i am fluent in English and advanced in German. I have also recently finished my International economics studies in duration of 4 years with a mark 9.2 out of 10 and right now i am hoping to enroll in master studies about Business management and development. I am pretty satisfied.
@@itsurgirlcharlene what i do is that i sum up all the key concepts, notes from class, and strategies for different problems and when i am in bed before i asleep i recall then info and walk through a problem that i imagine in my head. I have found that doing this makes you remember the information on the test and not blank out. Hope this helps!
I read, understand the material, recall in my head, reread to correct myself and verbalize it. I do this sentence by sentence and paragraph by paragraph. I guess doing this page by page afterwards would also help make the material concise.
I honestly didn't even know that this was the concept I was using until thinking more about how I learn and how I ought to. Everytime I study I always drift off in my thoughts, wandering around my room, talking to myself about the stuff I am studying. Had this habit since forever and it probably is the reason why I went so effortlessly through school without actively learning for more than a few days to a week. Obviously, especially if you are going for the 4.0, you must invest more than a few days, but this technique is highly effective and as soon as you are used to it and actively utilize it, you will be very successful.
i used this technique (unknowingly) while studying for my western civics midterm & final last year. i got an A on both! i gotta start using this again.
This makes sense on why my results was so much better in Secondary school as compared to my results during my Diploma where I simply read and not try to recall except a very small portion🤦🏻♀️
I have actually used this technique for the last 3-4 years and didn’t know it had a name or was even widely used by others. Honestly I came here trying to find an even easier way to study but it looks like this is as good as it gets
i'm in my third year in law school and a couple of weeks ago I started to be less concentrated and less efficient when it came to study, so I'll start using this technique tomorrow.
i swear active recall, no matter how much energy it takes, is sooo rewarding. When you see a question in an exam that you have visualized multiple times is such a nice feeling.
This is so true. It helped me a lot, I got a 5.0 GPA 4 times!
This is spot on because I can feel my brain just get on fire, quickly telling itself how “correct” with “reasoning” on why I should bubble in that answer in .002 seconds lol
Do you use any apps to help with studying?
Michelle Moon no not really since using my phone always leads me to lose concentration. Sheet and paper are the best studying tools honestly
Active recalls yields high pass rate . I am an MBChB student first year and it works for me.
For years, I always pretended to be a teacher and teach these new concepts to a random person (my stuffed animals lmao) and i'm glad to know it's an actual thing called active recall!
thats a good idea
thats actually called the feinman technique which is a form of active recall! :D
Its actually called as Feyman technique but it is great for Understanding rather than memorising.
i do the same thing too, and it really helps!!
Awwwee that’s awesome 😄 I love that idea
1.Explain the concept to yourself
2.Check back and reconsolidate
3.Verbalize recall
4.Review each slide
5.Write concise notes
6.Repeat using repetition!
Anki!
right, if you can explain it in your own words really you mastered that .
I'm medical student
Why the heck does 4.review redirect???
@@sieyk I tried to fix it but i couldn't change it
@@arreyt4864 I know, it happened to my comment too. Why does it see that as a URL??
I did this accidentally for a history test I was sure I was going to fail. It was late in the night and I had done barely any studying, so I got out my textbook and read the entire chapter once. Every time I finished a paragraph I would look away and explain it to myself in simple terms. I cried before going to sleep that night because I felt that that it wasn't enough, but then ended up acing the test.
That's amazing, have you tried the Sam's method again and did you reap similar results?
@@chinazanwokolo4212 I think I did, but since the pandemic started it's been a while since I've taken studying seriously :P
@@netrowthe hey really one time active recall fetched you a good marks??🥺🥺how man????!!
For me 4 to 5 times active recall then i gain confidence...
@@payelmondal6400 I think it may have to do with how you go about it, honestly I don't know lol it was some time ago and I definitely didn't do it on purpose haha. Just keep trying and make sure you explain things to yourself in simple terms. Good luck!
@@netrowthe thank you very much for your wishes.
I am doing active recall now for my NEET exam september 12
17 lakhs students will appear for it..so much competition🤕🤕
I can’t believe I did this my whole life😭 like I wouldn’t study in the library or with friends because they tend to rewrite the content and work in silence whereas I would have deep ass monologues to explain a concept. Istg I always ended up dehydrated because I was speaking so much ahaha.
Adrian G. Nein, ich wohne in der Schweiz!
