have you ever read a whole textbook chapter only to realize you can remember a thing? It's definitely not a nice feeling, especially when there's a big exam coming up. But what if I told you there's a way to absorb everything you read like a sponge, a way to kind of turn even the driest textbook into unforgettable knowledge, at least somewhat permanently, stored in your memory. So I've taught tens of thousands of students how to achieve higher grades; many of them get into Ivy League schools like Harvard, Stanford, Cambridge, and Oxford. And in this video, I will show you a five-step Speed Learning System that can help you become an A+ student within around 30 to 60 days. This video is sponsored by Keeper Security. But first, you need to understand why active recall is so powerful. Research shows that after passively reading something, we forget a whopping 50% of it in just the first 20 minutes. It's kind of like trying to fill up a bucket that has a bunch of holes in.

the bottom, and you keep pouring in water or information, but it just keeps leaking out. Passive reading is exactly like that leaky bucket, but there's a way to patch those holes and actually remember what you read. But why is active recall so powerful? You see, when you passively read, the information just goes into your short-term memory. It's kind of like recognizing someone's face. But when you actively test yourself, you force your brain to pull that information out of your long-term memory. It's kind of like remembering the name the next day, and that harder retrieval is what makes the memory stick. So in the rest of this video, I'm going to show you a dead simple active recall technique that plugs those holes and turns you into a memory machine. Step one: mapping the terrain. Okay, so do you know that feeling of being lost in a new place without a map? And that's exactly what diving into a new book or chapter can feel like when you don't take time to survey it first. So think about it, you wouldn't set off

on a hike in the mountains without looking at the trail map first, right? And it's the same with reading, surveying the text before you dig in is like giving your brain a GPS for the journey ahead. Here's a better way to do it: flip through the chapter and skim the title, the section headings, the images, the publication dates, the intros, and conclusions to kind of get the gist of it. And then you look at any kind of bolded terms and summary boxes, and in just a minute or two, you'll build a mental map of the key topics and how they fit together. Surveying is incredibly powerful, so scientists have found that students who survey a chapter just once remembered more than those who reread the whole thing four times. So why is surveying so powerful? It kind of primes your mind to latch onto the important ideas and slot the details into a clear outline. With a mental map, your brain can focus on deeply understanding the concept instead of trying to untangle how it's organized. So next time before you read another

chapter just take 2 3 minutes to survey the page first and look over the headings and visuals. And then quickly skim the intro and conclusion. And you'll notice how much easier it is to go through the text and connect the ideas. Step two hunting for Treasure. Now you know all those times when you're reading and your eyes glaze over the endless details tangents and parts that just don't seem to match matter. But what if there was a way to cut through the noise and lock onto the keys. So that's where reading with questions comes in. See when you approach a text with genuine curiosity your attention becomes like a laser kind of ready to pierce through fluff and hunt for the real gold. But not all questions are the same. As you read avoid surface level questions and think about deeper questions like have I seen this before. What are the key elements of this text or why did the author use this specific word. Grade questions are like a treasure map for your mind. They give your brain a mission if you like. And the

clues to hunt for as you read your book's chapters, meaning that you're not just passively reading, but you're actively engaged. So here's what to do: after surveying the text in the previous step, immediately write down three to four deep questions that come to mind. And then as you read, let those questions be your guide. Step three: downloading knowledge at will. All right, so you've surveyed the chapter and locked in your guiding questions. Now is time for the main event: downloading all of that knowledge at will. So I'll explain how to do this, running through an example. Say you're reading a dense chapter on quantum physics, and you've written down a question of how do Quantum entanglements work. As I previously mentioned, when you read, your questions are your flashlight, so revealing all the kind of related details in the text. Any related points you hit should be highlighted, and then from these, see if you can write down an answer to your question. And once you can, you've literally absorbed the information.

your brain is like a super computer with three key memory functions. You have record, you have retain, and you have retrieve. Actively reading by making annotations and associations is kind of like hitting the save button on your word document every few minutes. You're saving that knowledge deep into your long-term memory. And when you read your next chapter, just remember, instead of passively skimming, you should be on a mission to absorb everything. Every insight you highlight and question you answer will be a nugget of wisdom you get to download for longer. Now, speaking of downloading and storing valuable information, let me take a moment to talk about keeping all that knowledge secure. The same ease with which we flick through our feeds should apply to protecting them. And that's where Keeper Security comes in. It's not just any password manager, it's the most secure, certified, tested, and audited one out there. Probably why it has over 230,000 five-star ratings. So, I use Keeper Security across all of my devices. And with it, logging into any account is a

