Learning Hacks to Make You a Better Learner
Learning Hacks to Make You a Better Learner
Isaac Newton and the Timely Apple
October 5, 2021
World Expo 2020
October 12, 2021From the start of our lives, we all begin the arduous journey of learning and gaining knowledge. Even long after school, people need to keep learning to advance and achieve success in their careers. Often, our pursuit of knowledge continues well past our youth and into retirement years. Needless to say, you will spend the majority of your life learning whether you intend to or not. To help you use your time more effectively, we would like to show you 6 hacks to aid you in becoming a better learner.
Learning Hack 1: Set a clear goal
How can you learn something effectively without knowing what you wish to learn? The goal should always be learning the topic or the amount of time you want to spend learning it. Be specific with your goals. The goal is not to be confused with the prize, which is the benefit of achieving your goal. In grade school or college, the goal should be to thoroughly learn and understand the course material provided by the teacher or professor. If you work diligently and accomplish your goal, then a good grade in the course will undoubtedly be the prize. While the prize is a good motivator, it is the pursuit of the goal that should be your focus.
Learning Hack 2: Get an overview
To help your brain prepare for the daunting task at hand, you should first get an overview of all the necessary information about the subject you’re about to learn. Sometimes this is done for you by a table of contents, course description, or syllabus. The overview will enable you to break down and organize your topic of choice to help you learn easier. As noble of a goal as it may seem, learning mathematics, in general, would not be as practical as learning the branches of mathematics in proper order from beginner (addition) to advanced (calculus). Capturing an overview will relieve the pressure of the unknown and will allow you to set targets to accomplish your learning goals confidently.
How to get an overview
- Review the table of contents of a book
- Read the course description or syllabus
- Read book summaries or blurbs
- Conduct research on the topic
Learning Hack 3: Focus on understanding
Simple memorization may help you with multiple-choice questions or basic exams, but understanding the knowledge you gain will achieve authentic learning. As eloquently put by Albert Einstein, “Any fool can know. The point is to understand.”
Take enough time to recap and clarify your knowledge because further understanding will be easier once you grasp the context. After each lesson, try to understand the information by drawing analogies or connecting it with anything you have previously learned about the subject. If you can’t figure it out yourself, seek help from colleagues, fellow students, or anyone with sufficient knowledge about the topic.
Learning Hack 4: Time management
You have to feel comfortable with how much time you can dedicate to learning something new. The exclusive time you make for learning will allow you to focus stress-free, without any distractions. Whether that’s small study sessions every day or a long session once per week, create a schedule you can commit to following.
How much time should you dedicate to learning?
Depending on the material and your schedule, the amount of time you should study for a subject varies. The general rule of thumb is that you should commit to a minimum of 2-3 hours of studying for every hour spent in class or on a course. So, if you attend a class one day a week for 3 hours, you should dedicate at least 6-9 hours a week to this course. Even if you are not attending school, you can adopt this ratio as a starting point for whatever topic you wish to learn.
You can do an optimal amount of studying in 1-2 hour sessions. It’s best to take 5-10 minute breaks to refresh your mind and keep you attentive enough for the duration of your session.
Learning Hack 5: Retain the knowledge
The most important thing in learning is to understand what you have learned. Retaining the information you have learned is just as significant, if not more so. Here are some tips to help you retain what you learn.
Take notes and review them
Take as many notes as you can without disrupting the learning experience. If attending a lecture, the goal should not be to write down everything the lecturer says but focus on the essential portions you can follow up on when needed. If reading a book, then highlighting or jotting down notes as you read is a very effective way to remember what you’ve just read. Most importantly, read your notes! Ideally, you read your notes within a few hours of taking them, allowing you to maximize the benefit of good note-taking.
Find a practical application
Depending on the subject, this isn’t easy but not entirely impossible. For example, if you are learning a new skill like a language, put it to use. Try to engage in as many conversations in your new language as you can. This practice will accelerate your ability to achieve fluency much faster than if you only rely on books or language apps.
Teach what you know
There is no better test to your understanding than your ability to teach others what you know. Study groups and collaborative learning is effective for this reason. Individuals in these groups can both teach and learn, which further deepens the comprehension of a topic.
Learning Hack 6: Use different learning styles
Learning styles have become a bit of a neuromyth. There is consensus among researchers that no conclusive scientific evidence supports the effectiveness of personalized learning methods. This article, posted by Yale’s Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, says, “A broader approach that invites students to reflect on their learning, rather than narrow their style down, has been shown to improve learning outcomes.” Therefore, a balance of different styles is the most effective way to support your learning journey. While you may still have your preferred style, be sure to include others to broaden your experience.
Common learning styles
- Visual
- Aural (auditory-musical)
- Kinaesthetic (physical)
- Verbal
- Logical
- Social
- Solitary
No matter the hack, diligence and self-discipline will be your greatest allies when attempting to learn something new. Create a realistic plan for yourself and follow through. It’ll surely be worth your time.
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