A Math GENIUS Taught Me How to LEARN ANYTHING in 3 Months (it's easy)
TL;DR
A self-described struggling maths student discovered a highly effective learning method through a chance encounter with a temporary teacher, allowing him to ace a 2-year A-level course in 3 months. The method — rooted in active problem-solving, targeted practice on weak areas, and self-testing — maps closely to the "ultralearning" framework described by Scott Young. ---
Key Concepts
Gap-fill learning
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Study by working through solved examples with parts of the solution hidden or removed, forcing active reconstruction rather than passive reading
Directness
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Practice the exact skill you want to improve — not adjacent or preparatory tasks
Ultralearning
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Scott Young's framework for aggressive, self-directed skill acquisition; the author condenses Young's 9 steps into 7
Feedback loop
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External evaluation of your work accelerates improvement significantly
Insight over answers
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Knowing why an answer is correct builds transferable intuition, not just rote knowledge
Notes
§The Origin Story
- At 17, failing A-level maths; teacher told him he'd be lucky to get a D
- A temporary teacher, Mr. Simpson, appeared and offered to help — twice a week, 30 minutes per session
- Mr. Simpson's method: handwritten problem sheets with parts of the solution deliberately missing — student fills in the gaps
- If stuck, write down a reasonable attempt and try anyway
- Between sessions: work through textbook examples by covering solutions and reconstructing them independently
- Within weeks, confidence grew enough to spot errors in Mr. Simpson's own sheets
- Progressed to self-selecting harder problems on unfamiliar topics
- Worked through thousands of problems across every textbook in the department
- Scored 99% on the mock exam — result was disqualified by Mr. Parkinson, who assumed cheating
- Went on to score top marks in the actual A-level; was banned from the maths department in the interim
- Mr. Simpson was temporary and disappeared; was never thanked
§The 7-Step Method
- Before diving in, research the best method for acquiring that specific skill
- Books and librarians are underrated resources; internet works but risks distraction
- Dedicate consistent, distraction-free time
- Scheduled sessions (e.g., twice a week) plus independent practice in between
- Libraries recommended as a reliable environment
- Practice the precise skill you want to develop, not related or preparatory tasks
- Mr. Simpson's sheets forced maths problem-solving from day one
- Identify weak topics early and spend the majority of effort there
- The temptation is to practice what you're already good at — resist it
- Analogy: musicians replay the polished sections instead of drilling the rough ones
- Self-testing doesn't just reveal gaps — it actively teaches
- The gap-fill worksheet method is a form of continuous self-testing
- Frequency matters: test as often as possible
- Hardest step for self-learners
- An evaluator who can assess your work and respond accelerates learning significantly
- "Find your Mr. Simpson" — a mentor, peer reviewer, or even a community
- Knowing the correct answer is insufficient
- Build intuition: why is this the solution? why does this method work?
- This produces transferable understanding, not fragile memorisation
Actionable Takeaways
- When studying from textbooks or worked examples, cover the solution and attempt it yourself before looking — then fill in only what you couldn't do
- Before starting any learning project, spend time researching the most effective method for that specific subject
- Audit your weak areas regularly and deliberately allocate more practice time to them, not to topics you already handle well
- Build a feedback mechanism into your study plan — a person, a community, or timed self-tests with scoring
- After arriving at any answer, ask "why is this right?" before moving on
Quotes Worth Keeping
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You learn maths by doing maths.
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Testing yourself doesn't just uncover what you don't know — it actually teaches you.
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It's not good enough just to know the answer. You've got to know why the answer's right.