By Colby Kultgen

Build Your Own University Course, The Time Will Pass Anyway, and How to Remember Everything You Read

Read online / Read time: 4 minutes

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Hello friends!

Here is your weekly dose of 1% Better.

The newsletter where I share my 5 favorite ideas, lessons, and discoveries of the week.

Let's get right into it.

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1. A short essay that I found inspiring

There are two things I want to dig into here.

The first is already in the piece. The second is something I want to add.
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​1. The time’s going to pass either way.

I find this mindset helpful because it removes a lot of the built-in excuses. that come with starting something big. “This is going to take years” sounds like a good reason to stall, until you realize those years are coming either way.

2. The finish line is usually a smaller part of the reward than we think.

Anyone who has chased a big goal knows this feeling. You think the payoff is waiting at the finish line, but once you get there, you realize a lot of the reward was hidden in the process. And I think remembering that before you start makes the whole thing feel less scary. Because you’re not waiting three years for the payoff. The payoff starts as soon as you begin.

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2. An article I'm digging - How to create your own university course to teach yourself anything​

Most people run into the same problem when trying to learn something on their own.

A lack of structure.

You can be interested in a topic and still have no idea where to start, what to read first, how deep to go, or when you’re “done.”

This article offers a fun (and surprisingly) practical fix:

Build your own university course.

Here's how they lay it out:

1. Pick the topic. A deliberate choice means less friction later.
2. Set your "credit hours." Decide weekly hours and course length.
3. Write a syllabus. Name the course, state your goals, and assign yourself one research paper plus one book review or precís.
4. Find your material. Gather lectures, podcasts, and readings into a playlist or list before you start.
5. Schedule it. Block calendar times so you're not relying on motivation.
6. Take notes. Active-recall summaries after lectures, marginal notes in books.

The one thing I think that's missing here is accountability.

Announce publicly that you’re doing it, get a friend to do it with you, ask someone to read the assignments you complete, etc.

P.S. If you’re looking for ideas for your first course, I found this list super helpful: 200+ topics to study like a 17th-century scholar​

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3. A resource I bookmarked - How to remember everything you read​

Speaking of learning new things.

​This 6-page PDF is one of the most comprehensive guides I've ever come across when it comes to effective learning strategies.

Highly recommend bookmarking this one.

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4. A quote worth sitting with

This gem comes courtesy of author Candas Barnes:

No notes from me.

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5. Tweet of the week

😂

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A few more things I'm into this week:

🌎 Web-based game that blew my mind: Messenger​

📰 Article I thoroughly enjoyed: The Adults Don't Exist by George Mack​

📝 List I'm revisiting: 100 Tips for a Better Life

💭 Question that's keeping me up at night:

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​P.S. A new cohort of Archimedes is starting soon. It's the private community I run with Ben Meer and Jade Bonacolta for people serious about building and monetizing a personal brand. If that's you, apply here.

— Colby

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