What are the BEST apps for Learning? - Q/A (Youtube comments edition)

Factors to Consider Before Going to Med School

In this video, Dr. Justin discusses the factors that students should consider before going into med school and how to find the right materials for studying a subject.

Finding the Right Materials for Studying

• Find the broadest possible source of information around the topic you want to learn.

• Start with a book that summarizes the topic or look for systematic reviews on a certain topic.

• Have at least two but up to five different sources of information.

• Use apps like Shortform which summarize book contents and link them to other books that talk about similar topics.

Online Whiteboard Apps

• Concepts is an app used for personal studying while Explain Everything is used for teaching.

• Apple has recently released Freeform, which looks promising as it has infinite canvas non-linear note-taking features.

Overall, students should consider various factors such as their passion, financial situation, and lifestyle before deciding whether or not to go into med school. When it comes to finding study materials, it's important to have multiple sources of information and use tools like Shortform. For online whiteboard apps, Concepts and Explain Everything are great options while Freeform is worth checking out.

GoodNotes vs. Infinite Canvas

In this section, the speaker compares GoodNotes and Infinite Canvas and explains why students tend to move away from GoodNotes.

Comparison of GoodNotes and Infinite Canvas

• The speaker mentions that none of their students continue to use GoodNotes because it is very limited.

• The speaker believes that people who don't drop apps like Infinite Canvas probably don't realize how much benefit it provides. OneNote is also mentioned but the speaker finds it clunky to use.

• The speaker emphasizes the importance of having a nice user experience when using an app for studying as it makes the process more enjoyable. Concepts and Freeform are recommended as alternatives to GoodNotes.

Notion for Learning

In this section, the speaker discusses why Notion may not be suitable for learning purposes.

Limitations of Notion for Learning

• The speaker points out that students often use Notion as a literal note-taking tool instead of a reference software, which is what it was designed for.

• The relational aspects of Notion are described as clunky and not organic, making it difficult for users to create relationships between information in the same way their brain does.

• While there are good alternatives such as Obsidian and Rome Research, the suitability of Notion depends on how it's being used. If used correctly, it can be great for personal knowledge management but not ideal for learning purposes.

Factors to Consider Before Going into Med School

In this section, the speaker provides advice on what factors students should consider before deciding to pursue a career in medicine.

Factors to Consider

• The speaker recommends looking for alternatives and actively seeking reasons why medicine may not be the right fit. It's important to make a legitimately good decision for one's career.

• Students are advised to get to know their personality and determine what is and isn't acceptable for them. This requires enough experience under one's belt, so it's important to explore different fields and be involved in various activities.

Techniques for Learning Technical Subjects

In this section, the speaker explains the different types of knowledge and how they relate to learning technical subjects like engineering.

Types of Knowledge

• Declarative knowledge is knowing about concepts and formulas.

• Procedural knowledge is being able to use the right formulas in the right way.

• Conditional knowledge is knowing what approach to use or what type of situation or application.

Training Yourself for Deep Work

The speaker discusses how deep work can be trained and emphasizes the importance of setting up an environment that facilitates deep work.

Training for Deep Work

• Deep work can be trained by improving focus and exposure to immersion.

• Setting up an environment that facilitates deep work is more important than training on a psychological level.

Listening While Studying

The speaker shares their preference for listening to white noise while studying.

White Noise App

• The speaker uses a white noise app called "White Noise Light" while studying.

Using White Noise to Improve Focus

In this section, the speaker discusses how white noise can be used to improve focus and productivity. They provide tips on finding the right type of white noise for different environments.

Tips for Using White Noise

• White noise can help improve focus and productivity.

• Find a white noise generator that allows you to adjust the type of white noise based on your environment.

• Match the white noise with the distracting sound in your environment. For example, if there are people talking around you, play cafe sounds instead of thunder or rain sounds.

• The goal is to make whatever is distracting you feel homogeneous.

Techniques for Effective Test Preparation

In this section, the speaker provides techniques for effective test preparation. They discuss different methods for retrieval practice based on individual weaknesses.

Techniques for Retrieval Practice

• Use flashcards or other direct testing methods if struggling with lower order retrieval aspects.

• Use past papers or create questions with friends if struggling with mid-level application.

• Recreate an existing mind map in a completely different structure to emphasize different networks and connections for higher level learning.

• Use a mix of all these techniques depending on individual weaknesses.

Importance of High Level Learning

• Opt for mid-to-high level learning when cramming due to limited time available.

