A Simple Way to Learn New Skill (using science)

Avoid theory overload to learn any skill quickly.
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=== Timestamps ===
00:00 Intro
00:45 The mistake and key concept
02:45 Fastest way to learn skills
04:35 The analogy
06:20 Learning how to learn
07:40 How to learn a new skill
10:12 What it looks like in practice
=== About Dr Justin Sung ===
Dr. Justin Sung is a world-renowned expert in self-regulated learning, certified teacher, research author, and former medical doctor. He has guest lectured on learning skills at Monash University for Master’s and PhD students in Education and Medicine. Over the past decade, he has empowered tens of thousands of learners worldwide to dramatically improve their academic performance, learning efficiency, and motivation.
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[@JustinSung]

Join my Learning Drops weekly newsletter here: bit.ly/4e0o53Y Every week, I distil what really works for improving results, memory, depth of understanding, and knowledge application from over a decade of coaching into bite-sized emails.

[@naseer7311]

All my life I used to chase for tips and tricks and hacks to find shortcuts for studying. How to cover the most in the shortest time. But in reality I realised that studying is inherently a slow and time consuming process. The results are never evident in the short term but over a course of months you really start to notice improvements. The trick really is to believe in yourself and never give up on what you started initially.

[@sussyanimesensei]

How . I complete a High school level History Geography Biology chapters in 2-3 hours . Along with 4 hour revision in that month . And Then just spaced Repetition every 10 days . Then revising 3-4 weeks before exam and doing practice tests. And that can easily get you like 97-8+ . Especially if test is at end of year . (Because by then you would have full mastery even with so less time ) . But I don't know about other people , I have naturally high IQ and memory so I also remember things randomly. But using these smart techniques have helped me consistently get that results with more security.

[@corrupt1238]

Agree with your comment but also add that working hard & smart (ie knowing the tried tested study methods) helps.

[@ioniecampbell7186]

❤ really needed to hear this.

[@salazeka]

The key is, when you introduce to something, just see the big picture to take the concepts. It is the same thing, you study the enough information to fort understand the most basic concepts of the chapter and then put in practice. Also you have to be smart how are you going to study vs the type of practice you put effort. Is not the same see this concepts and put them inmediatly flashcard VS use the enough cognitive load to understand something and the practice it with for example case scenarios, etc

[@ShadowZx22]

Throwing the word "Months" is no where near logical in this context.

[@juanelcaballoloco9388]

"We have to learn what we have to change" (and not just change at random)... So simple, but so powerful. Thank you!

[@aceshigh5157]

yes, i also thought the bullseye visualization was a great touch.

[@hhgamers6993]

Hands down Justin till date this is truly your best video ever. Insane and honest advice given completely for free people. Keep it up man. Loads of appreciation

[@jacobmorres9817]

Check out Scott h youngs book get better at anything if u like this stuff

[@hhgamers6993]

Thanks man​@@jacobmorres9817

[@ishrakmujibift4269]

MAN! It would've been MUCH better if you made this video earlier. Many people (including me) have gone through this same process where we watch a lot of videos on learning, self-improvement etc. but get little results. That is probably why many people say that your videos don't have any practical tips, because most people aren't used to engaging in the experiential cycle of learning. Only when I started to squeeze out as much as i can from your videos and working on that for a long time, I saw the results you promised. But many will complain that your videos are useless. Thanks Justin Sung! I appreciate your efforts in the youtube space of learning and will try to enroll on your course as soon as i can afford it!

[@thevisitor1012]

The funny thing is he sort of did post it earlier...but the content was in his ICS course. His KZbin page is more of a hobby of is, while his ICS course has the in-depth knowledge you need, that you can access at any time.

[@cjikeako]

Can you go into more detail about how you were able to squeeze out as much as you could from his videos?

[@ishrakmujibift4269]

​​@@cjikeako Well the obvious thing is that you can't watch the video passively unless the info will enter in one ear and exit through another. You have to engage with it. If he is asking some questions, pause and ponder before he gives his answer. Try to think if what he says feels relevant to you and view it in a critical manner. Also, even before watching the video analyse the title and think about what you already know about it and state your assumptions, see if they get clarified in the video. At the end of the video, you take the practical parts (or hyposthesise possible applications) and use it in your scenario in the best way you can. If you do it and results are satisfactory, great job! But if there are some issues you reflect on that and come back to the video or watch some other vids. It takes a lot of time, but the results are WORTH it! Eventually it becomes a habit.

