The plan behind the story · Every day in the emergency room, Dr Carl Allamby is back in his auto shop
Six weeks to find out whether a subject is yours
By the end of six weeks you will have studied one subject properly, tested yourself on it and decided, on evidence, whether to take it further. If you already study, the same six weeks get you enrolled on an assessed course with a working revision routine.
Why this works
Carl Allamby did not decide to become a doctor and then go looking for a course. He took one biology module because his business degree made him, and found out in the room. The cheapest way to test a large ambition is a small, real piece of it.
The plan also uses the two study methods that came top in a 2013 review of ten techniques by John Dunlosky and colleagues at Kent State University: practice testing (making yourself recall the material without looking) and distributed practice (spreading study over weeks instead of cramming). Rereading and highlighting came bottom. Most adults returning to study default to rereading, find little sticks, and conclude the problem is their memory. Usually it is the method.
Allamby’s own account adds a third ingredient: undivided attention. He told NPR that in class he could “focus 100% on the lessons being taught”. A short session with the phone in another room beats a long one with it on the desk.
Before you start
- Choose the subject you have been circling, not the sensible one. Curiosity is what gets you to week 6.
- Find a free or cheap taster. In the UK, the Open University and FutureLearn offer free short courses, and u3a groups run subject classes. In the US, try your community college’s non-credit catalogue or Coursera. Our going back to study guide lists the options and the funding.
- Kit: a notebook, a pen, a timer. A pack of index cards if you like flashcards.
- A fixed slot. Pick the time of day you are sharpest and protect it.
- Tell someone. Allamby says the people around you are what keep you going when you want to stop.
The plan
| Week | Do this | How often | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (new to study) | Start one free introductory course. Study for 25 minutes, then close everything and write down what you remember. | 3 sessions | The writing-down is the study. Do not skip it. |
| 1 (already studying) | Write out the entry requirements for the qualification you want. Start the first prerequisite, or a past paper in it. | 4 sessions of 45 minutes | A list with dates beside it is a plan. |
| 2 (new to study) | Begin each session with five questions on the last one, answered from memory. Then new material. | 3 sessions of 30 minutes | Getting some wrong is how it works. |
| 2 (already studying) | Build a question bank: ten questions per session, written at the end. Open the next session with them. | 5 sessions of 45 minutes | Closed book for the first 10 minutes, always. |
| 3 (new to study) | Explain one idea from the course aloud to a friend, or to the kitchen. | 3 sessions, plus the explaining | Where you stumble is what to revisit. |
| 3 (already studying) | Enrol on an assessed course: an Open University module, a community college class or a certificate with an exam. | 5 sessions | Paying a fee and having a deadline changes your behaviour. |
| 4 (new to study) | Go back to week 1’s material and test yourself on it cold. Then carry on. | 4 sessions of 30 minutes | This is distributed practice. Expect gaps; fill them. |
| 4 (already studying) | Sit one timed past paper or end-of-unit test under exam conditions. Mark it honestly. | 5 sessions, 1 timed test | Sort mistakes into “did not know” and “knew but fumbled”. |
| 5 (new to study) | Go to something in person: a lecture, an open day, a u3a group, a museum talk in your subject. | 3 sessions, 1 outing | Meeting other learners makes it real. |
| 5 (already studying) | Speak to an admissions tutor or someone doing the job you are aiming at. Ask what they wish they had known. | 5 sessions, 1 conversation | Allamby’s path ran through three colleges. Ask about routes. |
| 6 (both) | Test yourself on everything from week 1. Then decide: stop, carry on at this level, or enrol on the next course. Write the decision down. | 3–5 sessions | Stopping is a fair result. You tested it properly. |
If it goes wrong
- You are bored by week 2. Change the course before you change the subject. A dull teacher is not a dull field.
- Nothing sticks. Shorten the session and lengthen the self-test. Sleep on it and test again in the morning.
- You feel out of place. Allamby told NPR that being older in class carries “some internal stigma”, and that his answer was to get used to discomfort. Most classes for adults are full of people who feel the same.
- You miss a week. Start the next session with a quiz on the last thing you did. You will have kept more than you think.
- The qualification looks impossibly long. His took about a decade, one course at a time. Look only at the next prerequisite.
Track it
| Measure | Start (week 1) | End (week 6) |
|---|---|---|
| Study sessions completed (count) | ||
| Score on your opening quiz (out of 5 or 10) | ||
| Score on week 1 material, tested cold | ||
| Minutes of undistracted study per session | ||
| People who know what you are studying (count) | ||
| How much you want to carry on (1–10) |
What next
- New to study? Take the next course up, and this time choose one with an assessment. Already studying? Map the whole route to your qualification, with a cost and a date for each stage.
- Find a study partner. Testing each other is practice testing with company.
- Sharp: 8 weeks to a learning habit builds the daily routine around these methods.
- Read five memory techniques that work and, if the course leads to a change of job, returning to work after a career break.
General information, not medical advice. Check with your GP before starting a new exercise programme.