breeze. No need to remember every single password. Keeper does that for me, and in just seconds. It's more though than just passwords. Keeper saves you all of that time, but it's not just passwords that he saves. It also saves credit card information, ID, or even personal or private documents, journals that you want to keep super safe. Then you can store all of these in your super secure keeper security. Now if you're the type to use one password everywhere, please don't. Um, I learned the hard way when my go-to password was compromised back in 2012, 2013, leaving all of my accounts exposed. That's not fun. So, Keeper Security will help you keep your online life just as optimized and secure. So check out Keeper Security for yourself. You can get 50% off personal and family plans with code Mike D. Link in the description below. All right, so now that we know how to safeguard our hard-earned knowledge, let's move on to the next point in the smart learning process. Step four: cementing the learning. So now you've

read your book chapters and downloaded the knowledge, but if you want to submit all that knowledge, there's one more step. Back in school, I discovered the power of recitation the hard way. So, I was struggling in a tough class, barely scraping by on the exams. But then I started a new habit. After each reading assignment, I would close the book and recite the key points out loud from memory. At first, it was hard. I could barely remember a thing. But the more I practiced, the more the ideas started to stick. On the next exam, I smashed it. While my classmates were anxiously flipping through their notes, I was calmly writing out the answers from memory. Recitation has really improved my testing ability. But why is recitation so powerful? Well, it all comes down to active recall. Right when you force yourself to retrieve information from memory, you're strengthening the neural pathways that store that knowledge. It's kind of like doing reps for your brain. The more you flex those memory muscles, the stronger you get. In fact

research shows that recitation can boost your long-term retention by up to 50% compared to just rereading it. So, here's how you can put this into practice: after each section you read, pause and recite the main ideas out loud. If you can summarize the key points from memory, you know you've really absorbed the material. But if not, that's okay. Just review that section again and recite it until it sticks. And if you want to take your attention to the next level, try explaining the concepts to someone else as if you were teaching it. This is called thean technique, and it's a powerful way to pressure test your understanding. If you can teach it clearly, you've truly mastered it. To make recitation a habit, I recommend starting small. After your next reading session, take just 30 seconds to recite the main points. The next day, try a full minute. And then the next day, try 2 minutes. And you gradually grow that muscle. Now, if you really want to take your learning to the next level and cement

your knowledge like never before. There's one more thing you can do. In fact, mastering techniques like active recitation is one of the key things I teach in my Transformer grades course. It's the exact system I use to go from barely passing to graduating the top of my class, and I've now taught to over 30,000 students who have seen their grades improve as well. So if you're serious about absorbing everything you learn and unlocking your full academic potential, you've got to check it out. Plus, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so there are no risks. Just click the link in the description to learn more and enroll now. Step five: building your knowledge Bank. Okay, so I want you to picture this. You've just finished all the previous steps and absorbed your textbooks. You're convinced you'll remember every detail. But fast forward a week, and those key takeaways are already getting fuzzy. Sounds familiar, right? The thing is, our brains are wired to forget, and it's due to a phenomenon called the forgetting curve.

but there's a way to beat the curve and lock in those insights for the long haul, and it's called a knowledge bank. The knowledge bank is simply just a fancy term for somewhere to store all the key insights for everything you read. It could be a note-taking app like Evernote, a document on your computer, or even a physical notebook, but for me, I use Notion. But the format doesn't particularly matter; what matters is that you're constantly capturing your new findings. And here's how it works: Whenever you come across a game-changing idea, a crucial passage, or a concept that just clicks, record it in your knowledge bank. But don't just copy and paste it; put it in your own words. This act of processing helps drive it deeper into your memory. Number two is include the source and any relevant tags or categories, and this will make it easier to find and connect related ideas later. And step three, set a repeating reminder to review your knowledge bank every week. And this is where the kind of magic happens. Each time you revisit an insight

you're strengthening the neural pathways that start. It's kind of like doing bicep curls for your memory. And number four during your review, make a moment to reflect on each insight. How does it connect to other things you've learned? How could you apply it in your life? These kinds of reflections create additional hooks for your brain to latch onto. And the more you review, the more you'll absorb these insights. So you're not just kind of memorizing, you're now kind of building a web of connected knowledge that you can draw upon when needed. And best of all, it doesn't take that much. Even just 10 minutes of reviewing your week can produce incredible results. So try setting up your knowledge bank today and schedule your first weekly review. So you can start small with this fstep system and you'll be able to absorb and apply everything you read. But you want to make sure that you're not making study mistakes and wasting energy. So check out this video to improve your grades even more. And do check out this video sponsor.

keeper security. Link in the description below.

How to Absorb EVERYTHING You Read (how the top 1% do it)

Mike Dee educates millions of people around the world on productivity hacks, overcoming procrastination, speed learning strategies, and workflow optimising tools and systems to ultimately live a more productive and happier life.
