Proven Method To Supercharge Your Learning

Happy Sunday!

Welcome to the 4th edition of The Elevated Mindset.

Okay so we have limited time to learn complex topics.

The best way to retain information is to understand it.

What if I told you that its possible to understand what you need to learn & actually retain it?

Welcome the Feynman Technique

Today, we will be learning the 4 steps of the Feynman Technique & how you can use it to learn anything faster & better!

Estimate Read Time: 4 minutes

What is the Feynman Technique?

The Feynman Technique was created by Richard Feynman - A Nobel prize winning physicist.

The ideology is to take something that's hard to understand and try to clarify it in your mind by explaining it as if you were talking to a child.

The technique can be applied using a 4 step process:

✅ Choose a topic

✅ Teach a 11 year old

✅ Identify Fumbles

✅ Review, Rinse & Repeat

Lets dive in!

Step 1: Choose A Topic

✅ Write down the topic you want to learn at the top.

✅ Split the page in half.

✅ On the left side, brain dump. Write down everything you already know about the topic.

✅ On the right side, conduct research and add new information.

Step 2: Teach A 11 Year Old

✅ Imagine that you're explaining the concept to an 11 yr old - someone who doesn't have prior knowledge on the topic.

✅Write down your simplified explanation.

Step 3: Identify 'Fumbles'

✅ The best way to identify gaps is when your flow of thought breaks & you fumble.

✅ Research to fill in the gaps in your understanding.

✅ Add any new information to the right side of the page.

Step 4: Review, Rinse, & Repeat

✅ Review & reflect upon what you understand so far.

✅Repeat the steps above until you have a deep understanding of the topic!

Example - Understanding Beam Bending

Topic: Beam Bending

Current Knowledge:

• Beam bending refers to the deformation of a beam or girder when loaded with a force.

• The types of loads that can cause beam bending include point loads, distributed loads, and others.

• There are different types of beams such as simply supported beams, cantilever beams, and more.

• Key concepts in beam bending include bending moment, shear force, deflection, and others.

Research:

• Material properties like modulus of elasticity and yield strength can affect beam bending.

• The shape of the beam cross-section can also influence its bending behavior.

• The amount of bending in a beam can be affected by factors like its length, span, and load position.

• Basic equations used in beam bending analysis include the moment equation and deflection equation.

Simplified Explanation:

Imagine you're balancing a heavy book on a ruler. If the book is in the middle, the ruler will bend slightly. If you move the book closer to one end, the ruler will bend more. That's because it has to work harder to support the weight. Bridges and diving boards work the same way - when people stand or jump, they put force on the structure, making it bend. Engineers must design bridges to be strong enough to support weight without bending too much. When you see a skinny structure like a bridge or diving board, you can think about how it bends with force - that's beam bending.

Gaps:

• The role of material properties

• The importance of cross-section shape

• The role of equations

Repeat

TL;DR

Supercharge your learning with Feynman Technique:

1. Choose a topic

2. Teach a 11 year old

3. Identify gaps

4. Review, Rinse & Repeat

Keep learning, keep being consistent, & keep simplifying!

That's a wrap! Thanks for reading! 

Want to read more? Check out my past editions here!

Till next time! 👋

-Payal