I do that too! My roommate thought I was mental cuz I would be talking in partial sentences while i was studying😂
Piage Fabez saaame my mother would be like : who are you talking to?? Ahah
@@piagebot2943isn't this the way everyone study normally ? What is the common way can you explain it please
But don’t you forget it after a while if it’s all in ur head and not paper
1. Explain the concepts to yourself
2. Check back and reconsolidate
3. Verbalise Recall
4. Review concepts
5. Write Concept Notes
6. Use Spaced Repetition
Don'ts
1. Don't Skip
2. Don't re-read the information and explain why you cannot get the information
@@slaysan que se cumplió el nos
what is Don't 2. point about
This and spaced repetition is how I went from making a 38 on test 2 to making a 90 on test 3. It really works.
Great
Congratulations! You did so well on the 3rd exam and I hope you rock the 4th and finals!
Wow... bravo!
Holy crap. I wasn't going to use it because of how much brain power it requires, but your comment really motivated me and convinced me. Thank you and congratulations, that's amazing!
actually what is the difference bet. active recall and spaced repetition? I finds them so similar
My story: I attended University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) for Undergrad. My first 5 quarters in a STEM major (Biopsychology) yielded a 3.03 GPA. I studied for exams one week prior like I did in high school using active recall, yet that was not working for whatever reason. Then I had an epiphany. When I took Intro To Physiology, I did poorly on a final that emphasized critical thinking (a weak point of mine). When I went over my answers, I realized I still thrived on one section compared to others. Why? Because I spent the most time on those series of lectures, whereas I had no time to substantially review the others.
I still did get a C on Intro to Physiology. It sucked. But because I realized why I had more success on one series of lectures versus the others, I began to extrapolate an updated active recall strategy towards the remainder of my college courses. The strategy was that I started studying for midterms and finals using active recall immediately after a semester began versus waiting one week prior to an exam. What did that result in? A Cumulative UCSB GPA of 3.48, a final-two-year GPA of around 3.8, and an admission into the Program in Occupational Therapy at Washington University in St. Louis. The one last class I needed to get an A in to confirm my acceptance? Upper Division Physiology. I got an A in that class after changing my active recall strategy a couple years earlier. And I was off to Graduate School.
It can be done. I hope I gave some of you confidence that you CAN turn your academics around by utilizing active recall. Thank you for the video Jimmy!
Thank you so much for your comment Joshua, it gives context to what I was saying in the video! :)
I'm pretty much finished with my first year of University and at a very similar point like you were. Thank you for the little extra motivation. :)
Joshua, this is incredibly inspiring. As an incoming freshman to university, I want to learn more about your process. When you said you started using active recall after a semester, what do you mean? Wouldn’t class have already ended then? Also, what was your process with active recall? How did you study?
@@xoduyenxo he started revising immediately the semester began
Ahhhh this REALLY inspired me ! I’ve been struggling in my nursing courses 😫 & would miss class to study for other classes which only pushed me back further.
I’m excited to try this method as I finish out my final semester of the ABSN program 🙌🏾 I’ll be back to share my testimony with you all in Jesus Name, AMEN !
This is extremely true though. Active recall takes so much energy lmao.
Takes energy to stick it in your brain haha
Eric Fajeta NO pain NO gain
You are damn right !!!!!
@@StudyMD The given method is really effective. Didn't knew it has a name now. It has been used by Hafiz Al-Qur'an (Memorizing Al-Qur'an) since ages, there are estimated 200 millions Hafiz from all over the world, majority of them are Non-Arab! Yet this method has helped them to memorize it perfectly.
Thanks for sharing!
@@uaa4739 oh damn!!
As someone who’s a computer science student, I am so glad this ended up in my recommended videos
You may want to check out this book.
"Understanding how we learn"
by Dr. Yana Weinstein et al.
Are ya coding, son?
Same :)
@@raymeester7883 will check it asap,thanks :)
Bruh same😂
I've been using this technique way before I knew what it is, and when I was in college university, I could literally get a perfect mark on long exams even studying 30 minutes before. Now I'm in med school and I'm still using this technique (with mnemonics) but obviously I have to study ahead of time because of the humongous amount of information in the lectures. It's very helpful.
Ikr and the end people just assume i get lucky with my marks😂
Now ik why my roommate used to read the same topic again and again
How to ACTIVE RECALL starts at 5:03, save your time and be efficient.
