The Novelty Trap
Something wicked this way comes.
A statistics exam.
Tomorrow.
It's finals season, and I'm studying hard for it.
At least, I was, until I started to write this email.
Since my A-levels, which, here in the UK, are two tough years of education before college, I've been faithful to the same exact study method.
For over 6 years, even with the odd addition or tweak here and there, the bedrock of my process has stuck like a stubborn root.
"Wow what could this mystical and elusive method be?" I hear you ask.
I transcribe ideas.
No- scratch that -there's a simpler way to say it:
I rewrite my old lecture notes in a new notebook.
And if that sounds like a faulty approach to academics, you'll soon see why I do it.
Since you've ended up on this mailing list, I'm going to make an educated guess that you have had an encounter with 'study Youtube.'
You know: the learning techniques, the How to Remember Everything videos and the esoteric study tips which secure a flawless record of A's in college.
That side of Youtube, which I am a loose part of.
It's a great circle to be in -everybody has their sights fixed on wisdom, education and all the beautiful Renaissance values we grind towards every single day.
Still, it's Youtube.
There's sensationalism, deceit and above all, the quest for the shiny new thing.
I say this as a former serial procrastinator: we love new solutions to old problems.
Old is boring. Old is hard. Old is old.
This is why so many learning videos go viral: they offer a fancy new approach with an attractive label slapped on.
The serial procrastinator's mind tells him 'You've dipped your toe in a hundred study methods already...THIS will be the one that fixes it all. Trust me bro.'
And the video goes viral.
I'm not accusing these creators of anything, nor am I discrediting the methods they push. They're playing the game, and winning.
But at last, Reader, this is where my point lands.
The reason I have kept loyal to a study method as primitive as rewriting notes is because it works for me.
There are no 13-step flowcharts.
There are no neurological hacks...whatever that means.
There are no AI plugins, memory palaces or crazy notion templates.
And yet, as blunt as it is, it gets the job done.
I've managed to push my way through every exam thus far (don't jinx it..) and stay consistent to the best proverb out there:
Don't fix what ain't broke.
Would I recommend you use the same technique to learn?
Well... maybe. Maybe not.
That's besides the point.
I'm not writing this to go over the pros and cons of rewriting notes, but to point out the trap of novelty in the learning space.
Every time you scroll through the Youtube homepage, there will be shiny gems shouting for your attention.
New techniques, new research, new apps.
Pause.
Slow it down.
Listen to what they have to say, by all means, but do not let the high of novelty distract you from the true work.
Your current process probably works already.
You can tinker with it, add a step, or remove what's obsolete.
That's perfect.
But if you overhaul how you learn every month, you'll never move an inch.
You don't buy a house, spend months renovating it, and then decide to move to the next neighborhood after it's done.
So stay in your own lane. Or borrow someone else's, and make it your own. Explore, experiment and see what suits you.
Whatever you choose, make sure you have the final say in it's effectiveness, and not a stranger on the internet.
The best approach is your best approach.
Now then, I should get back to studying.
Happy reading!
Odysseas
Twitter