Ultralearning
July 04, 2025
A book I’m reading now is called Ultralearning by Scott H. Young. It breaks down 9 core principles of ultra learners who are able to perform seemingly miraculous feats, like winning Scrabble competitions and learning multiple languages within a few months. Some key takeaways from the book, in addition to other materials[1] I am studying about learning:
Dive In
Learn by doing. This is the principle of direct learning. The practical experience gained by doing a thing you are trying to learn outweighs reading or watching videos about it.
Spaced Repetition
Spacing out materials as we study leads to higher retention rates and a greater chance of remembering what we learn. Systems like Anki make this easy and practical, but there are simpler systems like memorizing a list and trying to repeat it occasionally from recall.
Recall, Don’t Create
Notes are meant to be thrown away. They should be used to jot down what we can recall before diving into learning materials. Then they are scribbles that fill in the gaps of what we could not recall after we dive into the learning materials.
This learning journey is preparing me for 18 months of study at the Rolex Watchmaking Training Center. I will learn, alongside 26 others, the art and science of watchmaking in preparation to work at an Official Rolex Jeweler in 2027.