I love it when video makers provide this for ppl
Thank you
thanks man
Thanks 😊
Thankyou!😌
This is excellent. I did this several years ago in 6th grade but never knew there was a term for it. I used active recall to memorize all the 50 states of the United States, their respective capitals and categorized the states into different regions (New England, Middle Atlantic, Central, Southern, Western). I basically visualized the U.S. map and mentally placed the states like little puzzle pieces. I was in 6th grade then in the Philippines. The beauty of active recall is that you also retain the information for a long time. I'm in my 50's now and I still know all the 50 states of the U.S. by heart.
When using an app like Quizlet to study, only use the 'write-in' mode to answer questions. This forces you to use active recall instead of seeing the possible answers with multiple choice.
This was definitely the best introduction to active recall, thank you!
Thank you for the kind words :)
Because pomodoro and active recall ways, I have 3.89 GPA in my master degree for first term and because I learn it from you thank you!
If you have questions, comment and I’ll do my best to answer!! Make sure to like and subscribe and share it to your best friends :)
When I'm studying, I imagine that I'm talking to a 6yo. 🤣This idea came from a quote from abert einstein that if you can't explain it to a 6yo then you havent understand it yourself.
Oh I love that lol. Thanks!!
I’m like a 6yo trying to explain to a 6yo. Not fun.
@@MMA-jz8si Exactly, Me too!
Try explaining the stages of an action potential or depolarization to a 6yr old and see how far you'll get.
I thought that was by Feynman
It feels great to know that I've already been doing this for the most part. It always felt faster than writing out encyclopedia-length lecture notes haha. This was probably the most well presented video on study techniques I've ever seen. Great work
Thanks so much man!! I’ve been using it too without realizing that it was active recall 😂
This method is actually life changing. I don't know why this information about learning and studying isn't mainstreamed or talked about throughout most of school. As a incoming freshman going into college that wants to do pre-med, thank you!
I LOVE THIS SO MUCH because you not only shared your style of the technique, you shared ideas that helped to build it - actual primary literature research. This was extremely helpful to me, thank you!
When I watch this video for a second time, I realized Chinese students use this method since primary school, lol. At the first time, I didnt realize 背书 is just what you called active recall here, but yeah, it works really well.
After this video I realized my worst mistake which is LACK OF ENERGY because my schedule was awful. So that's why I couldn't do my active recall properly. Sleep is underrated for sure.
i’m trying to do it rn but like damn my mind is so tired i can’t even form a proper thought 😭
Really interesting video! It's funny cause I used this technique my entire life without knowing, and I guess every italian student does. Here we are orally quizzed every lesson on the current chapter and the ones already done during that semester, so we have to explain the concepts out loud to the teacher who judges our speech. I had no idea it was "active recalling", since I thought it was everyone's studying/ reviewing method. Since primary school we are taught to memorize reading, understanding and repeating outloud any new information, at least once a week. I've always wondered why this method compared to the one I experienced during my exchange year in California (multiple choices quizzes) helped me learn faster, and I found the scientific explanation here. This channel is super useful and informative, keep up the good work .)
Finally! This is how I study. I watched a lot of study tips videos and some of them like highlighting is not really working for me. But this, yes! This really works for me. Thanks for this
Thanks for the video and the step by step breakdown of your thought process, a lot of people talk a lot about these concepts but they don't have a step by step method of implementing the theory. Look forward to your video on retrospective timetables as it can be hard to implement spaced repetition with all the new information coming at you in a single day let alone a week.
Thank you!🙏🏻 it was good for me to break it down as well! Hope you find it useful!
"I hear and I forget/I see and I remember/I do and I understand" ~Confucius. You don't learn by reading the material once, you learn by "doing". Active recall is basically "doing".
This gave me my first 96% in my ultrasound exam. A lot of work but it works. I asked a piece of paper and rely on muscle memory too.
