How to Study SO Smart People Think You Study 25 Hours a Day

Main Ideas

The video argues that high grades and a full schedule are more manageable when studying is organized around a system—not by trying to review everything or spend every spare hour studying. The system has three parts:

1. Use class time actively to understand the topic and capture important information.
2. Prioritize reviews according to available time, upcoming assessments, and weak areas.
3. Review actively and visually rather than rereading notes passively.

1. Make Class Time Count

The presenter says students often lose time by getting distracted or confused in class. Missed material can pile up, leaving them unsure what to review.

His suggested approach:

• Spend the first 10 minutes previewing the topic. Look through the material or find a basic explanation so you have an initial sense of what the lesson is about. This “primes” your understanding before the teacher explains it.
• Create flashcards or questions for material you need to remember, such as definitions, procedures, steps, and important concepts.
• Don’t transcribe the lesson word for word. Not every fact needs to become a flashcard.
• Build a picture of the topic’s structure as you take notes:
  • Write down the major headings first.
  • Add only keywords beneath them.
  • Consider how the main concepts and categories connect, differ, or affect one another.

The presenter demonstrates using RemNote to take notes alongside a PDF and create flashcards, including cards generated with AI. He also highlights the app’s PDF and guided-learning features as possible study tools.

2. Plan Reviews Around Priorities, Not Completeness

The presenter advises students to accept that some material will accumulate rather than trying to review every topic repeatedly. Choose what to study based on:

• How much free time you actually have.
• Tests, exams, and assignments coming up soon.
• Topics you understand least or found confusing in class.

To plan:

• Put commitments and known tasks for the coming week into a calendar.
• Use the calendar to see where free time remains.
• Schedule study blocks for upcoming assessments and weak topics.
• Treat the weekly calendar mainly as a list of tasks and study blocks, rather than assigning every task an exact hour far in advance. The presenter recommends making more detailed hourly plans on the day, since circumstances can change.
• Don’t aim to review everything throughout the semester. Before exams, prioritize material that is both likely to be tested and especially difficult for you, rather than assuming you must master every item equally.

3. Review Actively with One-Page Concept Maps

For difficult or weak topics, the presenter recommends replacing passive rereading with a focused, active review:

• Try to compress the whole topic onto one page.
• Start with a skeletal structure: a few words or headings that capture the main idea.
• Add the flow of the process and connect the key concepts.
• Compare related conditions, categories, or complications, and note how they differ.
• If you get stuck, return to the source material and build the map further.
• Use the map to reconstruct the topic and test your understanding, rather than merely recognizing familiar text.

The presenter says this method builds understanding because it requires you to summarize, connect, and compare information. He suggests using flashcards for easier topics where there are few knowledge gaps, and concept or mind maps for topics that need deeper work.

Other Points

• The presenter briefly promotes an eight-week, one-to-one exam coaching program for students preparing for important exams. He describes it as intensive and personalized, and says it is not suitable for everyone.
• He also recommends RemNote as a study tool for notes, flashcards, PDFs, and guided learning.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Zain Asif — the video’s presenter and study-method instructor.
• RemNote — a study app demonstrated and recommended by the presenter, including its AI-assisted features.