How my friend ranked 1st at Medical School - The Active Recall Framework

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In this video, we're taking a look at the method that my friend Osaid used to rank 1st at Cambridge University Medical School. He was consistently in the top 3 overall, and ranked 1st in several subjects using this method. It involves taking Active Recall to its logical extreme (the most efficient study technique, backed by decades of evidence).
Timestamps
0:00:38 - The Method in a Nutshell
0:03:51 - Why it works - The power of Active Recall
0:09:00 - How it works - A detailed look
Links
1. My main video about active recall (1M+ views) - • How to study for exams...
2. My video about spaced repetition - • How to Study for Exams...
3. How I ranked 1st at Cambridge University - The Essay Memorisation Framework - • How I ranked 1st at Ca...
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[@laapapapa6388]

Plot twist: The friend Ali's talking about is actually himself but he doesn't want to brag that he ranked 1st

[@iop151]

really or myth?

[@Mariajbh2]

@@iop151 it's a joke

[@DomainAspect]

Nah

[@arindam1249]

@@aliabdaal It's not about being the topper, it's all about sharing the knowledge. I love your works. Thank you for sharing with us. ❤️😊 Your fan from India

[@My.Lifes.Journey]

😂😂😂

[@joshuamccue2062]

I like how he keeps posting active recall videos. It’s like he needs to give us spaced repetition reminders to us about the concept itself

[@remymanfre-valdes3810]

omg thats actually really true

[@1nf3ct3dTT]

its funyn because its true

[@JoseRivera-rl3qv]

It really works, that was the thing I knew from the moment i start reading “make it stick” 300 hundred pages explaining the evidence. Its nice and I feel so good right now

[@joshuamccue2062]

José Javier Rivera Benítez I was really struggling in school, but I happened upon his videos and I just got straight As in all my classes applying his techniques

[@JoseRivera-rl3qv]

@@joshuamccue2062 I struggle in med school last year, from now on I'm gonna get good grades

[@tasnuvamuhtasim9131]

-convert everything in questions -revising the question and highlighting red the question one can't remember. -highlighting questions blue one can't answer second time.

[@syahirahnur6567]

Thank you for keep it simple

[@kafkaes]

And mark as purple if u can't remember even for the third time!

[@nadineoffor1585]

For the ones u can’t remember do u write down there answer or do u just search it up and then next time see if you remember it

[@iliveinsideyourhouse3943]

The hard part for me is revising the questions, I still have to study other topics the next day, so I don't know how I can make time to revisit the last questions?

[@kwondo_22_mars]

Thanks a lot 🙏

[@Tina-fc7ub]

1) Instead of summarizing just write down questions without their answers 2) Go through the questions one by one and mark unknown questions red 3) Mark questions u did not get the second time in blue 4) Step 3 with a 3rd colour 5) Revise all questions before the exam Variation: Write down the answers to questions u wouldn't get the answer to right away -> Minimize the amount of summarizing e.g. include pictures, graphs, add screenshits of the textbook Important: - Don't just memorize, try to understand - If it's hard to learn sth, it's more effective!

[@cothinker680]

Thanks

[@AaronNeedGodNet]

instructions unclear, accidentally ranked 1st at London School of Economics

[@Pev0Gaming]

Aaron 🤣

[@sedditguy1836]

@@Pev0Gaming It's pronounced "A A Ron"

[@shuush875]

@@arunendrasingh2886 He's joking 😂😂

[@DomainAspect]

Seddit Guy BB reference lol

[@noesse4736]

Pure gold. Lmao

[@HaHaLooLoo]

Guys honestly, it works. I used active recall for ONE of my exams last year, and by far, it was my BEST. RESULT. i'm telling you guys wallah. i got a 91% in EU LAW. and btw, i didn't go to a single lecture all year. i just read the lecture handout, created questions for myself, looked more in-depth into topics i did not know, but always went back to the q's and active recall! Wish I had had the time to start earlier and do it for all my courses. Thank you Ali! God Bless!

[@user-lq9hq6ry5j]

Barakallahu feek

[@user-bo1wx3qw2r]

How could you skip ALL your lectures?? Im nervous just thinking how much money that is in total.

[@mordecai8707]

H you don’t have to worry about going to lectures if you stay on top of your homework and readings. Use teachers office hours to ask questions. You can skip ahead in lots o classes, don’t feel like you can’t have control over your learning.

[@zarahahmed8671]

Using the method above?

[@popo6246]

Congrats friend 🎉

[@stemschool4143]

If you're an engineering student or similar, use this method when studying theory questions! For the calculation questions just practice practice practice with spaced repetition as Ali says!🙌 Helped me so much with my exams!

[@ceciliakasanga6574]

Thank you for this. I'm doing Chartered Accountancy and this active recall seems like it works better with theory modules and not numbers. I'm glad I ran into your comment.

[@djihenearafa8414]

As a Math student Thank u

[@markopolic9964]

I have topology in few weeks, I'll try using this and hopefully come back eith a good update

[@andersonfiolina2879]

As a CS student tks so much 😀

[@tnayeem4034]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/j164c2V-aN2tras

[@i_Love_Pain69]

I’m really happy about how I was insecure about my grades, and being insecure led my curiosity to figure out how to actively study and recall. Be curious guys.

[@tnayeem4034]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/j164c2V-aN2tras

[@swagmonkey5795]

shut up

[@rawism]

Well said. This is how I got through Engineering

[@misasa53]

Ay it's been 2 years how's your progress?

