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Learning is a hobby, and every hobby needs good tools.
They’re not a crutch.
They’re not an excuse.
They’re not downstream from mindless consumerism.
Good tools should ENHANCE your work and not distract from it.
In this list, I have filtered through all the pointless crap I have bought over the years and shared the items that PROVED themselves to me.
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@TheBioneer (Video in b-roll footage)
TIMESTAMPS
00:00-00:40 Tools Matter
00:40-4:30 Desks – Back health and comfortable work
4:30-5:59 Alarms – Why smart features suck
5:59-7:14 Book stand – Smooth note-taking
7:14-8:26 Desk organizer – Declutter for a clear mind
8:26-9:35 Pens and paper – Keep them everywhere
9:35-11:45 Second monitor – Instant breathing room
11:45-12:30 Laptop stand – Cheaper alternative
12:30-15:09 Whiteboard – Write, plan and visualize
15:09-15:59 What do you suggest?
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Experience a new way to learn with Imprint. Visit https://imprintapp.com/Odysseas to get a 7-day free trial and 20% off an annual subscription.
Man, the whole dull knife in the kitchen argument is so incorrect. i love sharp knifes, i own sharp knifes, i keep my sharp knifes ultra sharp. Never seen anyone hurt themself with a dull one, but oh boy, the amount of cuts stemming from my sharp knifes that people receive …. and not just "unskilled" persons, i sometimes cut myself, because i am a dummy, i generally know how to handle a sharp knife correct, but with a dull knife you just grab em by the handle
please make a video about keeping motivation and organizing my studies as a self study of different topics
as one who is constantly writing and using a keyboard: use a ortho split keyboard. 3 days and all my neck pain went away. i personally use the glove 80
Man, your learning tipps are sure not the best ^^ rewatching and rereading have shown to be the worst strategies in existence and if it was effective for you it is most definitely because of another factor that you dont have in mind, but that helps you dramatically with going through the material in this way. The whiteboard one on the other hand is actually quite useful, using some free recall as well as mindmapping always will be super helpful, and if you are very used to it you are likely doing it even when just reading, but in your head 🙂
Very good insight in the video and i like the style a lot. 🙂
That thumbnail is truly a dream aesthetic bud, great job.
I'd add good controllable lighting and noise cancelling headphones to the list. These two editions have been game changers for me!
Best thing I ever did was get an automatic duplex printer in order to print books, so I don't have to read them on screens. All I do is download the pdf from libgen or anna's archive, print the book in booklet form, bind the spine with pva glue and that's it.
Great video, thank you as always! I just always feel a bit shocked about the "avoid phone addiction" by having to buy extra stuff. Maybe because I can turn off my alarm put down the phone and go have my morning, without getting stuck on apps or scrolling. But maybe I'm underestimating the power of the already developed addiction behaviour.
Great advice all around. I use them all except the white board (so far). I also have a “fully” standup desk & can’t recommend them highly enough.
Recently I got an extra large full desk mouse pad. It seems to help me focus and also helps my desk stay organized while in use. I recommend a solid color to minimize distraction. But as you say, everyone has different preferences for their work space.
If you work with lifting/recopying texts from books onto Scrivner, or any word-processing software, buy Scanmarker Air, or any similar line-by-line scanning device.
I recently went back to writing with a fountain pen and honestly I'm loving it. I got a very narrow nib so I can write small notes on academic papers I print off for my research and it just seems to add more intentionality to my work. Also a bonus was it was only £5 Preppy I think was the brand .
Thanks for the continuous update! I am super excited about how I got retired earning more income and stop depending on the government. My family are happy once again and I can now afford anything for my family even with my Retirement. With a step of $30k and getting $13k weekly returns has been life changing, after so much struggles.
While I totally agree with the large monitor point (the amount of time i've strained through law cases on my laptop), I find the laptop alone is useful for when I need to avoid distractions. It's far harder to multitask when you don't have access to extra space.
My favourite item has been the hipster PDA, a.k.a. a bunch of cue cards with a bulldog clip. Fits in a pocket, purse or wallet; it's not expensive but it's sturdy, so you never feel bad about ruining some, and always have them on hand.
Second monitor is mandatory. 4k tt
Vs are $400. Split keyboard with tilt is your next big eye opener.
35” curved wide monitor – so much more productive, it lets you breathe.
I now use three screens, and that was a game changer… especially for research and writing pubs… one screen has all the browser stuff, webpages, etc… the center is writing, and the right is pdfs and other docs that I need to have access to and open. That made things even easier, less clicking and searching for the window you want up front. It’s become like a digital desk—with an area for stuff I may need to go back to, ref lists to just have open, just made things somehow exponentially easier than just two.