Crazy. I never realized how i did so well in college but did relatively bad during proper med. Because of this video i realized that I used to subconsciously do this A LOT when i was in college for pre med. Albeit due to lesser coverage and reading material i had to cover. Thank you for this doc! I will try this for my licensure review! Subscribed
Addendum: one thing i also noticed is i NEVER highlighted during my peak years. During med school peer pressure got the best of me and i started highlighting and rereading books but never really understood why so much effort didn't yield anything.
yeah, highlighting does not do anything but making them like mcq's may help
recalling is best when done right
I teach my 8th graders this method. It’s complex for younger students. It’s a year’s journey to really refine it but it is sooo worth it. Former students have shared their success with it throughout high school and even college! Thanks for this comprehensive video that explains why active recal so impactful. 👍
Whatt, i have been doing this without knowing, especially in biology, this really works, it has earned me a perfect 200 out of 200 score in my exam, about 1 out of every 5000 students got that too (i'm from Portugal), oh and I had an amazing teacher
How exactly is your workflow? Do you still write down everything u have to know? Etc
This is a very powerful technique that I wish was universally thought. I learned about active recalling technique five years ago. It radically changed my approach in life when learning anything even stuff outside Academia. I would never go back. The way I do it is basically I talk to myself explaining as if I was the tutor teaching. So when I can finally explain it with little effort and no stumbles is precisely when I feel comfortable and experienced enough to move on to the next subject.
I used to get C+ for my pathophysiology during my diploma days. This morning I woke up and saw I got DISTINCTION for my Advance Diploma, all big thanks to your video that first got me introduced to Active Recall. Thank you MDprospect.
I started developing this myself during the critical care component of our pharmacology. I couldn't remember why we used Med A over Med B for a particular presentation until I started teaching myself aloud in a private room at the library. Great summary of this fantastic studying technique!
Ahh I really recommend this, I always used this method for exams by pretending to be on a reality show so it’s become really memorable
I just want to thank you for sharing these videos. I am a University Instructor and use these as a mandatory assignment for my students! They listen to you when they wont listen to me.
It takes me forever to get through a textbook but Im always stopping and re-imagining/ explaining it out loud. so by the time I'm done it's usually pretty cemented in my mind.
I like how he just gets to the point. No long intro, just to the point. Awesome!
This is one reason using Think-Pair-Share in classes for students is so important, too. Excellent video.
the structure of his videos are like journal articles. theyre straight to the point and full of substance!
Thank you for this study method! I found your video on active recall and discovered Anki and started studying daily a few weeks ago, well I've been getting nothing but As ever since!!!
I usually don’t write comments. But I have to appreciate the fact that you had a clear source of information during the whole video. I like that a lot!
I can confirm this actually works. I’ve been using this method for years. When I started my first job at McDonald’s, I mastered all the stations and gotten promotions. I then moved to other jobs and learned fast. The ones who have the knowledge climb up the ladder quicker. I used this during my undergrad studies and aced all my exams. Please use it and be the best you can be!
I used to that in high school. Didn't know it was a known technique. 100% works like a charm. I am able to recall sometimes 95% of the material on the following day.
You got a new sub for this one. Just the reminder I needed prior to entering my Master's program! Shout out to you from Toronto.
I tried actively recall for organic chemistry from orgo 1 to orgo 3 and I got straight As. Instead of drawing out and doing practice problems on paper, I had the solution on my computer screen but I hide it. I read the question and solved the question in my head. Writing took so much times! Doing everything in my head was faster. After completing solving the question, I read the solution and fixed it in my mind and tried to recall one more time. I studied for an exam in a week.
Can you explain in more details your method please? So you did not solve the actual problem on paper at all?
Ay man, I am an aspiring psychiatrist who just now started to get their GPA higher. Your videos really help and I am tremendously inspired by you. I am so honored to feel like I have someone who genuinely helps and supports struggling premed students. Thank you!
Great video Jimmy! My favourite way to do active recall is either to create a handwritten 1-page "brain dump" of a lecture within 1-48 hours after the lecture, or, prior to an exam, I'll go for a long walk where I try to rant for as long as I can about everything I know about the exam material. Sometimes I'll invite one or two classmates along with me. I find this helps to organize and interconnect the information in my brain so that I'm better able to make use of it during an exam or clinical situation.
i had been naturally doing this from when i was a kid. and rn i guess i got consistently lazier and quit doing it. 🤦🏽♀️:'(
I have this same issue. Got lazy and not as motivated to learn the subjects I'm doing.
Same... And I performed better when I did that than when rewriting notes.
Lmao same, I started to hate using my brain and now it's rusty af
@@zenzenzense1562 Facts!
I’m trying to do flashcards and questions to pass my exams
My goodness, I've been studying wrong my whole life
I just read what you wrote and I've already forgotten it lol
🤣🤣🤣
Thank you for this video. It confirms the conclusion I have already come to. For several years I have been living in the rural highlands of Guatemala, teaching English to Maya children, using a computer program that I developed. So far I have taught about 2,000 Maya children in 5 public schools. Because of the coronavirus, all schools have been closed this year, and I have been working a totally new part of the program to implement what you call active recall.