[@jctt96554]

Just as the wise Einstein said he was curious not talented

[@Dr.Nellah]

I recently tried something similar to this, based on active recall where I stopped taking notes for one module and I got 100% in that module (Gastro). This 100% works

[@tafadzwachabata9725]

Just super happy i saw your comment @Nella 😃🤗

[@shelby255]

No shit

[@TheChicMedic]

I’m definitely applying this

[@tasfiaahsan6262]

yah and you talked about this in one of your video as far as i remember

[@tnayeem4034]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/j164c2V-aN2tras

[@nopulsing]

Imagine having Ali abdaal as your teacher , you couldn’t be more blessed

[@wasimmedico4138]

We wish , haha

[@publichealth1061]

He is a gem..

[@sithmauduwela7220]

Literally would cry in joy tbh

[@GameMovieStudios2000]

are you sure about that

[@shelby255]

Um nope, no need

[@Travelwithtanaree]

Thank you for this! I was able to improve my score significantly by using this method and spaced repetition. I scored a 98/100 on my biochemistry exam!

[@twinedmouse7821]

Thanks needed reassurance for this subject THIS

[@adamalmir5214]

Did you convert literally everything into questions?

[@lazychums6473]

OH MY GOD

[@Ayobamishobowale]

Bet your previous score was 90.

[@Humiliated1234]

@@Ayobamishobowale well he still improved even if it was 90 but that just shows that it will take time to improve greatly

[@safamazumder6792]

9:46 a solution for this drawback is to write the page number where the answer to the question is found in the textbook so that you can refer to it whenever you need to and/or make a table of contents for your notes and do the same thing write pg # from ntbk

[@lazychums6473]

omg so smart

[@shinyitem8952]

Thanks, was just wondering how I could find the answers without making notes

[@tantanta___9]

thats prob gonna waste lots of time but works

[@Pixelgamiing]

@@tantanta___9 I don't think it will waste lot of time,since you'll be reading the powerpoint while making questions so you can easily write the slide number.

[@tantanta___9]

@@Pixelgamiing yea but what if you are writing it on a hard copy? thats going to be lots of work

[@l75rd83]

Imagine being the guy or woman that has the highest grades in your year at Harvard or Oxford or Cambridge.

[@wasimmedico4138]

Must be cool

[@aleenaaby7256]

Lol Ppl would start worshiping me ,from my country

[@lore_nza]

takes divine powers

[@hetvikhetia4354]

Damnnn must feel really good!

[@diahan9896]

Yes, imagine 😅

[@Snagrit]

Hearing you say “I can’t remember that” made me feel a lot better about my current position in medical school. I’m about to start my clinical years and feel like there is so much I can’t remember from my preclinical years.

[@daniaizzah7001]

I feel u bruh.. Im entering that phase in a month and tbh im scared 😰

[@rayblade6383]

You are not alone... lol

[@opondnawa1039]

im with u

[@helenmwanza2374]

Same here.

[@cg2158]

Relatable... it’s an information overload... and so fast paced. There’s no time to commit things to memory when you’re rushing to the next 100 concepts

[@isaurak6693]

I feel like active recall is just scary cos we're so used to other feeeedingg methods, but I think it's definitely the most effective

[@ameli.a_3883]

how is it scary?

[@jiannasherisse]

@@ameli.a_3883 it’s different from what we normally do, e.g summary notes and highlighting. But you know I guess we gotta get out our comfort zone in order for things to work.

[@lecy1075]

@@ameli.a_3883 it's scary for me to find out exactly how much i dont know .. then it gets overwhelming 😭

[@TrueCerulean]

“No idea. I didn’t even know those were a thing.” RELATABLE.

[@Alice-qv8ec]

" Oh God I can't remember at all" That's literally ME everytime I recall something I studied.

[@yosvinmarlo9346]

😂😂

[@ed.l9107]

How I study for exams ? Watching how to study for exams vidéos on KZbin.

[@sanang3482]

Doing exactly this today. I have a pharmacology test tomorrow and here i am watching this

[@wasimmedico4138]

coz ur brain thinks its easier to watch it,rather than that why dont u watch some videos related to u r chapter

[@lightmaze7738]

Sana Ng good luck!

[@sanang3482]

@@lightmaze7738 already gave the test but still thanks

[@claudiofransson9333]

Ah, I see I am not alone. Cellbiology test coming up, but I’ll just watch videos about studying instead

[@rosyl.f.a7106]

I used Active recall and spaced repetition for my grade twelve NATIONAL exams 3 years ago and I got the 3rd place among thousands of students 🎉(I literally learned and remembered anything by the end of the year and before the exams ,the only two questions that I got wrong out of 350 questions was not because I forgot the material rather it was just a destiny,I was meant to get those two questions wrong!! Thanks to Allah for everything Thank you Ali Abdaal ,your videos were a reason that made me smash my exams

[@aasiyahadesina1998]

is the method as effective if I just use my flashcards?

[@jaspreetkaur8912]

I'm literally horrified after looking at the questions his friend wrote for himself...

[@mohammadjihad569]

i rethought my life while he scrolled through "one" of his friend's questions

[@sunduskhan242]

honestly this is best way of revision

[@ahealingplace7350]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@tnayeem4034]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/j164c2V-aN2tras

[@alicia-hd2cs]

It’s not your fault - you’re not someone who is meant to try your best or be impressive, i guess.