Separating tools from the smartphone is a good strategy. You’re absolutely right; devices are not neutral tools—they shape behaviors. The smartphone, in particular, leads us to waste a lot of time. I leave mine in another room while I study and work. I also use an old laptop (with Linux) for writing and studying.
Really good suggestions! In addition to a good desk I’d also recommend a good chair for all the same reasons, I’m still looking for one myself haha, but it’s super important for posture. I really like the standing desk idea, we have the adjustable ones like that on campus and they’re great to use.
The desk organizer is a good idea, but I'll go one better: those cheap plastic Chinese food containers you get at the dollar store (or grocery stores have them now). It's like a junk drawer on top of your desk where you can throw all kinds of random do-dads that might not fit into a formal organizer. I throw notepads, pens, thumb drives, SD cards (in case), and any number of adaptors and dongles into it.
They're also great for general organizing – – it's the perfect size to hold a specific kind of usb cord (or chargers) or little hobby bits or fancy pens and pencils for art or anything else. They stack pretty well on shelves and fit in drawers easily.
Solid List – you captured some of my absolute favourites: whiteboard, bookstand, standing desk… really all of your suggestions. To answer your question – I would add a dedicated timer (for pomodoros if you use the technique), some stationary choices (you have them in your organizer: coloured pens, flags), etc. Basically, just simple variations on your excellent choices.
Man stop it. I am trying to stop using my credit card. You're gonna make me use it again 😂.
Jokes aside, great video. I 100% relate with whatever you said here.
consistently well thought out & valuable content
ty
Enriching video as always!
Few notes, as a programmer and a content creator:
1. I have spent more money on my electrical standing desk than on my computer, and I would 100% do it again.
Like you said – the health of your back is priceless.
2. I find that the vertical distance between the keyboard and the screen is critical when in comes to posture.
The only thing that helped me with neck, shoulders and upper back pain was raising the screens on top of stacks of unused books or copy paper.
seems like while your screen is much higher than a laptop, is still not actually at eye level when you sit straight.
3. Buy actual office supply.
I'm actually ashamed of the amount of time and effort I've spent, only because I never bought simple stuff like a fair pair of scissors, precision knife, super glue, a ruler, a nice pen, a marker.
Sure, you can improvise, but there's nothing like the right tool for the right job.
Oh and also – I have 2 monitors + the laptop screen, and I've seen people with 3 and even 4 monitors, but never have I seen a person with too many screens to their computer.
You can't understand this bandwidth upgrade unless you've experienced it.
Excellent video. I have a standing desk – I agree, it’s the best desk I have ever had, and the laptop stand. I think they’ve both been very helpful in my office. I stick a notebook and pen in my back pocket, saves me putting loads around the house:) excellent video, clear, concise with great audio. Thank you!
Here's my thoughts on your recommendations. In a reply to this comment I'll also leave my own recommendation:
1. Desk. YES, 1000%! I did have a huge desk and it was good, but now I have one that's adjustable in height and it's revolutionized my work. It's easier to "get to work" as you just have to walk up to it. I was surprised that I almost never adjust it back down to a sitting height.
2. Alarm. I was holding off of this as I've got my smart lights hooked up to the alarm on my phone: I wake up every morning to a simulated sunrise. And because my wake-up time is a bit inconsistent I can't set it to one specific time. But you've convinced me and I've ordered a simple alarm and will try to get my sleep cycle more consistent.
3. Book stand. Because my notes end up in Obsidian I also start by taking them on my phone. Or I use the Kindle's "annotations" feature. So there's never need to move notes from a book to my PC. But this is so cheap, I threw one in with my order. Maybe it'll prove useful after all.
4. Desk organizer. My stuff is put away in drawers, my desk is clean.
5. Pens and paper. I just use my phone as I've got that on me all the time. With paper I'd be worried that I'd forget to check my notebooks without collecting the notes into Obsidian. I do have one notebook on my nightstand though, for any late night thoughts in bed.
6. Second monitor. Duh! I've got 3.
7. Laptop stand. Yes. I've got a PC, so I'm reading this as premium mounts for monitors. Don't use the tiny plastic ones that come with them; You'll ruin your neck.
8. Whiteboard. I've got an A4 LCD writing tablet, but I've only used it for some mindless doodling, never serious planning or work. I guess I'm not really the type.
Book recommendation video when ????????????????????????????????????????????
Consider getting a larger water bottle to keep nearby while you work. It helps you stay hydrated without disrupting your focus by needing to get up for water. Since people are more likely to use things that are within easy reach, it’s a double win.
