Are you struggling with learning school material? You might be given tips such as “Make flashcards,” “Listen to some classical music,” or “Ask Google.” But to some this may still be boring! So get into some role playing to spice up your study! The best part: this is actually an effective method to memorise information, proven by science.
''If you want to understand something well, try to explain it simply.”
Richard Feynman - Nobel-prize-winning physicist
If you are pretending to be a teacher, then you will take steps to narrow in on the most important points in what can seem like an overwhelming amount of information.
Step 1: Watch YouTube videos...and observe YouTubers
YouTubers What's your favourite youtube channel? Have you ever noticed how they talk to a general audience with so much ease? If not, watch some educational videos on any topic. Pay attention to how youtubers explain sometimes difficult concepts in a way to make a beginner understand. They explain their material clearly and concisely in a short amount of time.
Don't know what youtube channels to start with? Here are some channels to get you started:
Step 2: Master the art of summarisation
Summarization is a powerful tool YouTubers use. Imagine that they had to explain a topic, and read a whole book. Their videos would last hours and frankly, nobody would watch, like and subscribe! That's why informational videos are often a 5-minute summary of a topic. Yet, they manage to compress a wealth of valuable information into a 5-minute video.
Summarisation is a tool you can use in your studies too. It can improve your reading comprehension, and it gives you an opportunity to make important connections you may not have seen before. After a lesson, lecture, meeting, or reading session, see if you can explain out loud what you just learned as if you were a YouTuber. It will feel a bit silly at first, but you’ll get over that when you experience the benefits for yourself.
Step 3: Copy your favourite YouTubers
What feature of your favourite youtube strikes you the most? Their confidence? Humour? Simplicity?
Pretend you are a (quite famous) YouTuber (with millions of subscribers!) and explain the tricky topics in your books as if you were talking to a real audience! Don’t worry if, at the end of their lesson, you say, “Don’t forget to click and subscribe!