How to Learn at Harvard: Guide to Learning Effectively

Introduction

Learning is important. As a student, this is obvious. You want to obtain good grades in order to get a better job. However, it is also important after you graduate. New skills acquired will open you to infinite possibilities that you never dreamt of. Learning doesn't stop when you graduate. It becomes a life long mission. But how can we learn effectively. According to BetterU, here are the six principles that Harvard uses for learning.

At Harvard, there is a class call expose 20: a class where you are force to write a summary of what you learn and present it to the lecturer. The lecturer grades it based on clarity and reasoning.
The purpose of this class is to help you understand the material after you learn it. If you cannot write about the topic in an understandable, clear and concise manner, then you don't fully understand the material. It expose you to gaps of misunderstandings or any concepts that you didn't grasped.

This is about creating a suitable environment for you to learn. In Harvard, students live in their dorms with dining halls, libraries, music rooms surrounded by professors and other students. Some of the classes are taught inside the dorm. What happens is as a student, you start having constructive conversations and arguments about the material you're studying all day long. Overtime, this becomes a normality.
The idea is that if you are surrounded by serious learners, then you will eventually become a serious learner. On the contrary, if you are surrounded by scrollers, then you will become a scrollers. Therefore, put yourself in a suitable environment: an environment surrounded by people who you want to become.

At Harvard, a full week of reading period is implemented into student timetable. The purpose of a reading period is to encourage students to connect the dots of all the materials they learn. By doing this, the understanding deepens.
You can memorize every page from a text book, recite everything the lecturer says and never understood it. By connecting everything you learn together, you understand it better.

Harvard divides the study session into two sessions: a lecture and a section. A lecture is when you are listening to a lecturer, leaning new materials. A section follows up be having an open discussion among a group of classmates.
By writing to think, you are able to fill all the gaps you're missing. Through a section, you are able to identify any misunderstandings. Various people around you give constructive feedbacks and point you in the right direction.

The knowledge we usually acquired is known as inert knowledge. It is like some furnitures in our house. Pretty to look at but never used it.
Once you learn something, apply it to real life situations where the answer isn't straight forward. For example, if you learn about medical science, try treating a patient with your knowledge. If you learn about negotiating, try negotiating in real life.
Doing this not only deepens your understanding of the topic, but also broaden your knowledge and perspectives. On the contrary, if you learn something and choose not to use it, then you eventually lose it.

At Harvard, there are participation marks that contributes to the final grade. For most courses, it is worth 20% while for other courses such as businesses, it is worth up to 50%. Participation marks grade you based on how well you participate in class. How well can you answer questions in the classroom.
The purpose of participation marks is to stop passive learning and encourages active learning. Passive learning allows your brain to recognize the knowledge while active learning allows you to understand the knowledge.

BetterU (April, 10, 2026), Why Harvard Students Learn Faster Than Everyone (It's Almost Unfair), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC1F6XVNyjo&t=36s