A Math GENIUS Taught Me How to LEARN ANYTHING in 3 Months (it's easy)
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
| Concept | Definition |
|---|---|
| Gap-fill learning | Study by working through solved examples with parts of the solution hidden or removed, forcing active reconstruction rather than passive reading |
| Directness | Practice the exact skill you want to improve — not adjacent or preparatory tasks |
| Ultralearning | Scott Young's framework for aggressive, self-directed skill acquisition; the author condenses Young's 9 steps into 7 |
| Feedback loop | External evaluation of your work accelerates improvement significantly |
| Insight over answers | 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
You learn maths by doing maths.
Testing yourself doesn't just uncover what you don't know — it actually teaches you.
It's not good enough just to know the answer. You've got to know why the answer's right.