What is Mari?

Named after the Mariana Trench– the deepest place on Earth – Mari is an approach towards deep learning built on one core idea:

 Don’t just understand ideas. Connect them.

Why focus on Connections?

Connections are the brain’s native language. Mari helps you learn through it.

In doing so, you can:

1. Retain Longer – Remember more. Relearn less.
2. Own Your Knowledge — Build. Create. Expand

The Mari Approach

Mari guides you to build your knowledge in the form of mental models, by following the Mari approach, you can go from:

linear learning —> verbal mind maps —> visual mind maps→ Mari maps

What is a Mari map?

A Mari map turns your ideas into an analogy and builds a visual story from it. 

It adds a dimension that is difficult to show using traditional mind maps – time.

Instead of being a static snapshot of concepts, a story unfolds, enabling you to replay the concepts in your head, making knowledge easier to retain and mobilize.

Still unsure of what the full Mari Approach is?

Don't worry. Like a complete course, each post builds on one another, taking you from your current level to the endpoint of the Mari approach!

Start here ->Stop memorizing facts one by one — build the Big Picture instead 

About the Author

I used to be a linear learner — someone who learnt ideas one at a time and relied heavily on rote memorization. 

For the three years leading up to the HKDSE (public exam system in Hong Kong), I would study 6-8 hours a day, a number that, in the months leading up to the exam, rose to 12+ hours a day. Yet over 75% of my study time went into endless Anki reviews and repetitive rereading.

In the end, I underperformed in the HKDSE. Worse, I was left burnt out and depressed. 

I decided to retake the HKDSE

I entered the year with one main goal: to completely relearn my approach to learning

And so I did. I spent the year testing and reflecting on different approaches to studying. I took ideas from YouTube content creators, stripped away the jargon, and isolated the first principle behind effective learning —"Don’t just understand ideas, CONNECT them”. 

From there, I began building a learning system designed around that first principle at every step. I named it Mari, short for the Mariana Trench— the deepest place on Earth and a metaphor for deep learning.

By sharing this approach, I hope to guide learners who struggle to retain knowledge, into effective learners who build knowledge that truly lasts.