I came across your channel by accident, but I'm so glad this happened! Really enjoying your videos!
Since I study like this I succeeded a lot ! I used to write down everything and it took so much time and I still forgot everything.
But since I visualise it in front of my eyes it just manifests in my brain
I am really amazed that in my high school itself I was using this method of active recall😃 unknowingly....I used to read my paragraph ,will close my book,will try to say what I have read loudly and will repeat that paragraph 3times and will move to next....So I was the topper in all my exams and all.....
When I entered medical school I changed my method of studying.Just reading once has became my study style due to huge syllabus......Now I am not in the top list in my class....😣So this was the reason!!!
Thanks alot ...I will go back to my active recall method of study ...
And will become a great doctor 🤩🤩🤩🥰😍
Did you do better now that you've changed your method back?
I didn’t know I was doing active recall when I was studying, but once I started this technique, I started getting 100s on my tests.
@Hoodie it means that once i started the technique, i was doing well, but i was unaware that it was called active recall
@Hoodie i started this technique around 2-3 years ago. Before then, I’ve just been reading mindlessly and taking notes as I read. I never actually absorbed the material and never excelled in any class. One day, I took a course that I fell in love with (interest helps a lot) and I listened attentively to the entire lecture, no notes taken. When it came to reading, I would read everything once w/o notes paying attention to every single word, then i would re-read and take notes. Although time consuming, that’s when i noticed a major difference in exam taking. I’ve been applying this method ever since.
@@zeezalo damn bro, congratulations, I’m in 8th grade, and do you have any pointers for me considering I don’t exactly understand, can you explain step by step, literally, like from the moment you turn the page from the moment your recalling, thanks.
@Hoodie this is my technique, when i take notes after re reading, i am doing active recall because i’m writing in my own words whatever i just read. Writing in my own words also requires me to digest the information i read so i take a second to summarize in my head ( i visualize the concept) and then i write down my notes
@@fries9833 sure! Try this first: read a paragraph, but pay attention to every word, don’t mindlessly read it. Then take a second, conceptualize what you just read (i make a picture or scenario in my head). then, re read the paragraph (this is optional, but this is what i do). write in your own words what you just read, no peeking at the book. then look back at the paragraph and check if the info you wrote seems right, if not, then correct it. Do not move on until you completely understand what you have read, so repeat if necessary. It’s time consuming, but it’s worth it! When you are able to do a paragraph, you can try reading a whole page or 2, and do the same thing.
Omg this is so true!! I try active recall & can never recite what i did but i know i have understood it.. so like u said I need to understand why am getting it wrong and fill those gaps .. thanku so much for such wonderful videos! & specially for breaking this one for me... everybody swears by this but nobody talks about this prospect of active recall ...
U just earned yourself a subscriber! U are absolutely amazing this is the least i could do!
Passed the CPA exam using active recall....only had to study 2 hours each weekday after work and 4 hours on Sat and Sun. Actually had time for a life as well....
I am actually watching these videos right now preparing for my core 1 module for CPA lol. Did you also use spaced repetition?
@@SummeRain783 you can, but I didn't.
I just studied what I wasn't getting right. I did a ton of multiple choice questions. Even the questions that I got as a repeat, I didn't just select the answer and move on.
I tried to recall as much theory as I could, wrote out the full journal entry, and redid each calculation and T account as necessary.
The repetition drilled the concept into my head.
Most of these are excellent tips that I've been using myself for the last couple years of undergrad and it works really well. One thing to point out too is in order to not overwhelm yourself with too much information to comprehend, try to find the right pace that fits you at the current state you're in. Don't rush or drag, just enough so that the material you're learning is interesting enough but not too simple for you to keep going.
This an incredibly useful video. I work in tech and all this applies to our exams. Great stuff.
I’m so happy you made this video! Interestingly enough, I’ve always used this method of studying-even without knowing the name of it. It certainly is the best way to study. Many of my friends have asked about how I remember information in math/science so well, and I tell them that I just explain the concepts to myself vocally
This was truly helping. As a freshman and zoom student, I want to admit to not doing the best I could of this first semester. I am starting to think about my studying methods and tendencies. I am planning on solidifying a studying method that will work for not only my undergrad but graduate.
