Study Smarter, Not Harder

Why Overworking Fails

• Old routine = 11.5 hrs/day (lectures, notes, problem sets, late-night study).

• Felt productive (“productive queen”) but:

  • No deep understanding.

  • Reached exhaustion.

  • Grades stagnated.

Productivity Research

• John Pencavel study: productivity drops after 50 hrs/week (~7.2 hrs/day).

• Anders Ericsson (psychologist): max 4 hrs/day deep work possible.

• Overworking = diminishing returns, shallow learning, burnout.

Key Idea

• Studying ≠ Elon Musk’s 120 hr workweek.

  • His hours = emails, travel, meetings → not deep focus.

  • Students’ hours = sustained deep focus (maths, essays, research).

• Deep focus cannot be sustained for >4–7 hrs/day.

The Shift: Work Less, Learn More

• Scheduled fun + rest: socializing, breaks, switching off outside study time.

• Studied fewer hours → had more energy for deep focus.

• Result: greater understanding and retention.

Stop Passive Note-Taking

• Making endless, aesthetic notes = passive learning.

• Looks productive → little retention.

• Writing notes for all content = time-consuming, forces long days.

Start Active Learning

1. For Maths/Technical Subjects

• Use lots of scrap paper → messy, chaotic problem-solving.

• Derive, flip equations, connect concepts.

• Builds deep brain connections → recall in exams.

2. For Theory/Wordy Subjects

• Don’t rewrite notes.

• Instead:

  • Read & highlight key ideas.

  • Create flashcards (6–10 Qs) per subtopic.

  • Review Qs every 1–2 weeks.

  • Answer verbally, write on scrap paper, or explain aloud (active recall).

3. Be Chaotic

• Walk around, talk to yourself, write on random sheets/whiteboards.

• Chaos helps brain form strong retrieval links.

Past Papers: The Right Way

Wrong Way (Passive)

• Timed practice too early.

• Rushed → incomplete Qs → relied on answer sheets.

• Learned little, confidence stayed low.

Right Way (Active)

• Attempt questions with no time limit at first.

• Write everything down, think deeply.

• Answers out of sight → force retrieval.

• Over time:

  • Confidence grows.

  • Speed increases naturally.

  • Brain trained to “thrash it out” like in real exams.

Key Takeaways

• Don’t chase perfect study routines → they don’t exist.

• Studying should be messy, active, and balanced with rest.

• Focus on deep work (≤7 hrs/day, ideally ~4 hrs deep focus).

• Replace passive notes with active recall + spaced repetition + practice Qs.

• Schedule fun and breaks → prevents burnout and improves focus.

• Active learning = better understanding, confidence, and exam performance.