[@marinac.ll.4840]

Some days ago I studied for an exam like this, writing and answering questions. I had never learnt so fast and easily. Now I’m even more convinced that it works, so thank you. Definitely gonna use that system for university entrance exams, plus I see it as a game to go over questions. I best learn by associating concepts.

[@lifevlogstutsl84]

Can u pls be mpre specific at what u did . Is this pure writeling questions?

[@hariszaman9122]

Can you tell me in detail how you use it please tell me request from Pakistan

[@jameselliott-hughes3495]

I swear by the question method. In my first term of law school I was averaging mid to low 60s using the “brute force make notes and rewrite them approach.” In the second term I went with the recall spreadsheet approach and averages 75s across the board in my exams that turn and finished with top marks in several subjects and a first overall. Literally just through changing my approach to study. Can’t thank Ali’s video on that enough (check it out if you haven’t- your grades will thank you)

[@tomquigley6323]

Hi, I study law too. Can I just ask how you made this method work for reading articles etc or specific quotes? Thank you very much

[@dragonchr15]

@@tomquigley6323 for specific quotes, write out the first letter of each word and then try to recall from just that. Over time, you will not need the first letter cues anymore. Try it first with a song lyric or movie quote you like. You still need to practice active recall though.

[@iamlethibe]

So all you did was read your notes and translate them into questions and ask yourslef

[@jameselliott-hughes3495]

@@tomquigley6323 Hi Tom- I would pick a case and its principle- something like R v Miller, which is a long winded criminal case about a homeless man who fell asleep on a mattress in a building whilst smoking. He ran away from said building after discovering it on fire and was held to be liable. This case was an exception to the rule that you aren't liable for not acting- aka, if you create a dangerous situation you have to do something to prevent/help or you'll be liable. (It's more complicated than that but for the sake of the comment). I started by writing R v Miller then remembering whatever I could from classes/readings etc w/o looking anything up. Once I'd exhausted my knowledge, I would look it u and read over what I'd miss. The next time, I'd condense it- so rather than right it all down I'd slowly condense it down to a couple of words less each time. E.g. R v Miller- Man, Cigarette, Mattress, Abandonment, Exception to rule- creation of dangerous situations. After a while you've mentally condensed a whole article down to just 4-5 trigger words that when remembered will unlock a whole article's worth of contents. I used this to learn around 1000 cases for my law school finals and got top marks at a good law school. (Not because I'm bright or anything- its just legitimately a good method) I also have quite bad ADHD so I can really only study for maybe 3-4 hours a day maximum during exam time so I truly swear by effective study techniques (like the ones Ali has recommended).

[@jameselliott-hughes3495]

@@iamlethibe Exactly! I used Ali's Google Sheet Methods (see his video on that). So for something (albeit basic) like "The four elements of a contract are offer, acceptance, intention to create legal relations and consideration". Rather than jsut write it down, I would make a question like "what are the elements of a contract". If i got it all right first time, then I would colourcode it green. It can be hard to make some notes into questions but thats where understanding comes in- you have to understand/comprehend what you've read before you can make a question. Give it a try! It's really useful. Plus it made studying more into a game/quiz which I liked.

[@kokoya400]

1. Pass through the lecture and convert the information into questions. 2. When it's revision time, you go through each question and actively recall the answers. 3. Colour code red for the questions you don't know the answers to so that the next time around, if you're short on time, you only go through the questions in red. Colour code them a different colour the next time round that you revise.

[@letitiamuresan1635]

Not knowing this in 2002, our history teacher taught us JUST by dictating to us questions and their full answers. Told us to just write the questions and try to answer them again and again. I did so in writting (in high school still had time for this) then checked with the original the teacher gave us. I hate history and am bad at remembering the info by heart. However this way I scored 100% on the national test. It was by far the best way to study! So good, that I try to help my son learn the same way.

[@iprefernottospeak1247]

may i ask what you do when you don’t know the answer to the questions?

[@heirofsugar]

@@iprefernottospeak1247lol find the answer?

[@ameli.a_3883]

that's great

[@shuebkhan787]

The more people that hear about active recall, the higher the grade boundaries would be.

[@GP-eq3gh]

Shueb Khan some selfish shit lmao

[@elvenmaiden7027]

I don't think so, as Ali said it's a difficult but very effective way to study. It still takes a ton of hard work and motivation to use active recall. Most students struggle with procrastination and not being able to keep their concentration up for longer periods of time which is something active recall can't fix. This is just an easier way for the already top students to use their time more effectively. Since they're the minority, the grade boundaries should stay pretty much the same with a possibility of a low increase for the top grade.

[@jonathan0452]

That’s why we gotta keep this quiet

[@Okxyd]

@@elvenmaiden7027 Very true. Active recall is very very very punishing because if you don't retest on time (with SRS) you will not remember much which will make the whole thing long and painful. People with backlogs of hundreds or thousands of cards in Anki will agree with me. Active recall and spaced repetition require a high level of organization and rigor, much higher than opening a book or notes and read.

[@stefanolanterna8752]

@@elvenmaiden7027 I struggle with procrastination a lot (hello KZbin) but active recall is not that difficult really. Actually, it can keep me focused for as much as 15/20 minutes straight on anki and I would never got that time reading notes without distracting myself. I changed from a bad to a mediocre student just because of that.

