Secret 8/59: Start Your Study with One Major Construct

E-Book: Crack Any Exam with E = MC²

You can go through the website by choosing your desired language

Please go through the INTRODUCTION first before proceeding further

Secret 8/59
Start Your Study with One Major Construct

 Download the detailed Mind Map of Secret 8

Start Your Study with One Major Construct

The text, an excerpt from Dr. Sujendra Prakash’s work, "Learning Through Major Constructs," provides a comprehensive argument that many student struggles stem from poorly structured learning methods rather than inherently difficult subject matter. The author introduces the concept of a "construct," defining it as a larger organizational structure like a house or the concept of Energy in Physics that is composed of many smaller concepts. Prakash explains that the failure of traditional study habits is that students often treat every topic, chapter, and formula as isolated pieces, which results in lost connections, shallow understanding, and quick memory loss. To counter this, the text outlines a practical four-step method for studying using constructs, which involves identifying the major theme and then systematically attaching all minor concepts to it. Ultimately, the methodology posits that by focusing on understanding the structural whole, students can easily accommodate new information, see relationships, and perform better on exams through flexible application rather than blind memorization.

Stop Memorizing: How to Learn Any Subject by Finding Its 'Major Construct'

The Frustration of Disconnected Facts

If you’ve ever studied for a complex subject, you know the feeling. You spend hours poring over textbooks, trying to absorb one chapter today, another tomorrow. You collect a mountain of formulas, definitions, and facts, but they feel like a random pile of bricks. When it’s time for an exam, you wonder why nothing connects and why you can't recall the information you spent so long trying to memorize.

This struggle leads many to believe that subjects like physics, medicine, or engineering are just inherently "confusing." But what if the problem isn’t the subject? What if it’s the way we’re trying to learn it?

The truth is, most subjects aren't confusing; they are just poorly structured in our minds. The good news is that a simple but powerful mental shift can organize this chaos, transforming a jumble of isolated facts into a clear, understandable framework.

You're Struggling Because You're Ignoring the Blueprint

The central problem, as identified by Dr. Sujendra Prakash, is that students often fail to see the larger structure of what they are learning. We focus so intensely on the individual pieces that we miss the blueprint that holds them all together.

Most students struggle with studying not because the subject is difficult, but because they don’t see the structure of what they are studying.

This idea is counter-intuitive because we are trained to master learning one topic at a time. We tackle Chapter 3, then Chapter 4, believing that mastery of the parts will lead to mastery of the whole. But this method is precisely what leads to shallow understanding and memory overload. Without a blueprint, you’re just collecting parts, not building knowledge.

Learn Like an Architect, Not a Collector

To overcome this, you need to think like an architect who builds a structure, not a collector who gathers items. The key is to find the "Construct", the larger structure made up of many smaller concepts.

Think of a house. A house isn't just a random assortment of materials. It’s made of a foundation, walls, a roof, doors, and windows. Each part has a purpose, but they only function as a "house" when assembled into a complete structure.

Or consider a chair. It has four legs, a seat, and a backrest. Can a leg alone function as a chair? No. Can the seat alone function as a chair? No. Only when all the parts are assembled does it become a functional whole. This idea reflects a fundamental principle from Gestalt psychology that applies not just to perception, but to all forms of learning:

The whole is always more than the sum of its parts.

A Single Construct Can Illuminate an Entire Subject

Once you identify a major construct, it can act as a powerful lens that brings an entire subject into focus. Take the concept of "Energy" in physics.

Many students study different forms of energy, heat, electrical, mechanical, chemical, as separate, unrelated chapters. They memorize one rule for electricity, another for heat, and another for radiation. This isolated approach inevitably leads to confusion and overload. They end up complaining, “Why do I have to remember so many rules?”

The problem is that they're missing the single, unifying construct that governs them all. In reality, it is the same rule applied to different situations. That rule is:

Energy is never created or destroyed. It only converts from one form to another.

When you grasp this one core principle, everything else falls into place. You stop seeing countless rules and start seeing the same rule applied in different contexts. Electrical energy converts to heat energy. Mechanical energy converts to electrical energy. Each sub-topic is no longer an island of information but simply another application of one fundamental idea.

How to Find the Constructs in Any Subject

So, how do you find these powerful constructs in the subject you're studying? This actionable 4-step method works for any field, from chemistry to engineering.

1. Identify the Major Construct Look at chapter headings, syllabus units, or broad themes. Major constructs are often big-picture ideas like Energy, Force, Systems, Structure, or a Process.
2. Identify Minor Constructs These are the subtopics or categories that fall under the major construct. If "Energy" is your major construct, the minor constructs would be heat energy, electrical energy, etc.
3. Attach Concepts to the Construct Take every individual formula, definition, and example you learn and ask, "Which construct does this belong to?" This forces you to connect the details to the bigger picture instead of letting them float in isolation.
4. Make a Mental Map Instead of just memorizing, actively create connections. See the relationships between concepts and track how they fit within the larger structure. This map becomes your guide to the subject.