[@cjikeako]

@@ishrakmujibift4269 Thanks for the explanation. It made my realise how passive my learning has been for the past few years.

[@ishrakmujibift4269]

@@cjikeako Yeah, been there.

[@ReflectionOcean]

By YouSum Live 00:00:22 Theory overload hinders skill learning. 00:01:00 Experiential cycling is key to skill acquisition. 00:02:24 Balancing theory and practice optimizes learning. 00:05:27 Cognitive overload impedes skill development. 00:09:41 Forming habits reduces cognitive resource demand. 00:11:31 Monitor habit formation to adjust theory intake. 00:12:02 Optimal skill growth requires balanced theory-practice ratio. 00:12:36 Enzo's slow, balanced approach led to optimal growth. 00:13:27 Balancing theory and practice ensures smooth skill acquisition. By YouSum Live

[@anna-marieeasmus7529]

Wow, thank you. This is so true. I have learned this the hard way, but it works so great. Slow but steady and monitoring your own ability to not go too fast or too slow. I am homeshooling and training my 9 year old boy this. Nice to have someone say the same thing.

[@CathySharp]

This is the best of all your videos. I was able to understand it very clearly.

[@oregano19]

If only I had seen this video during my college years. This is the learning secret I've been looking for my entire life. Now I know why I thought I've learned so much but no new usable skills stick in my brain

[@Nosa-ph1ix]

❤

[@StephaneTardif]

OMG the information in this video is exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you so much!

[@shubh_2733]

Justin you have been game changer in my academic journey ! Lots of love :>

[@EcomCarl]

Absolutely agree with the emphasis on balancing theory and practice! This approach ensures that learning is not just about accumulation but also about application, making it more sustainable and impactful in skill development. 🎯

[@gujjuguys8963]

I was facing cognitive overload in the ICanStudy course and tried to convince myself I wasn't going too fast, I may not have been going too fast in terms of time bound but I was spending less time looking at each technique. Thanks Justin for answering the question I have been unable to for the last 2 years.

[@JustinSung]

You got this!

[@persas1683]

I'm looking for the reason why I cannot finish my most of new thing learning. Now I know why, thank you very much.

[@izzymosley1970]

I came to a very similar conclusion to this I think what you need to learn properly is a mix of experimentation and thinking with both process is feeding into each other the only thing I was missing out on was the neuroscience because I don't look into that much Neuroscience stuff.

[@sanchitakumarr]

extremely helpful thank you so much

[@ronaldobroadbent8063]

I think this just saved my life

[@Kaiwizz]

This is not a new idea, everyone knows this or heard of it in one form or another. But what I love about your take is that it explains why, even with our best intentions and efforts, we often do not get the results we were hoping for. This has alleviated a lot of my frustrations for not being able to use many of the techniques I have come across over the years with any lasting effects. Thank you.

[@Umarepistemix]

I love yuh so much, Justin sung. You've changed my perspective about learning completely. I used to think active recall and spaced repetition are my lord and savior but i was wrong. It never serve me in the long run, it will only work for things that aren't bounded by time or things that doesn't require relational priotize learning.

[@qsfqfqdqsdqsd]

what is ur new lord and savior ? encoding ??

[@sussyanimesensei]

Well they are One of the most OP techniques if used properly. Encoding is also very important.(I believe more important) . Use Mindmap, High order thinking, retesting for encoding. And then strengthen knowledge by Spaced Repetition and Active recall. And also practice test taking skills and Speed during exam . This is more than enough to get good marks .

[@Umarepistemix]

​@@sussyanimesenseiYeah, I'm not throwing away the baby with bath water. Active recall repetition still have their place, but if it's the only thing you are relying on. Then definitely we are wrong

[@thomasv2318]

@@Umarepistemix How do you disagree with the experiments and science made on active recall?

