How to Brainwash Yourself to Learn Disgustingly FAST (score all A*s every time)

Summary

The speaker argues that studying longer is not necessarily the same as studying better. He describes how his approach evolved from copying notes to strategically analyzing exams, learning complex material in layers, and using mind maps to organize and retain information. He presents these stages as a personal roadmap based on his experience progressing from school to medical school.

1. Study what exams actually reward

At first, the speaker spent hours copying information into notes and nearly ran out of time before exams. By reviewing past papers, he noticed that some topics appeared more often than others. He began prioritizing those topics and consulting mark schemes to understand what answers earned marks. He says this helped him perform well while spending less time trying to cover every detail.

Suggested steps:

• Avoid copying textbook or slide content into notes without a clear purpose.
• Before studying, inspect past papers to identify:
  • Frequently tested topics
  • Common question formats
  • The level and type of detail expected
• Use mark schemes to understand what information needs to be recalled, explained, or applied.
• Allocate study time according to the likely value of each topic, while still reviewing the rest of the syllabus.

He describes this as the first major shift: plan revision around exam evidence rather than treating every page as equally important.

2. Learn complex material in layers

After entering medical school, the speaker found that strategic exam planning alone was not enough. He had relied too heavily on reading, repetition, and making questions without first building a solid understanding. In response, he organized his learning from basic ideas to more challenging details.

His three-pass approach

1. Orientation pass: Quickly inspect headings, subheadings, and definitions to understand how the topic is structured. He suggests spending only a few minutes on this pass.
2. Concept pass: Read the sections that explain the main ideas and relationships. This is usually the longest pass.
3. Detail pass: Focus on specific facts that require memorization, such as investigations, molecules, or disease subtypes.

The underlying idea is that new information is easier to understand when it connects to knowledge already established. Rather than trying to understand everything on the first read, build a foundation and add detail progressively.

For especially difficult concepts, he also recommends following questions and curiosity further. He says investigating the “why” behind a topic can make it more interesting and memorable. In this context, he promotes Consensus, a research-search tool for finding research papers and synthesizing findings. This section is a product promotion.

3. Use mind maps to connect and recall information

In his clinical years, the speaker needed not only to understand more material but also to remember it over time. After reading about learning and memory, he tried mind mapping. He defines a mind map as a visual, connected overview of a topic—not merely a decorative page with a central image and scattered arrows.

How he describes making one:

• Identify the major categories of the topic.
• Add related information—such as causes, symptoms, and distinctions—under those categories.
• Show how concepts relate to one another, including similarities and differences.
• Build the map in layers, starting with the main structure and adding detail.
• Use visual elements where helpful, so the layout cues later recall.

He says creating the map encourages active learning through organizing, comparing, connecting, and visualizing concepts. He recalls being able to retrieve parts of an old map about shock years later and says mind mapping improved his performance. He acknowledges that his early maps were imperfect and that the method takes practice.

Overall takeaway

The speaker’s progression is from working harder to making study effort more deliberate:

• Use exam materials to guide priorities.
• Build understanding from foundational ideas toward detail.
• Organize related concepts visually to strengthen connections and recall.

His claims about grades and study time are presented as personal experience rather than independently verified results.

Speakers and sources featured

• Zain Asif — the sole speaker and narrator.
• Barbara Oakley, Tony Buzan (rendered in the subtitles as “Tony Booza”), and Cal Newport — authors whose work the speaker says he consulted.
• Consensus AI — a research-search tool promoted by the speaker.
• Past exam papers and mark schemes — resources he recommends using to guide revision.