[@yeonbeom]

"this is anatomy, which is anatomy" idk why but j cracked up lol 😂

[@lazychums6473]

HAHAHAHAHAHA

[@mcdreamydentistry6600]

Making question really works😊 I got highest in my final yr in my dental school with this question making method.I started making questions because i was lazy to write the entire notes initially but later found it was actually helping me & now for dental boards I did use the same strategy.so if any one is reading this ,making questions does wonders!

[@sharonmaikano4561]

Hey!!!! Would love to know you personally😭. Just started dentistry too. I love learning from people ahead if you don't mind😁

[@abdullahalnoman4500]

If i start make questions. It will never end. Like in the first chapter of my history book, i could make thousands of questions. What do i d

[@peachyyy6481]

@@abdullahalnoman4500 😂😭 same

[@adamalmir5214]

@@abdullahalnoman4500 just step back and find information that is revelaed to your test. You can decide this by past papers or revision guides. Make questions out of them and ask questions like, “why and how” even if it isn’t mentioned in the textbook.

[@cothinker680]

@@adamalmir5214 should I memorise question or anewrs of questions?

[@rainalane1638]

I specifically come back to this particular video half year later to tell you guys his technique ACTUALLY WORKS !!!!! I only have 1 day to study my business midterm last semester and I still aced it (90)

[@desklamp701]

This is literally what the science department did for our school. They created a whole booklet full of questions covering every single point of the specification with answers with the aim of getting us to recall the answers constantly until it stuck with us. It was extremely useful as in it saved me tons of time and effort as I didn’t have to waste time making notes etc. I ended up getting 9-9 in the combined science course which is the highest grade for those of you who don’t study in the UK. That booklet made studying for my science exams profoundly pleasurable as I was constantly seeing progress in the sense that I kept memorising with relative ease. And finally, thank you Ali for making yet another high quality video spreading your knowledge. Hopefully this will get more people to use this method and ultimately smash their exams!!

[@wasimmedico4138]

good

[@rrrvna]

When you didn't know the answer to a question did you write the answer down and reread it or something? :)

[@Sai_baba784]

@@rrrvna when you do active recall always write down what you can remember even if it's in bullet points...and in exam season like 4 weeks before exams or 6 do practice full exam papers under exam condition..also before that from time to time practice some questions from past papers.. You should always practice at home what you will be doing in the exam room..

[@Tom5.5.5]

Did they make a digital version? If so could you send it to me please?

[@studyct]

is there anyway that you could send it to me or share where i can find it please! it will save my life, thank you.

[@mariainam410]

Hey Ali, I still write answers for the questions because it saves a ton of time and frustration later for me. I tend to get super overwhelmed when the exam date is very close and the last thing I want to do is “research the answer”. I think it’s okay to be fully prepped with answers to the questions too if there’s enough time, as long as we keep testing ourselves like you preach :D Update : I just got my exam result and for the first time in my life I scored a 95% and topped my class !!! I could NOT believe how much changing my study strategy was needed. Another thing which was a first was that I actually ENJOYED giving the exam lol Thank you so much Ali for everything. By the way, I’m a dental student in Canada :)

[@nehhachadda412]

Yes that's a smart way !!

[@janitajasmin]

Maria Writes that’s basically like doing flashcards which is helpful

[@aliihotii]

Thats exactly what I also do! I fill a full notebook page with questions and then on the next page I've got the answers ranked with numbers! It saves tons of time

[@dianagarcia6017]

When seeking information the textbook provides material closest to what the exam will be like. Generally the professor uses the textbook as a guide (if they don't they'll specify otherwise). Something that had really allowed me to excel in particular subjects was using the search engine from a PDF e-book for my textbooks. If you're looking for something specific it will filter out everything in the book. Sometimes you can even put something verbatim covered from class and it will be the exactly what you're looking for. I was scoring the highest in one of my classes when I was following this method. Meanwhile, all the other students were googling questions to the study guide and no passing. E-textbooks are a powerful tool. It has saved me hours of researching and improves my accuracy as well.

[@Alexa-vb7zw]

I was looking for this comment, i tought the same, but what i am doing is using an app called quizlet :)

[@cj-pq8nx]

Been doing this technique before I even knew it's called active recall 😅. It's the only study technique that works well with me. I don't really enjoy taking down a lot of notes like how my batch mates does (they invest a lot with bullet journals and cute stanionaries) and I'm really bad at memorizing stuff but I noticed that I tend to remember things when people ask me questions about it and I try to answer. I thought I needed a review buddy because it feels stupid to ask myself questions but the i discovered flashcard apps. I rely on them a lot. If not, I try to make answersheets before my final exams. It helped me a lot.

[@biswaranjan_4425]

Same😅

[@ajmalaju6275]

😆

[@phinnyvibez9040]

For those who have a problem with not taking any notes, understand through the Feynman technique,take a pen and paper and write out 1 page worth of a certain concept just the bigger picture in your own words,this will help you understand before you implement active recall which is mainly for the finer details and make everything concrete,optimize before you standardize.

[@emilfunkvang]

Ali, you've helped me tremendously. I've always been told, that "you need to find your own study technique, that works for you", but I have struggled a long time with finding that and I also think that it might not be totally true. I really think, active recall and spaced repetition is the way to go and since I've started using your techniques, my grades have skyrocketed. Thank you so, so much! I am actually talking to our faculty board about these methods and try to incorporate them into 1st year bachelor students curriculum, so they can learn effective study techniques.

[@wasimmedico4138]

yessir! loads of wishes to u my g,stay positive!!