[@Umarepistemix]

@@thomasv2318 I don't disagree with the science, because active recall and spaced repetition have been scientifically proven. But the problem is, if that's your only technique, you would want to consider other things because of the fact that we have limited time

[@MykolaMartych9]

I actually needed this information, because I learn without practice, and this is so boring and complicated. But now, after watching this very helpful video, I can start more practicing and find balance between theory and practice. Thanks you very much for your free lessons on KZbin which is very helpful!

[@JustinSung]

Great to hear!

[@thevisitor1012]

Very helpful video, as intuitively people assume that if you're progressing slowly then you're struggling. They often aren't able to look at things in terms of exponential gains.

[@ancientbehemoth6448]

Also, once a habit, a new skill and the theory and practice/experience behind it will essentially increase your mental capacity and effectiveness to process both acquiring news skills, understanding new knowledge and excel at almost everything and anything, because they will be a Foundation that you already have. Basically, imagine yourself 10 years ago, or maybe 2-3 if you are younger, and think about how good was speaking, reading, understanding words, vocabulary... and how is it now? And how all of that affects and influence your life, your interactions, your communication and expressions, your ability to learn and understand things around you and in/of the World and the Universe. Amazing video. Thank you. May health and love be at your side.

[@JustinSung]

Wondering what the iCanStudy program looks like once you join? Want to know if it’s right for you? Join our next free demo webinar to take control of your learning bit.ly/49Zz8Is

[@sukanyamukherjee2400]

One of the most efficient videos ever produced by Justin...this is going to be a lot helpful for me! Thanks!

[@abrahamabbas3557]

So doing 2 physics problems for 4 hours and still getting it wrong means i need to look into other sources longer to get a better understanding? Did i get that right?

[@dannelalbert7111]

Wow, this explains so much and confirms things I couldn't articulate in my own experience. I've been on a quest for peak performance and a large part of that has been how to optimize my learning. I do feel like that is happening pretty slowly, but it feels like the things that have sunk in have taken root. And there are even habits I changed for tangential reasons that are having a positive effect. For example, unrelated to all this, I realized I spent way too much time watching KZbin videos. Almost everything I watch is informative and useful, but now I understand that I was filling my brain with theory and wondering why I didn't have energy (or time, for that matter) to do the things I wanted to do. Since I have been way more deliberate, my capacity has improved. I think there's more than just Theory Overload at play, but I certainly see how it factors in. Thanks for explaining this concept so clearly... *closes KZbin* 😅

[@phillhart2990]

Love it - thanks for sharing. I'm going to watch more of your vids!

[@JustinSung]

Awesome!!

[@chuotlyn]

pleassee guys, like, comment AND share his video!!!! even though, sometimes we want to gatekeep him to have an competetive advantage, he should get all the love, support and attention he deserves for all of his hard work 🎉🎉

[@RameshKumar-ng3nf]

Beautiful explanation Justin Bro ❤👌🙏

[@richardgordon]

Really excellent video. I’m going through this right now. Excellent advice!

[@cooledcannon]

I agree, but i think it's important to make sure your theory is correct before you start. If you are unsure if your theory is correct it can be worth a little overload before practice

[@CGPython]

Thanks Justin!❤ Really great video!

[@leggermentesara]

This is extremely valuable. And it makes so much sense. I'm going to put it into practice from now on, and see if the magic happens 💪🔥

[@captaincaption]

Yo this is actually really smart

[@addydraw2487]

The way you are using different things to describe the content is quite engaging 😊

[@JustinSung]

Glad to hear it is helpful, will try to incorporate more of such demonstrations in the future.

[@Jesupemiabere]

This is absolutely so valuable How to learn anything 🤔

[@allabouttheracks]

Wow, such an awesome explanation on skill developement.

[@JustinSung]

Glad you liked it

[@mohammadit33]

thanks for providing that as free

[@nelcentric]

I use a analytical tool called the Ten-point Format for learning anything really fast. It has story line structure matching cognitive thoughts of some one.

[@RussellHTF2]

Yes, please more of those kinds of videos :) Can you also do more Mindmap videos? They are the best! :D

[@Softskool]

Their is great theory that i heard from hubarman "when you learn new thing you need rest for your mind to process the information. When you get new information one information you need to take rest for 10second to 30 second this will make us process the information faster and faster" i have try it and it worked really will. When you take rest make it really rest to even try to go to sleep with your rest by being very relaxed.

