• Relaxed in a chair, letting his mind go free, often still vaguely thinking about what he had been previously focusing on
• A key in his hand, dangling it just above the floor
• As he would fall asleep, the key would fall from his hand waking him ...

• repeat what you're trying to retain, but space this repetition out -> e.g. practice a new voc. word/ a problem solving technique over several days
• Research: if you repeat sth 20times in one evening, you won’t remember nearly as well as if you practice it 20x ...

Metabolic toxins in your brain-> Sleep helps to wash away them, keeps the brain clean & healthy

Too little sleep makes you do worse on tests (you can't think clearly)

Over too long of a time: headaches, ...

Can you create a chunk if you don't understand? Yes, but it's often a useless chunk that won't fit in with other materials. 

Just understanding how a problem was solved doesn’t necessarily create a chunk that you can easily remember later. Don't confuse the "Aha!" of a ...

Gain context to see not just how, but also when to use this chunk!

How to start with a new topic?

1. Do a 2min. picture walk through a chapter (glancing at pictures & section headings allows you to gain a sense of the big pic...

Focusing:

• concentrating intently on sth you're trying to learn
• sth you're rather familiar with -> thought moves smoothly as if it's traveling along a familiar, nicely paved road

Diffuse thinking:

• more rel...

Neurons become linked together through repeated use. The more abstract sth is, the more important it’s to practice to bring those ideas into reality for you.

• If you first begin to understand sth, e.g. how to solve a problem, the neural...

The best chunks are so well ingrained, that you don't even have to consciously think about it. 

When you're learning new math/science material:

• Undivided attention. Let your brain focus on chunking.Leave free the limited slots in working memory

Thomas Edison used the same technique as Dali, only with a ball.

When you're learning something new, especially something that's a little more difficult, your mind needs to be able to go back and forth between the 2 different learning modes

= pieces of information bound together through meaning/ use

The new logical whole makes the chunk easier to remember & also makes easier to fit it into the “larger picture”.

Just memorizing a fact without understanding is not enough, ...