This method is universally applicable. Here are a few examples of major constructs across different fields:

• Physics: Energy, Force, Motion, Fields
• Chemistry: Structure, Bonding, Reaction, Equilibrium
• Mathematics: Functions, Relationships, Transformations
• Medicine: Systems, Diagnosis, Pathology, Treatment
• Engineering: Design cycle, Systems, Constraints, Optimization

From Memorizing Details to Understanding the Structure

The key to deep, lasting learning is not a better memory, but a better method. It requires a fundamental shift from memorizing isolated facts to understanding the underlying structure that connects them. When you stop studying chapters and start identifying the major constructs, you build a mental framework where new information has a place to go.

This approach makes learning more efficient and exams less intimidating. You can apply concepts flexibly because you understand the core principles, not just the surface details. As Dr. Prakash concludes:

When you understand the structure, details fall into place automatically.

What is the single major construct in the topic you're learning right now, and how would focusing on it change your entire approach?

Secret 8/59: “Start Your Study with One Major Construct”

Most students struggle with studying, not because the subject is difficult,
but because they don’t see the structure of what they are studying.

They treat every chapter, every concept, and every topic as separate pieces,
and then wonder why nothing connects.

Secret 8 solves this problem.

---

What is a “Construct”?

A construct is a larger structure made up of many smaller concepts.

Think of a house.

A house is not a single unit.
It is made of:

• Foundation
• Walls
• Roof
• Doors
• Windows

Each part has value on its own, but only when they come together does the house function as a house.

The same applies to learning.

---

Why Studying Individual Concepts Fails

Students usually study like this:

• One chapter today
• Another chapter tomorrow
• One formula here
• One definition there

Everything is studied separately.

As a result:

• Connections are lost
• Concepts feel unrelated
• Memory becomes overloaded
• Understanding becomes shallow

This is why students feel that subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Medicine, or Engineering are “confusing”.

They are not confusing, but they are poorly structured in the learner’s mind.

---

Understanding Through Constructs: A Physics Example

Take Energy.

Energy is a major construct.

Under the construct “Energy”, we have:

• Heat energy
• Electrical energy
• Mechanical energy
• Chemical energy
• Electromagnetic energy

Students usually study these separately,
as if they are unrelated topics.

Then they are asked:

“Why is electricity different from energy?”
“Why does heat behave differently?”

But they forget one fundamental rule:

Energy is never created or destroyed.
It only converts from one form to another.

Once you understand this single construct,
everything else becomes easier.

Electricity can be converted into heat.
Heat can be converted into mechanical energy.
Mechanical energy can be converted into electrical energy.

If you understand the construct,
you will never lose track — no matter which form you study next.

---

Why Students Get Confused

Students get confused because they:

• Study each topic in isolation
• Memorize rules separately
• Learn formulas without seeing relationships

So they end up remembering:

• One rule for electricity
• One rule for heat
• One rule for radiation

And then complain:

“Why do I have to remember so many rules?”

But in reality,
it is the same rule applied to different situations.

---

The Chair Example (Why Parts Alone Don’t Work)

Think of a chair.

A chair has:

• Four legs
• A seat
• A backrest

Can a leg alone function as a chair?
No.

Can the seat alone function as a chair?
No.

Only when all parts come together does it become a functional whole

Similarly:

The whole is always more than the sum of its parts.

This is a fundamental Gestalt principle, not just in perception, but in all learning.

---

How to Study Using Constructs

Here is the method:

Step 1: Identify the Major Construct

• Use chapter headings
• Use syllabus units
• Use broad themes (Energy, Motion, Structure, Function, System, Process)

Step 2: Identify Minor Constructs

• Subtopics under each chapter
• Categories within the theme

Step 3: Attach Concepts to the Construct

• Every formula
• Every definition
• Every example

Ask:

“Which construct does this belong to?”

Step 4: Make a Mental Map

Instead of memorizing:

• Create connections
• See relationships
• Track conversions and applications

---

Why This Method Works Across All Subjects

This approach works everywhere:

Physics

Energy, Force, Motion, Fields

Chemistry

Structure, Bonding, Reaction, Equilibrium

Mathematics

Functions, Relationships, Transformations

Medicine

Systems, Diagnosis, Pathology, Treatment

Engineering

Design cycle, Systems, Constraints, Optimization

Once you know the construct,
you don’t panic when new information appears.

You simply ask:

“Where does this fit?”

---

Why Exams Become Easier

When you study through constructs:

• You don’t memorize blindly
• You don’t forget easily
• You don’t feel lost in exams
• You can apply concepts flexibly

Even if the examiner changes the question,
you are not disturbed because you understand the structure, not just the surface.

---

Final Message

Stop studying chapters.
Stop memorizing isolated facts.

Start by identifying one major construct.
Build everything around it.

When you understand the structure,
details fall into place automatically.

This is Secret 8 of the 59 Secrets to Studying.

Hindi Podcast

Kannada Podcast

List of 59 Secrets