[@mustafasubhani9058]

Thanks For the video That You made With effort It was worth the Wait ❤ appreciate it.

[@sarazohar4923]

Justin sung is the only man who’s extremely driven in his attempt to make people understand and progress, he’s like a blind man who saw light and wants to spread it. I’m a international doctor in USA and my partner belongs to intertel, the highest Iq society, I was nervous to meet such gifted people and the advice every single one of them said is to learn fast , read slow, LISTEN TO JUSTIN , THIS GUY IS FUCKING PLATINUM CLASS

[@jfox8888]

I think , based on my gut instinct and from watching and implementing stuff from yours and other KZbinrs This is where compressed targeted free recall repetition and sub conscious training comes to managing learning Before practice telling and noting down what you want to do and reps to clear say 10 questions and how 20 answers can come and the rep it out in that manner in a compress time The slightly stress to keep on your toes and the short time so that your brain don’t shift focus too much Get into flow get into slight discomfort get into chunking map mind get into reps get into rest and let your brain figure out It’s the same as most if not all martial arts and skill sets we see

[@AlBergstein]

very true in music practice. It's easy to overload on a theory and not put in the practice to put the theory in practice people often practice far too fast and don't spend the time to get the proper muscle memory in place to play accurately. Also playing slow leads to playing very fast better.

[@Yadav-xr2sp]

Thank you Brother.❤

[@FaizAhmad.Official]

Really helpful Thanks ✨ I have a habit of slow learning from start, i used to think i am lazy. And i should work little harder, but in real what I've learned became like normal to me. Just giving example on a course of 5 weeks i have already spent more than 2 months and only covered 40%. 😅 I will try to keep following it

[@MonikaDaddarwal]

and interestingly, this also applies to the case when we try to change too much in our life too quickly, our brain isn't able to handle and absorb it at such a fast rate, it doesn't have that much capacity. so, make one or two habits first, or at least priortise one or two as you start and then move from there. note to self, lol. also, when one or two habits solidify, the synergy it forms with the new ones is just beautiful to look at.

[@doppel33]

Justin, thanks for the awesome video! Could you talk more about the Experiential Cycle in a future video please?

[@JustinSung]

Absolutely!

[@user-gm2pi3hj1k]

VERY SMOOTH???!! DAMN YOU DR SUNG. The smoothness of our brains is directly proportional to the rate of your bank balance increase.

[@anhdungtran4950]

It's the "DO NOT RUSH" advice but now in video form

[@fairuzastevenson9896]

Thank you

[@georgeverghese2343]

Great stuff. Thankyou.

[@pratibhasingh1576]

Omg this is just amazing 😮

[@danielemmerich2686]

Your the best👍👍👍👍

[@izzymosley1970]

I've been thinking about learning for a while now watching a lot of videos like this one and I have come to similar conclusions. From how I see it to learn properly you need a mix of thinking and experimentation and you absolutely need to have both if you think too much without sufficient experimentation your predictions will be less accurate and if you experiment without thinking you will barely be able to learn anything at all. So I came up with a very similar concept the only thing I was missing out on was the brain science because that's not something I look into all that much.

[@smritimutalik8759]

Very helpful tqsm

[@rashedulkabir6227]

Forget about your genes and how talented you think you are. Just focus on practicing better. Practice better, and your skills will improve. If you don't practice better, your skills won't improve. It's as straightforward as that.

[@GPTeacherReis]

Extremely helpful!

[@JustinSung]

Glad to hear!

[@XXx-vd2dr]

than you ! :)

[@jeanettekeegan471]

A great help!

[@ibrahimusrii8695]

i think this was one of my weaknesses and the more you try to force yourself to fix it the worse it gets

[@mihangelap-williams9871]

Like it, and very close to what I have found through a lot of trial and error on myself. But I think you are missing something that I discovered 😁

[@aceshigh5157]

fantastic video!

[@JustinSung]

Thank you very much!