I absolutely loved the video! The advice and tips were well organised and had a good combination of evidence and mr bean shots! ;D i am a premed student btw!
Hahah Mr.Beans all the way
I did a version of active recall to study for some of my classes.
What I did was after I had read the material a couple of times, I then made simply bullet point index cards. Then, closed off in a room so I wouldn't bug my wife - I also spoke very quietly to myself, I then would review my material by acting like I was giving a lecture to a class of students. This forced me into having to think about and recall the materials with the bullet points only serving as a reminded of what I wanted to teach....an empty room about.
I used it for most of my classes including calculus. I would lecture silently to nobody (even walking side to side and making hand gestures like a real lecture) then I would work out examples on my dry erase board.
It made active recall easier to do. Rather than asking myself things like "why and how" since I was play acting I was lecturing I had to recall those things in order to teach someone else. Plus, to even pretend to teach you have to verbalize. Coming up with concise notes happened almost naturally as finding gaps in my knowledge was pretty easy to do pretending to teach as you often hit a wall. That wall where you have nothing to say....time to make a note on the side and add a bullet point, if needed to your 'lecture' bullet points note cards. The note cards I made I would NOT put anything on them that I could just read verbatim, just a few words to tell myself what topic I need to lecture on.
It works great, especially when you start studying a week or two out. Just give a lecture for each test, quiz, final, or chapter (however you wish to structure it) twice per day which takes maybe 1.5 hours the first few times you do it, but as you do it you get better at it even with a new class or new topics. You can get the bulk of your studying time (not counting stupid assignments) via pretend lectures down in around an hour (15 mins per class less you are trying to hammer out a pile of math problems). This even helps to cement things that you don't necessarily include in your pretend lectures as, for me anyhow, the pretend lectures were also great memory triggers for things that I read once or twice but didn't always include in by lecture bullet points. Repeating the lectures once or twice per day leading up to a test, final, etc. were my poor man's SRS.
In short, I accidentally ended up doing it all and it worked out awesome.
This is the only video in TH-cam that I’ve seen so far that has clearly explained active recall. Well done! 👍🏽
I first read and pretend that I'm the teacher. I talk to myself as if I'm teaching nonexistent people in front of me. This has actually helped a LOT.
(straight A student btw)
I’ve been doing active recall since I watched your video and I’m getting 97% on biology!!! No idea if you’re gonna see this comment but thank you!
Active recall actualy works . I have used for years active recall ; without knowing it ( evethough i have followed different steps to achieve it ) . I managed to cover an entire textbook in 4 months and did well on the test thanx to this technique ...
Thank you so much. I took notes and recalled the tips you mentioned in your videos. To keep it simple, I only follow your channel to learn how to study. Feeling more and more confident even though I am not in school at the moment.
Come here from your IG post. As a medical student myself, I always enjoy watching your videos. Keep this up. Good Luck! :)
Thank you!!
wow, I've been active recalling all my life without even realizing it. Not gonna llie I've always scored in the higher percentages of the class (not to brag but to solidify that this actually works). I'm only watching videos now about effecient studying because in a month I'll be starting my senior year and I want to get as many high marks as I can.
same!!
Its super cool, i just have a month left for my medicle entrance exam, i will definitly try it out. Thanks for the information.
Nice high quality and high value content. Keep it up broski!
Thanks man!
My family call me mad because i talk to myself 😂😂😂😂while studing
Wait isn’t this just how you study? Are people really just reading the material and thinking they will actually remember it?
@@nehashihabudheen1784 Lmao this is the most boomer comment I have ever read.
sorry im lazy ;(
Neha Koolath sorry some of us aren’t taught everythung about life, shit... even if you think they’re easy, some people don’t know the correct way to study, clean, stay dedicated, etc
@@ximenavalerdi1840 no one taught me how to study and I've always done it like this.... maybe some people are just too stupid
okay cool person that knows everything
This video aptly defined what notes are. They're simply tools that help you trigger the right memory.
Yeah i rate this, went from E/D/D on my AS Levels to A/A/B in my A levels (for non english, these are two-year post secondary qualifications you can do, AS level is the name of the first year, A level is the name of the second year). Writing down step by steps/terms and definitions/facts about a topic that you keep forgetting, to begin with, and keep writing it out, skipping bits that you know. After every time you write it out, explain it to yourself out loud. Once you feel confident you know something, recall it again one day after, one week after, then every two/three weeks after until your exam.