I love how your content goes straight to the point.
Consider getting a larger water bottle to keep nearby while you work. It helps you stay hydrated without disrupting your focus by needing to get up for water. Since people are more likely to use things that are within easy reach, it’s a double win.
If you think thats expensive. You should see the price of my wifes computer chair lol😅
I have a keyboard holder that goes under the standing desk and can slide out. And i would recommend a herman miller chair. But if you yhink your desk is expensive, nevermind lol. But you also can clget a scratch and dent chair for much cheaprr
maybe a bit off-topic but i bought a sleeping mask for better sleep -> more energy -> better learning
Thanks for this video. You have inspired me to look into ways to clean and organize my space.
I spot a bioneer video playing, I know its the right channel to sub.
Do you do apply that learning to stay in shape your getting a little round on the edges
My most important investments:
1. Tiny, tiny notebook. Like, the size of an iPhone 5 or 6. People have found so many different great uses for this that you should just get one even if you don't know what you'll use it for. I use it for my daily To-Do list: the pages are so small that it's impossible to overfill or clutter the page if you're just writing a checklist of the most important tasks of the day. You probably don't want to put down any major time-commitment habits here, since this will probably clutter the list and make it feel less meaningful:
DO Write: – Challenge Insurance Claim – Brush the dog's hair – Email professor
DON'T Write: – 2 hours guitar pratice – 2 hours singing practice – 25 minutes on Duolingo . . . if you're like me, you have so many aspirational goals like this and you don't want to write these down again every day.
Swallow the frog in the morning on the things you need to do, then spend the afternoon on big ticket practices. Those can be on a separate list. Computers are good for stuff like that, but I find that writing a checklist is better for fleeting tasks.
I used to put this type of list on a whiteboard, but I wanted to be able to do work anywhere on college campus, not just my room.
2. As mentioned elsewhere here, Water. 32oz. If you're working around computers like most of us, get one that won't destroy your livelihood if you spill it. I have the CamelBak 32oz Chute Mag which has a magnetic cap. You know it's right for working around electronics because Sweetwater, a music equipment dealer, has this on their website with their logo on it. A company as (seemingly) conscientious as that wouldn't sell sound engineers spill-able bottles. If anyone else working with electronics (like sound equipment) has any better water bottle recommendations, drop them below. Also make sure to wash it regularly, though, as mold can grow inside the cap.
3. More local digital storage. I picked up my M1 MacBook Air with 512GB of internal storage, and I have a 2TB external SSD to offload to. The number of times I've seen friends with the exact some model computer but with less storage waste time or put things off because they don't have enough storage space to start working on something, or maybe because their computer is going really slow, is sad. Apple's internal storage upgrades are exorbitant, but if you can afford 512GB of internal storage, and can squeeze an external HDD into your budget for offloading, you will save so much time and stress. I also recommend getting a NAS (basically a cloud run from home), which I'm saving up for, as I don't like putting my files on someone else's computer. But at the very least do not buy a computer with 256GB of storage and call it a day, that might ruin you.
4. If your smartphone is doing you more harm than good, drop it. Replace it with a cheap flip phone like the Nokia 2780 Flip, which has some limited smart features. You don't need a designer dumbphone. The modern smartphone is a thought deletion device (which I believe is a term the writer Ted Gioia coined). Smartphones offload away plenty of thinking power we should be exercising. I'm not against computers obviously, but I don't want a supercomputer in my pocket designed to mine my existence for ads. And all of the things that smartphones replace, while it's nice to have them all in one package, don't slow down over time. The camcorder my parents bought me ten years ago as a Christmas present sucks by today's standards, but it doesn't suck any more than it did in 2014. I did have to replace the battery, but that's to be expected, and it was cheap to replace. *Your spirit will be so much more free once you realize that YOU DON'T NEED a smartphone.
5. Good pens. I'm not talking about the over-engineered $50 Japanese ones. But if you go to your local art supply store, they might have something about $7 each that will be so much nicer than the cheap ones at the store everyone buys. Using a GOOD pen feels so liberating.
6. From my Dad: A REAL surge protector, not just a power strip. A very long time ago he lost a lot of writing work because a power surge fried his computer. While backing up properly can mitigate this, that won't protect the computer itself. Wish I had the money to not worry about power surges . . .🙃
I immediately bought a book stand after watching this and you've honestly revolutionized the way I study. I'm obsessssssed with it.
Nice approach. I'd recommend the small "Field Notes" x3 pack for note taking. I use a 37 in. wide curved monitor for my laptop, which sits on a stand on the side. A nice mechanical lighted keyboard is a must for me.