Study Effectively: What MOST People Misunderstand about The Feynman Technique

If you just type in Google “How to learn/study efficiently?”. You would probably find a bunch of content explaining the Feynman Technique. For those who don’t know, the Feynman Technique is a learning technique named after Richard Feynman that amplifies comprehension. It usually consists of 4 steps:

1. Choose a concept or a topic to learn
2. Try to teach it to someone or yourself using simple language as if you were speaking to a toddler
3. Identify any gaps in your understanding
4. Review the concept and simplify

It seems extraordinarily straightforward and linear. You rapidly learn by explaining a concept like you’re talking to a child. Wow! What a method.

What I notice is that many students think that this is an instant solution to their studying problems. It’s not that simple. I’ll tell you why and how to use this technique the right way with these 2 points.

1. Studying HARD is still a must!

If you think using this method means you’re studying smart. Well, you’re right! But it does not mean you have to throw out the hard part. 

Without a doubt, to present a concept as concise and as simple as possible you need to learn it thoroughly. This means you still have to work hard to study. 

Don’t just scratch the surface of a concept and call it a day. You need to dig deeper and deeper.     

A doctor can explain why you’re having a stomachache in layman’s terms. How did he do it? Did he simply read a middle school book about the stomach? No! He spent his time in university and practiced learning thousands of terms you never heard of. All of that, to be able to explain his patients’ conditions in simple terms. If a doctor misses a detail it can change his diagnosis and can result in fatal consequences. 

Additionally, an engineer can present his complicated design to his toddler-brained investors using just 20 PowerPoint slides. Does it mean he studied engineering by watching a 2 hour YouTube video? No! He spent countless hours studying many engineering concepts and revising his design. A little miscalculation can cause serious problems. 

Because the devil is in the details. If you nail the details right then consequently you’ll be able to simplify the topic. It’s not the other way around. You need to lay the little bricks to build a big wall. There’s no shortcut to this. The simplifying step of the Feynman Technique is meant to cement the knowledge and the small details you’ve learned. It’s not telling you to only engage with the trivial parts of a topic. 

2. Fill in the gaps!

This is a key part of this technique, especially if you’re a college student. Using the Feynman Technique means constantly evaluating gaps and tiny missed details in your understanding. This is why it’s so efficient. Don’t be afraid to acknowledge your lack of understanding. It’s recommended to take notes while implementing the Feynman Technique even if you have a good memory. Jot down what you don’t understand and immediately learn it after. Use anything you’re comfortable with, whether it’s pen and paper or a Word document. 

Finally…

Keep it simple! 

Don’t overthink too much. Overthinking your methods only leads to wasting time. In the end, good learning or studying should result in a better understanding of something.

So let me summarize my recommended steps to implement the Feynman Technique:

1. Choose a topic
2. Have a simple overview of the topic
3. Proceed by thoroughly learning the small details of the topic
4. Teach yourself or someone using simple terms 
5. Identify the gaps in your understanding
6. Review the concept and simplify it to cement your knowledge