How to learn better

Learning is a fundamental experience all human beings go through. We are superior to our counterparts on planet earth because of our enhanced ability to learn information and then use that knowledge to thrive as a species. Whether it’s studying for an exam or learning how to play chess, the individuals who excel in our world are usually the ones who can absorb knowledge better. Today’s article is regarding the different tools and techniques you can adopt to enrich your learning process.

Initial Preparation

Whether we are heading for a road trip or a picnic, we tend to prepare ourselves and take necessary items along. Abraham Lincoln once famously said that if he had 6 hours to chop down a tree, he would consume 4 hours sharpening the ax. No matter what material or skill we are trying to learn, an optimal environment will enhance our learning process drastically. Sitting in a well-lit room with some plants and a window that allows fresh air will make you feel nonchalant. Removing diversions and avoiding studying spots like the T.V. lounge can also help. Our brain acquires knowledge better when it’s focused on a specific assignment without intrusions. Study spots like the library are great too since it motivates you and gives you a great environment.

Fixing the weak spots 

While acquiring knowledge, we tend to find particular topics hard to grasp or simply unlikeable at times. Our disgust for that topic leads us to neglect the subject/task as a whole and kills our desire to study/learn. Spending some time improving that particular topic and no longer make it a weak spot is a great technique. We will feel much better about the subject as a whole. Spending an entire day on your weakness or dedicating time to it are great ways to eradicate loopholes in your learning process.

Test yourself

 It isn’t possible to evaluate the quality of the material we have learned unless we test ourselves. In studies, this terminology is called active recall. Active recall is not limited to study. It can be modeled in learning skills as well. Utilizing flashcards and performing and testing your knowledge in front of relatives and friends is a great way to challenge yourself. It can also make your learning process more pleasurable. 

Teaching

We generally have a misconception that we can only teach something if we are an expert. According to C.S. lewis’s principle called the curse of knowledge, we tend to learn better from someone who is just a little better than us compared to a guru. Teaching someone not only helps the student but also polishes our understanding of the subject. Group studying also works by the same principle. When there are more brains involved in a task, it broadens our expertise on the subject.