The Feynman Technique (Studying Not More, But Stronger)

As is the case with all skills, learning is something that takes practice and gradual improvement to do par excellence. There are several things you can do to improve your learning (To name a few: metarationality, logic, note-taking, making connections, expanding your vocabulary of concepts and words...) in this post I will be focusing on the Feynman Technique. It is very simple, having only four steps. It can be applied to anything.

First Step—
Choose the topic you will be explaining. This could be anything.

Second Step—
Attempt to explain the topic with simple, easy-to-understand words. You should try doing this out loud as well as on paper. Being able to simplify something reveals a deep insight into the major concepts. You should not be memorizing. If you are having trouble with this, move on to step three. Use metaphors, anecdotes, comparisons, analogies, and other tools that may help simplify a complex idea into everyday common sense.

Third Step—
Review your explanation to distinguish the concepts that you couldn't explain simply. Write down a list of them.

Fourth Step—
Review your notes on the subject focusing on what you wrote in step 3, and then go back to your explanation and revise it. Repeat steps 2-4 until you are satisfied.

With this technique, it is a given that you will notice a much deeper understanding of the things you learn. In later posts, I will be reviewing other cognitive-enhancing tools you can use.

Sources:

1. https://collegepuzzle.stanford.edu/how-to-achieve-your-grades-using-the-feynman-technique/
2. http://sites.uci.edu/chpleaders/2017/10/13/learn-anything-in-four-steps/

(P.S. I will start the pre-Socratics series in about a month. I'm still doing research right now.)