[@sugamon3692]

I love it that you are eager to share it with others. 💜

[@LavKarri]

"The way to make it stick is by retrieving it and not putting it in." -Ali 2019

[@wasimmedico4138]

yessir, that some God level thinking

[@mansii3408]

Amazing👍

[@465carl]

love how he smiles in videos. what a clarity

[@tillycomedy2194]

you're an absolute legend for sharing this with us ali. thank you truly. i've shared your video with all of my friends!

[@taha12012]

I tried this method for my GCSE triple science and wow! I know the text book like it’s saved on my brain ! I think the reason people don’t use methods like this is the psychological effect that when you make notes you feel like you’re learning and it feels natural to you, so people don’t try to go for methods like active recall, and they don’t know what they’re missing out on as a result of this. Amazing video and thanks!

[@nataliekalu2183]

I know this is an older comment but im doing gcse triple sxience and i was wondering how long it took you to convert the 3 textbooks into flashcards to study with? Ive already started but im worried i wont have enough time to do the entire textbook and other subjects.

[@mrs.potatohead8471]

@@nataliekalu2183 Flashcards are really time consuming. If you really want to do flashcards but, you're worried that you'll run out of time maybe copy and paste from an online textbook onto an online flashcards platform? 🧡🧡

[@nataliekalu2183]

@@mrs.potatohead8471 thank you so much for the advice!

[@mrs.potatohead8471]

@@nataliekalu2183 It's okay! 💛💛💛 Honestly, I will just recommend doing practice exam questions (I did mine from the book on Kerboodle and marked then using the online mark scheme and I also used the cgp exam practice book with spaced repetition) - that's how I got a 9 in Chemistry and 8 in Biology.

[@nataliekalu2183]

@@mrs.potatohead8471 those grades are insane! Well done :D perhaps ill put exam questions into anki flashcards and try doing that as well to get long term practice in. Thank you! Have a blessed life.

[@denissemitchell9891]

I tried your style of studying using active recall in my previous Biostatistics exam! I studied way less and I got 50/50 points!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The exam before went well too but I wasted way too much studying!

[@manasid5052]

I found out your channel last week and since then I had started making some good changes in my life. Thankyou for existing 😊

[@navid8276]

Getting ready to start Grad school. I appreciate all the knowledge and insights from your journey. Can’t believe this is free. What a time to be alive. Peace brother!

[@kshitijs2041]

This channel is probably one of the biggest treasure I found on my KZbin till the date. Please keep coming up with more videos that touch diverse aspects of study techniques. Thank you.

[@VaibhavSrivastava15]

me, sees an ali abdaal video once: im gonna top now, ive learnt the secret le me, 2 days after: why im so stupid?

[@DomainAspect]

So true lol

[@wasimmedico4138]

haha story of every laymen after watching "how to study videos"

[@vennyhearts2064]

No don't say that, I'm genuinely trying to focus

[@wasimmedico4138]

@@vennyhearts2064 watch it in full screen , no distractions :)

[@frankensteinx5378]

Step 1 : self realisation You're going great buddy..

[@suryazayn4349]

I watched almost all videos in your channel. And I want to finish it today as I can't hold the anxiety! I really wish the videos don't end soon. Loved you !

[@Merryyy203]

Thank you very much for taking the time to make this video for us. I am done with studying but do need to (re)learn things that I never understood or have forgotten so this will be useful. You are lovely!

[@hibak8196]

I'm an engineering student who's, well, not interested in ranking anymore (I'm freaking exhausted) so I really don't know why I clicked on this video. I'm so bloody glad I did.

[@btdking1597]

Maybe you are destined to take interest in ranking for the rest of your life

[@marinac.ll.4840]

I have a suggestion: I understand that it is more useful to not include the answer to the questions, but what you can do to solve that is to note down next to the questions the source where you can find the answers. For example if you have ‘What is the cell membrane?’ you’ll note down ‘(biology book, unit 3, page 54)’. In that way, you’ll be able to rapidly check the information related to the content you’re lacking in.

[@simonavdlb]

Thanks! Good idea

[@apostlebenjamin6771]

That's really super good idea

[@danahportlouis3776]

Great thanks 🙏🏾

[@littlesheep4672]

This is comprehensive stuff. Lots of practical advice and nuggets of wisdom packed in this video. I hope you keep the enthusiasm in your future videos. Thanks, I learned a lot.

[@albertolingan]

Pal, you're so awesome. You teach us how to effectively study and learn the subject. I'm definitely gonna apply this active recall method to my studies. Thank you for sharing such precious knowledge and democratizing it. Many thanks!

[@Chrisasia282]

After watching your videos a year ago I started using this active recall method and I ended up receiving the best and highest grades I’ve ever had. Thank you for sharing this method!!!!

[@borut435]

I have been using this method on and off since my first year of medicine. I'm in the fifth year now and i've tried basically every other study method and now i'm back to using this method. It's actually the best way to use active recall in my opinion.

[@jing9988]

Hello Ali! came across to your videos just today and was enlightened how you explained everything, even watched your videos while washing the dishes 😂 I was preparing for my exams ineffectively and just adapted this whole thing what you have incorporated especially active recall and spaced repetition. hoping this study technique will work for me. Thank you so much!

[@Jeanelle_Char]

One of my hidden hobbies is learning about several topics in depth. I don’t sleep at night so studying and taking notes on my computer about things that interest me help to make me less hyper throughout the night. It used to be more of a challenge before I found your video because of my issues with focusing (no matter how interested I may be) I came across your video a few months ago and I just wanted to thank you for showing us these methods!