[@dyschromatopsia]

sensible advice

[@PrasenjeetKawale]

Learning "how to learn new skills" is also a slow process

[@sanchitakumarr]

the end was fun

[@NuroWebMastery]

You are the best 🎉

[@valleruharicharan7687]

Excellent and helpful video

[@JustinSung]

Glad it was helpful!

[@duro_timi]

Nice editing 👏🏿

[@JustinSung]

Thanks 💯

[@darkbrotherhood4285]

Goated video

[@mucrew7440]

Just saw you do coaching and the cost. Do you have any experience working ADHD students?

[@hamadwaqar3948]

great content

[@jackfendley5395]

Do not cherry pick data. You need dozens of randomised students in two groups. One “suffering” theory overload and the other learning more slowly with both spending equal times learning the material and under similar conditions. Then check to see if there are any statistical significant differences.

[@donnymiddlebrook]

Practice makes permanent

[@devgatling]

Dope channel !

[@jacehansen645]

I love how Justin just drops random jokes throughout genius-level teaching: "Very smooth" "Mom, blow up the car" "You don't want to study until you pee blood"

[@biggSHNDO]

What I understand least after watch several videos is the concept of grouping. Based on what? How many? What are the criteria? stumped. I might just be dumb, Justin.

[@AdelAlberk]

10:30 im a bit confused what does he mean by "theory" ? did i miss something !!?

[@Gdos-nf7ku]

In the simpler words, do the new theory until it becomes second nature to you and then you can learn new theories.

[@user-kt3dq9ho2u]

1 hour of theory 4 hours of practice but that's just a rule of thumb, the sooner the habit is formed the faster we acquire the skill. don't let yourself be overloaded with theory, practice is more important. cmiiw

[@LukeCon-cy1gr]

Your hair routine, your facial routine and glasses brand; it's what we all want, I have been watching this video only thinking that.

[@edgardavid1653]

Lol what?

[@akioasakura3624]

Dr sung with the classic haircut hehe

[@cressidalewis7734]

In the context of education does this mean that exams are crucial to assess and make amends (as per the experience cycle) . As i see there is a lot of push to do away with exams in schools (atleast in India)

[@ericpalazzo1960]

How do I adapt this theory to learning golf???

[@sarveshrampilaialyougandra3751]

Less go

[@user-im2ho4si1t]

I don't have ipad and any laptop so how I get it for study . Where I make more skill like some applications. How I earn money

[@A.GodwinRoyston]

Justin saab is him 👑

[@Beastone1.1]

Can I get any scholarship from this southern countries

[@sweeti2006]

Please tell me how I can revise my maths bcoz it is not sufficient to revise formulas only then please make a video on this topic 🥺

[@CreativePuppyYT]

But how does this apply to uni, with courses like math or programming? In uni you have to learn things really quickly just because of the amount of stuff you need to learn

[@mijaelmarcelovillarroelchu6513]

video about study anatomy effective please

[@Divyv520]

Hey Justin , really nice video ! I was wondering if I could help you with more Quality Editing in your videos and also make a highly engaging Thumbnail and also help you with the overall youtube strategy and growth ! Pls let me know what you think ?

[@chrisssypunch]

thank youuuu for this!! your channel is fantastic.

[@StrongTownsFreddy]

Heh... Back in my army days, my shooting instructor said " Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast." I've used that to learn so many techniques now it isn't even funny. Cheers!

[@shaunsusanto9383]

Is it like 80/20 rule?

[@peripheralcbe]

Any advice for people who worry they'll end up creating habits based on incorrect theory? I myself worry about this. I assume you either need to be confident in your theory before testing or go through the rigorous process of unlearning a habit.

[@divyanshkashyap3938]

Maybe get your theory from a source which would give feedback?

[@Vikasrohillaa]

Please make a video on how to cover syllabus of ssc cgl exam held in india, easily in less time and there are 35 lakhs peoples in this exam and have only 7000-8000 seats how to crack this exam i am in do or die situation please help me by making a video on this or simply reply in coment

[@BrianHallmond]

I want to master algebra and game programming asap. (20 hours per week, or more)

[@calmmind3160]

the way he said obsessed

[@deepblackoutlaw9640]

Video in 3 words: Practice Over Theory

[@robertolinger683]

Kolb's experiential learning cycle