Answering Your Questions (Best Way to Study? Why Medicine?)

Summary

Archer Newton, a second-year medical student, answers viewer questions about studying, school, medicine, productivity, and personal interests. His central message is to focus not simply on studying for more hours, but on learning efficiently and retaining material so it does not need to be repeatedly relearned.

Study methods and advice

• Prioritize effective learning techniques. Archer recommends learning how to learn rather than relying only on advice passed along by other students. He highlights active recall and spaced repetition as strong foundations, with mind mapping and inquiry-based learning as useful approaches to build on them.
• Use mind maps as a form of recall, not just note-taking. When adding to or reviewing a mind map, try to recall how ideas connect before looking at the material, then check and correct your understanding. Archer recommends handwritten or touch-based tools for mind mapping. He uses Concepts on an iPad and also mentions Explain Everything; he finds text-only mind-mapping tools less useful for learning.
• Use questions to make learning engaging. Inquiry-based learning can help with subjects that feel uninteresting. Start with a question connected to something you are curious about, then use it to explore the required material. Archer gives the example of connecting plant biology to physics concepts such as light absorption.
• Build efficiency and effectiveness together. Efficiency means learning more in less time; effectiveness means retaining and understanding what you learn. Reducing repeated relearning can save time, particularly when preparing for exams or the UCAT.
• Adapt techniques to the subject.
  • In chemistry, understanding core concepts and applying them to problems is more important than memorizing everything.
  • In humanities subjects, mind maps, inquiry-based learning, memory palaces, and chunking information can be useful.
  • For English, Archer suggests mapping themes first, then connecting the techniques that support those themes.
• Use practice exams for the right purpose. They can help you practise under time pressure and identify exam-specific issues, but they should not be your only way to find gaps in your knowledge. Archer suggests working through targeted worksheets or past exam questions and examining the concepts behind mistakes.
• Learn from errors rather than merely recording them. For maths, Archer advises analysing why an answer was wrong instead of simply rewriting the question in an error notebook. Reviewing the reasoning behind errors is more useful than trying to memorize individual questions.
• Prepare for the transition into Year 12. Archer recommends putting extra effort into the first test because students may underestimate the jump from Year 11. Early underperformance can result from not yet understanding the demands of Year 12.
• Don’t measure preparation only by hours. Archer estimates that during a typical Year 12 week, he studied around two to four hours across weekdays and roughly five hours over the weekend, with more during exam periods. He says this worked for him because he trusted his study methods and was achieving his goals. He cautions against cutting study time before knowing that your approach is effective.
• Balance commitments through communication. For relationships during Year 12, Archer recommends discussing expectations about time together and study in advance.
• Make the study environment support focus. Remove objects that act as cues to do something unrelated to work, such as sports equipment. Consider putting away small items if they invite fidgeting.
• Support learning with routines. Archer says meditation and breathing exercises help him feel more relaxed and less stressed. When time allows, he tries to fit them into a wind-down routine before bed.
• Stay open to changing your approach. Archer encourages trying opportunities and staying open-minded, rather than sticking to a study method just because it is familiar or popular. He describes this as increasing the “surface area for serendipity”—making room for useful opportunities to arise.

Personal answers and other topics

• Archer’s favourite tech item is his AirPods Pro, particularly because of their noise cancellation. He mentions having to replace them several times and experiencing an early technical issue that was later fixed.
• He watches few TV shows, mentioning Peaky Blinders, and names The Hunger Games among his favourite films.
• He chose medicine after seeing how hospital staff used science and worked together to care for a family member. He had also considered engineering, partly because he liked computers, but decided he could pursue that interest independently while studying medicine.
• He says physics was harder than biology for him. English was historically a subject he disliked and found difficult to improve in, although it became one of his stronger subjects.
• He had doubts while waiting for medical-school offers during the break after Year 12. He says managing uncertainty and stress was part of that period.
• He is enjoying pathophysiology, especially learning how the heart works and studying what happens when it does not.
• Digital notes on an iPad have been more convenient for him than paper because they keep his materials in one place; he does not claim they necessarily improve learning.
• Archer describes entrepreneurship as a major hobby and interest. He also mentions using some elements of Getting Things Done, but not following the system in full.

Speakers and sources featured

• Archer Newton — the only speaker; he answers submitted questions from viewers, including questions sent through TikTok.
• Ali Abdaal — referenced by Archer as the source of the “surface area for serendipity” idea; he does not speak in the video.