How I Get TOP GRADES With ENCODING & ACTIVE RECALL - A Practical Step-By-Step Guide, by Dr Alex Young on YouTube. 28 min 7 s.
- Video length
- 28 min 7 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Skim the chapter first. Read headings, subheadings and summaries to build context before you take any notes.
Break the content into chunks in your notes app. Give each heading its own section so the structure is easy to scan.
Write active recall questions for each chunk. Cover the answer and try to say it from memory before you check.
Mix fact-based questions with higher-level ones. Ask why and how, not just what, so you connect ideas.
Link new content to what you already know. Add a short note on how it fits your existing knowledge.
Tie ideas to personal experiences. A real example makes the fact easier to retrieve later.
Fill knowledge gaps and interleave topics. Rotate between subjects instead of drilling one block.
Review at the end of each chapter. Close the notes and answer your questions from memory.
Save the questions you get wrong in a separate hard pile. Revisit that pile first next session.
Work through past papers and question banks. Mark weak areas and space your review over the following days.
Tips and common mistakes
Skim before you write notes so you do not waste time copying text you do not understand yet.
Keep questions short and specific so you can answer them in one or two sentences.
Do not reread notes as a substitute for recall. Test yourself with the book closed.
Space your hard questions over several days rather than cramming them in one sitting.
Questions
What is encoding in studying?
Encoding means processing new information deeply so it is easier to store and retrieve. Skimming, chunking and linking ideas to what you already know are simple ways to do it.
How many recall questions should I write per chapter?
Aim for a few questions per heading, mixing facts with higher-level why and how questions. Keep them short enough to answer from memory.
Do I need a special notes app?
No. Any notes app that supports headings and tags works. The method matters more than the tool.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
