It's not your fault...
Study gurus give you vague tips like "active recall and spaced repetition" for one of two reasons:
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They don't know how learning works.
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They profit from your confusion.
That's why you're drowning in Anki cards while the MCAT draws closer.
I'm not trying to confuse you. For instance, Here's the right way to do active recall: science-backed, specific, and free to read.
SAM (System for Academic Mastery) is my passion project. It makes several little-known principles of cognitive science work together seamlessly, compounding the overall efficiency dramatically.
If the numbers sound crazy: that's because they are. Read this: Triple your physics score without studying longer (really!)
SAM isn't a magic hack — it's actually harder than normal studying. It’s built on 100+ studies in cognitive science, and invariably: memory requires effort. The upshot is that you score higher and save hours every week. And you can enjoy them guilt-free because you earned them (wink).
SAM turns all the research into actionable steps: a combination of theory and practicality you can't find anywhere else.
This guide is designed to be consumed, not relied on: it's short, written in simple terms, and flexibly accommodates every subject. It'll still work seamlessly in your future med school courses.
Moira Katsap
"I learned more about learning from a $49 course than 3 years and $100,000 worth of college."
Braelyn Brozik
"[SAM] made Ochem feel like high school chem..."
Ethan Wise
"My roommate thought I was on adderall."
You don't want more, you want better
SAM condenses years of proven cognitive science into an simple two-hour framework serving all pre-med courses.
It's split by two parts: encoding (learning) and retrieval (studying).
Encode: Learn it right—save time later
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Build mental frameworks in advance
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Use deep processing strategies during lecture
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Take notes strategicialy
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Reduce confusion and review time
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Learn deeply the first time and never re-learn again
It's not rocket science.
The goal is simple: get the highest GPA in the least time. In a perfect world, we'd all learn for the sake of passion, but pre-meds need to score high.
At any moment, there’s one "best" thing to do—everything else has an opportunity cost. Just because a technique is “science-backed” doesn’t mean it’s useful.
That’s what makes this system different. It's designed solely to save you time. No fluff. No vague “mindset” advice. No hype about “motivation.” No drawn-out lectures on the “fundamentals.”Just a step-by-step walkthrough of what saves time, why it works, when to use it, and how to do it.
SAM isn't for everyone.
Every hour you spend studying with SAM feels like two, but delivers the results of twelve. If you're complacent taking it easy: rewatching lectures, rewriting notes etc. then by all means, do what makes you happy.
But SAM is built for us who want to reclaim our time and spend it doing what we love. Not to mention reduce academic stress. Increase self-efficacy. And of course, unlock med school. SAM helps you master all exams at once (including the MCAT!), the right way: not through cheap tricks, but through science-driven efficiency.