[@mayacold8263]

One thing though - the way he speaks is fantastic! There aren't a lot of cuts in the video, and I didn't have to rewind or pause at any part of the video at all. The flow is amazing... Nice video! I'm not in uni yet, but this is pretty helpful actually. Amazing video!

[@may-yq1il]

i feel like i have wasted 10 years of my life studying the hard, wrong way 😭

[@mugdho8242]

Yea , buddy

[@shelby255]

Ok

[@kirawoods5316]

Me too😭

[@waqqasElahismch]

😓😓

[@dellavestin109]

@@waqqasElahismch omg de broglie😆

[@laur-unstagenameactuallyca1587]

I feel sooooooooooooooooooooo relieved. I did this naturally, scribbling questions to myself on the edges of my pages to try to understand something or to find gaps in my understanding.

[@mohammedhassoune4246]

You try to memorise the answers while making questions or when you finish the task of questions you try to revise the questions and answers too

[@jamesbaker9176]

Incredible. I'm just about to start a MSc in public health so will be defiantly utilising this. I've just discovered your channel and loving it. Keep up the great work Ali.

[@studysinead7804]

Initially i was skeptical. Now its so engrained in my head i get so baffled when people dont do this technique.

[@kafka65]

Active Recall and Spaced Repetition 1st : Go through the textbook and convert everything into questions (methods: dont write down answers, u can find the answers in the textbook.. if u have to write down difficult answers written under toggle bars, split screen.. ) 2nd : Revise the subject. Go through the questions one by one. If u dont know the answers, colorcode the question in red. Look in your textbook/article to revise the subject. 3rd : Only go through the questions you marked in red, this time mark the questions you dont know blue.. 4th : Now just go with the blue questions, colour others purple.. 5th : Before exam go through every single question again (spaced repetition!) „When learning feels difficult our brain is forming the connections and when we sleep those connections get solidifies. Reading and highlighting is very easy.. that why we love it, but we are not actually use our brains. But the more we use our brains.. the more effortful learning it is, the more its gonna stick.“

[@kuntashrestha5545]

Is this the summary for ali video on active recall and space repitition on how to study for exam???......if yes then thanks...

[@enricodelbasso3634]

Thanks man 👌

[@AVIZI0N]

Okay so he writes down questions and what happens if you do not know/remember the answer? In the video he mentions you are not suppose to write down the answer, do you have to find the answer each time?

[@AGBoost]

Avizion The answer to this is in the original comment

[@nagiiSHAWOLove]

Do u write the questions with the book open?

[@nikkihuang7635]

This is what I've been doing for years, so glad to hear it's what Ali recommends too!

[@nix24dax]

I tried this style of study for my first semester and it worked!! Thank you!!

[@philcadag6151]

Ali "Active Recall" Abdaal

[@swatipahwa2105]

I remember the first I saw a video on Active recall on this channel you had less than 50k subscribers. You have come a long way, Ali. I have been following active recall and spaced repetition (after watching your videos) and it is the single most efficient study technique I have ever practised. I now know my subject inside out. For those planning to follow this, it will not be easy in the beginning, but worth all your efforts. Thank you Ali, for introducing us to this study technique.

[@christinamary413]

This technique is truly amazing and fruitful. Thank you for all your effort and time. I really appreciate it

[@mai-jf4zx]

This is so insanely useful! I was struggling on amounts of content I had to memorise for my exams and this certainly proved to be useful (even before exams and starting active recall method I already knew this method would benefit) tysm!

[@historicturd]

Me: Exam in 12 hours Also Me: Watches Anyway

[@infinn90]

Same here.

[@sirengaming8869]

Farez Me too

[@sirengaming8869]

Farez Me too Xhdytdrysrysyr

[@historicturd]

Tawfiqul Roman All the best for your exam!

[@historicturd]

Yasir Athar All the best for your exam too!

[@janellenaj498]

I never realized I've been passively learning up until now! The more I watch your videos, the more I feel enlightened! Gonna start actively learning and praying I can see my grades go up by the end of the semester! Thank you for making all these helpful videos!!!

[@soulyamilk]

Can't believe I'm only realising this technique now at the age of 29! But couldn't be more timely. I'm studying for a test and can't wait to give this a go!

[@SAb-tt4kz]

Thank you for existing Ali. I’m literally studying for my final exams and I got this valuable information. I love this. Thank you 🙏🏻

[@ladygabi98]

"How to rank 1st at Cambridge".. I can't even rank first at a mediocre university in a country with 3 million people...

[@linasirsnina1425]

Me - in country with 2 million people 😂😭😂😂

[@diwakarisonyoutube]

me in 1b people

[@wqmf9356]

I'm in like the last 10%, but that's why I'm here LMAO. My ADD is like, nope, let's do something else.

[@lukrecijakneizyte2605]

:DD koks universitetas?

[@hteur1]

Right now, results do not matter as much as going through the process over and over. With time, results will follow eventually, God willing.

[@idkwth5056]

WE DON'T DESERVE GOOD PEOPLE LIKE YOU. you're such a hardworking person. There were a lor of things that I didn't understand, and you always take your time to explain everything 😭😭 thank you for all of your hard work and for helping a lot of us

[@princedavid5067]

I used it in a biochemistry test last year, I got a 94% ...am really gonna use it more this year as a third year med student 🎉❤...wish me luck

[@mysterystuff6455]

Best of luck ❤

[@lindsayhartje6678]

I'm 4 weeks into medical school and I'm gonna start post reading this way TODAY. Thanks KZbin for the random suggestion and thank you Ali for the good advice.