• Doing high level learning well can increase guess rate from 25% to 50% and prevent losing points on questions requiring high level knowledge.

Effective Priming Techniques

In this section, Justin discusses the ideal scenario for priming and how to create a good scaffold. He also explains that it's more of a logistical decision than what is ideal.

Creating a Good Scaffold

• When priming, aim for as broad as possible but very shallow focusing on the concepts and the points that allow your later learning to be more relevant.

• If you only have 10 minutes before a lecture, focus on the main concepts and get a general gist of it. If you have an entire hour or weekend, study the entire week's worth of material and prime it in advance.

Practical Constraints

• There is no ideal scenario for priming; it depends on how much time you have.

• The idea is to create lots of anchor points for relevance by imagining a wide fishing net with large gaps between the knots.

Transitioning from Linear Notes to Non-linear Notes

In this section, Justin advises starting with where you're comfortable when taking notes and gradually transitioning to more advanced forms.

Starting with Linear Notes

• It's okay to begin with writing linear notes for concepts that we understand if we're not yet proficient in other forms of note-taking.

• Always start with where you're comfortable and just push that limit step by step by step.

Transitioning to Non-linear Notes

• The typical progression introduced in Justin's program is if you're really struggling to go from linear to non-linear then do a crush step in between where you basically have part of it linear and then process and make it as non-linear as possible piece by piece.

• Eventually, the non-linear parts become default and you can completely drop the linear aspects of it.

Effective Study Techniques for Math

In this section, Justin provides advice on how to study math effectively.

Procedural Components in Math

• Math has a lot of procedural components but also requires understanding concepts.

• To understand math concepts, start with the big picture and then break it down into smaller pieces.

Practice Problems

• Practice problems are essential to mastering math.

• Start with easier problems and gradually work your way up to more difficult ones.

Active Recall

• Active recall is important in math because it helps you remember formulas and procedures.

• Use flashcards or practice writing out formulas from memory.

The Importance of Understanding Declarative Aspects of Math

In this section, the speaker discusses how math is typically taught with only a procedural and conditional focus, neglecting the declarative aspects. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the conceptual framework behind mathematical equations and formulas before attempting to solve problems.

Importance of Conceptual Understanding

• Math prodigies and established professors emphasize understanding in words what is being learned before using equations and formulas.

• AI bots can be used to build non-numerical verbal understanding about what is being learned, why it is relevant, and how it's connected.

• Building a conceptual understanding allows for a better idea about what approach to use when solving problems.

Common Approach to Solving Math Problems

• A common approach among secondary school students is to try all possible formulas that fit without considering conceptual understanding.

• This leads to instances where there may be one formula with a specific letter but it's lowercase compared to uppercase, which represents a different concept entirely.

Solving Complex Problems

• To solve complex problems in calculus, one must understand conceptually how to approach the problem before thinking about numbers or formulas.

• Expert mathematicians recommend building a conceptual understanding first.

Recognizing Cognitive Load vs. Tiredness

In this section, the speaker explains how cognitive load should not be confused with tiredness when learning effectively. He emphasizes that cognitive load is an indicator of the learning process rather than its goal.

Cognitive Load vs. Tiredness

• The right type of thinking process naturally involves more mental exertion, which is perceived as cognitive load.

• Cognitive load is an indicator of the learning process, and when mentally tired, cognitive load does not increase.

• The sensation of using the right type of cognitive load for effective learning is different from feeling tired.

Introduction to Q&A and Subreddit

In this section, Dr. Justin introduces the Q&A format and the subreddit where viewers can ask questions.

Q&A Format

• Dr. Justin encourages viewers to ask questions in the comments or on the subreddit.

• The subreddit is called "Dr. Justin Sung" and will be used as a platform for more conversational engagement.

• Dr. Justin will react and answer questions from the subreddit since it's hard to go through hundreds of YouTube comments.

Subreddit

• The subreddit is set up for viewers to ask questions and engage in conversation.

• Viewers can check out the link in the description to access the subreddit.

Benefits of Using Reddit for Q&A

In this section, Dr. Justin explains why using Reddit is beneficial for Q&A sessions.

Advantages of Using Reddit

• Redditors are handy for going through comments and finding specific ones.

• It's easier to find all of the comments on Reddit compared to YouTube.

• The upload system on Reddit makes it easier to organize and find comments.

Conclusion

In this section, Dr. Justin concludes by thanking viewers for watching and announces another upcoming Q&A video.

Conclusion

• Another Q&A video will be coming soon.

• Dr. Justin thanks viewers for watching and signing off with music playing in the background.