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The Feynman Technique: Ask yourself, “What is it that I don’t understand?” Figure out the exact point at which you don’t understand to recognize your confusion.
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Spaced Repetition: See the material you don’t know quite often, and do not see the material you know well for a while. Use Spaced Repetition Software (SRS) like Anki.
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Method of Loci: A memorization technique that involves visualizing information with real-world objects. Paste postcards or notes across objects in your house that refer to a particular concept you are trying to learn.
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Hack Akrasia (Lack of command over oneself):
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Commitment Device: Bind yourself to getting a task done (e.g., using apps like Beeminder).
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Add a short-term reward: For example, eating gummy bears after finishing a paragraph.
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Pomodoro Technique: Set a timer and work on only one task (experiment with time intervals). Write down anything that distracts you while inside the Pomodoro interval so you can prevent distractions.
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Focused and Diffused Thinking: For focused thinking, focus on one set of things. For diffused thinking, do totally unrelated things (inspired by Magnus Carlsen).
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Margining: Read through the material before a lecture. Get ready for a lecture before it starts and prepare questions to ask.
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Start Problem Sets: Working alone helps you pinpoint confusion; just matching answers will be a problem.
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Waking up at 6 AM Every Day: Force yourself to do this using a buffer like money (e.g., reducing your account balance) or social shame. Do something every day at 6 AM, don’t break the streak, and be honest.