[@lc0597]

been watching you for only a week or so, and you’ve already changed my whole outlook on learning! not only that, but i think it’s positively impacting my results at school. thanks a lot :)

[@vennyhearts2064]

I needed this soo much, I am going to positively implement this and get back in two years with a great result, hopefully! Getting set!!!! *Excited ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@leazilzimmer5147]

This is brilliant! I wish I had known this earlier in my life, great content!

[@mr.tarzan7044]

Thnx Ali, and you definitely hit the mark when you talk about people having to listen over the concept of active recall, bc I watched the first few videos you had on this multiple times. I was so used to taking down notes and re-reading switching over to this method felt so unsure but I see that its working plus there is loads of evidence to support that claim.

[@-sep7684]

I've realised I was using this method accidently. I couldn't study for the exams so I was just checking on the exams that my school did from the last years and even though I've actually barely studied, I've managed to pass my exams, just by trying to solve and memorize the questions. Thanks for the video, I will use this method while studying and write my own questions :D

[@raph_n4]

Just done my A level exams, I remember watching this video in year 12, and honestly my life has been changed. I got A*A*A (Biology, Maths and Chemistry) it really does work and I’m grateful I saw this video. It worked mainly for Biology and I felt invisible when it came to exams - it’s genuinely satisfying to answer questions Thank you so much for sharing this.

[@spozzy1878]

hi there, i’m doing the same a levels as you are and i aspire to do as well as you do. did you still do notes with this method or did you just abandon your notes? at our sixth form, the teachers insist on doing notes so i just want your insight on this. i’d appreciate it if you gave up some of your time answer my questions. :)

[@raph_n4]

@@spozzy1878 Hi, I actually have a KZbin channel where I show the methods I used. But I didn’t make any notes. I relied on active recall for every aspect of revision.

[@spozzy1878]

@@raph_n4 hi again, i was just going to ask, u also did exam questions along with these yes? so just this method and exam practice?

[@raph_n4]

@@spozzy1878 yeah

[@ikram8690]

Hi How did you do with mathematics?

[@navidaahmedofficial6291]

Thanks so much for your videos, I love how clear and to the point they are! I will be applying this to some upcoming exams, let's see if I improve. Continue your great work.

[@seanvincentrodriguez8654]

Thank you so much! I'm studying for college admission tests and this helped me very much. I've been having trouble studying and I'm glad this popped up in my recommendations. Thank you so much. From Philippines🇵🇭

[@smilealways5123]

Ali! I have always wondered why I get good grades without studying and cramming for hours and hours like most of my friends do I thought what makes the difference . Now I have discovered that I have been using this active recall method for a long time without even knowing it. After studying a topic I always take a practice test by myself and when i want to repeat that topic some days later i don't read my notes or textbook rather i try to write the topic on a paper and if I have a doubt I check it from my textbook afterwards this has really helped me throughout. You definitely deserve more subscribers because you help a lot of students.

[@patantippitak436]

Hello Ali, I'm a big fan of your channel. I'm writing this comment to express my appreciation towards you because I am already benefited from this way of studying after applying it to my study routine. I am a senior year high school student studying for 5 AP exams that are happening in one month. Before watching this video, I used the summarizing method to take notes from the Princeton Review prep book as I read along, and it was a painful process because I wasn't actually absorbing that much information. I wasn't questioning myself, as you have mentioned, trying to force things into my head. After every topic there is usually a unit drill, and when I was doing those drills I felt like I literally did not learn anything. Then I went on KZbin and found your video. At first I was skeptical, but it was a month ago I began implementing this active recall method, writing down questions but not the answers on my notebook as I read through the prep book. When I am writing down those questions I'm also actively learning because I'm also attempting to answer them. Studying is now so much more efficient and I CANNOT believe how much of an improvement I had when doing my unit drills. I just want to write this to tell everyone to not be afraid to try this method, it may seem like it's not gna work for you but it is definitely worth a try. And again, thank you so much Ali for sharing this because it definitely changed studying experience for the better.🙏🏽

[@annaceciliaolgado365]

I'm so happy for you ❤️❤️ I'm about to try this method for my subjects this upcoming semester! I'm currently skeptical about it, too, but I hope that it may work for me as much as it did for you. Good luck!

[@AlexRitcher364]

@@annaceciliaolgado365 how it going?

[@annaceciliaolgado365]

@@AlexRitcher364 about that... Our school's online so the administration of exams was limited. I must say I haven't used active recall that much yet. This is sad but I found myself going back to note-taking and highlighting bc the transition just requires so much energy which I did and do not have unfortunately

[@orchids4media343]

Congrats!! Thanks for confirming, i'm definitely gonna try thiss!!

[@orchids4media343]

@@annaceciliaolgado365 oh that's a bit sad... it's ok!! just push yourself sis, you can do this!!

[@noraginzan6507]

Recently found your videos and really changed my mind about studying! I major in medical technology (not really sure the name in English), and there are tons of microbiology to learn, your videos are extremely useful! Thank you so much!

