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How to Teach Yourself

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How to teach yourself anything.

Decide why, find what you don't know, and test yourself. Every claim links to its source.

Start with the techniques Plan what to learn

The method in five steps

Techniques

The techniques with the best evidence

Retrieval practice

Test yourself instead of re-reading.

Spaced repetition

Come back just before you forget.

Interleaving

Mix problem types once you know the basics.

Self-explanation and the Feynman technique

Deliberate practice

Work on what you're bad at, with feedback.

Frameworks

Frameworks for self-directed learning

Ultralearning

Nine principles for intense self-directed learning.

Why, what, how

Plan what to learn before you start.

Learning a field from first principles

From learning to great work

Paul Graham's four steps.

Drop one myth: learning styles.

Matching lessons to a "style" doesn't help. Here's what to measure instead.

Read the evidence