Ultralearning by Scott Young shows how you can learn skills essential for your work and life. Following the strategies mentioned in his book, you can become a learning machine!
Ultralearning – Scott H. Young
Everyone wants to learn new skills or things including you and me. However, learning something effectively and fast eludes us. Have you ever felt not knowing anything before a test, even when you studied? This is all because of not knowing how to learn.
Scott Young is a Meta learner. He learned the whole Computer Science curriculum of MIT within a few months. He also speaks a few languages, hosts a popular blog and podcast.
In the book Ultralearning, he outlines the framework, which anyone can use. If you want to learn a language or a topic or syllabus for a test or interview, his framework can help immensely.
His method boils down to the following techniques and strategies:
- Draw a map of the topic you want to learn. Mind mapping can help. Find the resources, videos, books and materials available. Then have a clear goal of what you want to learn. This is important. He recommends 10% of time you have to learn the skill to this principle.
- Learn how to focus. He recommends technique like pomodoro.
- He recommends taking the direct approach of learning. Learn the material and test yourself. He recommends Feynman technique to gauge your understanding.
- Create drills to apply the learned material. This will give immediate feedback. Feedback is important.
- In order to retain, do not just read or view the learned material. Recall the information from memory. That is true learning. He recommends using Anki.
Following are the key principles to become an ultralearner –
Principle 1 – Metalearning: First draw a map
Principle 2 – Focus: Sharpen your knife
Principle 3 – Directness: Go straight ahead
Principle 4 – Drill: Attack your weakest point
Principle 5 – Retrieval: Test to learn
Principle 6 – Feedback: Don’t dodge the punches
Principle 7 – Retention: Don’t fill a leaky bucket
Principle 8 – Intuition: Dig deep before building up
Principle 9 – Experimentation: Explore outside your comfort zone