[@Mathlan]

I love how these videos always motivate me to do hw I’m procrastinating on

[@rachaarakji4346]

I'm so happy to find this two weeks before my exam :)

[@TimeFliesTimeManagement]

Asking questions always digs deeper into your understanding and memorization 👌

[@DomainAspect]

Yea... duh

[@nochaos380]

@@aliabdaal definitely 😌

[@JihadAlAnsari]

@@DomainAspect That was rude. What is obvious to you may not be obvious to others. Avoid using the word "duh" to strangers.

[@mohammadbasit312]

I just started watching your videos on self improvement and they have already inspired me a lot to work harder and add productivity to my schedule. Than you so much for these inspirational and informative videos.😁😁👍👍

[@tivankaperera8081]

I've been struggling with CFA Level 2 for a while now. and I've been looking for study tips for awhile too. but after watching this I think I just realised that I've been looking for quick fixes/easy study methods instead of actually accepting that I need to put in more effort and use a study method like active recall. really helpful video. definitely going to use this method of making questions - I feel super confident of this method.

[@duythanhish]

I like the outtake at the end 😂 So now only 2 weeks left before my masters exam, and I’ve felt quite confident using this technique. AR and SR helped me get through the interview to get 2 full government scholarships to study in Ireland and New Zealand. They gave me only a week to prep for the interview and I couldn’t believe that I spoke exactly as I wanted to for an hour. Currently staying in Ireland, if I pay a visit to Cambridge next year, I’ll definitely message you and hopefully I can say thanks in person.

[@Jasim_Basheer]

I was feeling kinda low and I saw this notification and instantly lit up thanks a lot mahn ly

[@mochapine5259]

I’m watching your videos and using some of these revision tips for my GCSEs and it’s really helpful, thanks a lot dude

[@justsnow9952]

Came back here to say I watched your videos and applied them to my studying and WOW!!!! I tried it because I used to use the note summary method and repetition, got good marks for my first degree using that but realized it's currently not cutting it for my Vet Med degree (I was getting average marks).I managed to get above average using this method last week. Will continue applying this, so excited. Thank you so much. .

[@heresaml5787]

I admire how passionate that you are ..and how desperate about delivering the exact concept behind this technique. .😍..literally you're the one who fresh med students need to guide them ..😍( getting old now lol)..Allah bless you 🤗 ..

[@EjaxPlus]

I discovered this video and method last year like couple of weeks before an occupational safety computerised exam. The module readily came with sample questions so all you had to do was memorize over 500 sample questions with answers. Around 2-3 hours a week and 2 hours cramming on the exam day practicing this method, I kid you not I walked out the first 15 minutes with a 100% score (50 is full, passing is 47 so some colleagues had to repeat multiple times, some cheated). The experience was phenomenal. For 15 minutes straight I was grinning with confidence and just had to make that cocky solo exit because I deserved it. Wished I can upload the result image here. So thank you, Ali.

[@EmergencyTop5]

I just passed my nclex-rn exam on the 7th try. I used this method to study and passed. I wish I used this method during school. Just wanted to say thanks and great video Cheers!

[@BonqweshiaJenkins]

I’m so happy for you!

[@EmergencyTop5]

@@BonqweshiaJenkins Thank you

[@topranked5465]

How you know which questions to ask. ?

[@mohammedhassoune4246]

@@EmergencyTop5 you try to memorise the answers while making questions or when you finish the task of question you try to revise the question and the answers too

[@googemiester42]

@@mohammedhassoune4246 so you are going to rationalize every concept and agree with it. You will not agree with every principle in nursing. Too many topics to cover on nclex. Some of the nclex topics we didn’t even cover in nursing school. Peace. I love you and Happy Valentines Day bae! Muah

[@a.zzahrah]

Tried this and I scored the best in class for biology, last year I was struggling to even pass the test😭 thank you so much Ali!! A good start for my last term in high school ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶

[@kurapika5314]

Yay good job 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

[@a.zzahrah]

@@kurapika5314 thank you🥰

[@cothinker680]

@@a.zzahrah I don't understand should I memorise questions or answers? And why don't write answers for question to memorise? Why I should find it

[@mariellawilliams4703]

I'm here 1.5 years after watching this video. Since watching I revolutionised my study technique from frankly, no technique, to AR and spaced repetition - specifically using the format you demonstrated here with multiple documents of hundreds of questions and writing absolutely no notes, ever. Any writing I do goes in the bin afterwards. Now I am 3 days away from taking my medical school finals. The result will tell, but in general I wonder if I would have been able to have made so much progress if I had never watched and understood this video. Thank you for sharing

[@farida7125]

please update

[@ahmedelbanna1877]

we need an update!

[@noahpurdy3118]

This is actually genius. Why isn't this what everyone does?

[@abrararifify]

Unsung Songs bingo

[@noahpurdy3118]

@Unsung Songs Well yeah, but for actually understanding it, this works really well. Rereading doesn't make it stick.

[@noahpurdy3118]

@Unsung Songs For methods that use active recall, this is very efficient.

[@harrietjones1409]

I think its because we feel comforted if we have notes. It is kind of proof that we have done work, even if they’re not effective. Just having question seems quite boring. I have always made notes and literally today am going to try this out and see how well it works!

[@Y2JWannaBe3]

@@aliabdaal I'm curious if it necessarily works for all people? could there be people that this method won't help? thanks for all the videos I'm a big fan

[@bb7961]

I've recently come to love your channel so much. You're doing great work

[@yidima9891]

Ali you're a blessing to our world thank you so much