I love how I figured out with trial and error that this is the most effective method to find gaps in your knowlege and plug them. I just recently realized this to be a real scientific method.
I have gone though some failures in life and active recall does take much energy yes. But i get more and suffer less. Thanks for sharing the idea of active recall. My personally take away is to read the my courses, and explain the concepts on papers. I will then compare, add information, disprove what i thought, and know obvious what i really need to know more or better about. Of course, this is not the general take away from your vid, but it helped me and reminded me of taking notes of each chapter with only pen and rubber.
It's disappointing how little people actually watch such informative, and scientifically established videos like this but for for videos without any basis for their advise.
WOW. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO. I was a pretty good student my whole life until my senior year in high school (other stuff got in the way that year). I am now in college and I've been wondering why I felt so much more clear-headed with the material then compared to now. I didn't realize until now I practiced active recall my whole life until I went to college. I took a few years off and honestly forgot I even did it. Well this should be a game changer my last year.
This is so important for any student ! Thank you for this great advise.
There are so many study techniques, and I find Active Recall pretty amazing
I actively recalled what you explain in this video😊
I have been studying like this since elementary school and just thought everyone studies like this🤫😂 I had no idea it is a complete concept called active recall
So how did you do academically?
Same but a bit different. I might have hyperphantasia so I imagined many scenarios while studying and they'd pop in my head during exams. I did pretty well in school in general but wasn't great with languages (scored above 85% on them even when I studied hard). I just never applied it to languages because it's hard to imagine scenarios for me in a language. I'm going to try this method though.
@@shredder807 i think i did good. When it comes to foreign languages i am fluent in English and advanced in German. I have also recently finished my International economics studies in duration of 4 years with a mark 9.2 out of 10 and right now i am hoping to enroll in master studies about Business management and development. I am pretty satisfied.
@@jovanajecmenica1240 ohhh is internatiobal economic degree better or law , business management?
Do u have good grades?
Im only in highschool but I realize I do this a lot but only for the subjects I like such as biology.
haha same here
Same. If I don't care I do a lazy recall.
sameee I do it for math and it works so well, I didn't know what it was until today
@@emilyli6763 please explain how u use active recalling with math because I want to be able to be very well in math
@@itsurgirlcharlene what i do is that i sum up all the key concepts, notes from class, and strategies for different problems and when i am in bed before i asleep i recall then info and walk through a problem that i imagine in my head. I have found that doing this makes you remember the information on the test and not blank out. Hope this helps!
Thanks for doing this vehicle, honestly I learn better this way. I wish more schools would teaching learning techniques.
I read, understand the material, recall in my head, reread to correct myself and verbalize it. I do this sentence by sentence and paragraph by paragraph. I guess doing this page by page afterwards would also help make the material concise.
I honestly didn't even know that this was the concept I was using until thinking more about how I learn and how I ought to. Everytime I study I always drift off in my thoughts, wandering around my room, talking to myself about the stuff I am studying. Had this habit since forever and it probably is the reason why I went so effortlessly through school without actively learning for more than a few days to a week. Obviously, especially if you are going for the 4.0, you must invest more than a few days, but this technique is highly effective and as soon as you are used to it and actively utilize it, you will be very successful.
i used this technique (unknowingly) while studying for my western civics midterm & final last year. i got an A on both! i gotta start using this again.
Hey Jimmy, i really like all of yours videos. They Make me study harder every single day!
Thanks. Now I've understood the difference between Re-read and Recall.
The editing was superb here!!!
Indeed active recall has really helped me to do extremely well in my science studies and projects 👍keep it up I expect more superb tips for studying.
It's very useful. It appeared on best time as my exams are approaching.
This makes sense on why my results was so much better in Secondary school as compared to my results during my Diploma where I simply read and not try to recall except a very small portion🤦🏻♀️
All these methods combined actually work really well
Will be using this for my first ever college semester. thank you!
Thank you so much! I am from Brazil and I'd to say that you are helping me a lot! Thanks!
I have actually used this technique for the last 3-4 years and didn’t know it had a name or was even widely used by others. Honestly I came here trying to find an even easier way to study but it looks like this is as good as it gets
i'm in my third year in law school and a couple of weeks ago I started to be less concentrated and less efficient when it came to study, so I'll start using this technique tomorrow.