1.

Eat these foods

What you eat directly impacts your cognitive function, and research shows that the
right kinds of food can improve focus and memory, and may even help reduce brain
injury.

Nutrients that have been shown to be particularly beneficial for brain function
include Omega-3 fatty acids and folic acid, which can be found in foods like
salmon, sardines, walnuts, spinach, broccoli, avocados, celery, and blueberries.
2. Avoid these foods

Just as eating the right foods can boost brain power, the wrong types of food can
impair learning and memory, and a number of studies have found a correlation
between diets that are high in refined sugars and impaired brain function.

With this in mind, it�s best to avoid eating highly processed foods or those that
contain a lot of sugar when you�re planning to study. This includes things like
doughnuts and cookies, of course, but also foods that you may not necessarily
consider unhealthy such as white bread, margarine, or fruit juice.
3. Stay hydrated

Your brain is composed of about 73% water, so it�s no surprise that when you don�t
drink enough, your brain can�t function at its full capacity. Even mild dehydration
can affect your ability to learn, and research shows that by the time you feel
thirsty, a 10% cognitive decline may already be present. So don�t wait until you
feel thirsty to get yourself a glass of water. If you have trouble remembering to
drink water throughout the day, make a habit of carrying a refillable water bottle
with you and taking a sip every so often.
4. Chew gum

If you�re feeling a bit sluggish, a simple way to get a quick boost of brain power
is to chew gum. A study from the University of Northumbria found that when subjects
chewed gum, their ability to remember memorised words improved by 35%. Another more
recent study from St. Lawrence University found that when students chewed gum
before a test, their performance on recall and memory tasks was briefly improved.
The effect was strongest right after chewing the gum, and dropped back to normal
levels after about 20 minutes.

The researchers speculate that the chewing motion increases the heart rate, gets
more blood flowing to the head and warms up the brain. Just keep tip number two in
mind and choose sugar free gum.
5. Sleep on it

Sleep and learning go hand in hand, and numerous studies over the past decade have
shown that sleep is important for everything from consolidating learning and memory
to boosting creativity.

Harvard researchers have found that dreaming may reactivate and reorganise recently
learned material, which improves memory and boosts performance, and one German
study showed that even quick 6-minute naps can improve memory. So don�t
underestimate the power of a good night�s sleep or even a well-timed catnap.
6. Try collaborative learning

Research shows that working together with others to solve problems and share
knowledge not only improves communication and collaboration skills, but also
promotes student engagement, leads to a deeper understanding, and benefits long-
term retention.
Of course, there are many benefits to independent learning too and studying with
others may not always be the right option for you. But if you�re lacking motivation
or feel like you�ve hit a brick wall with your learning, collaborating with others
could help you gain a new perspective. Some great tools for online collaboration
include Google Drive, Mind Meister, Piazza and, of course, Skype or Google
Hangouts.
7. Kill your stress

Stress is known to impair the brain�s ability to learn, and one study from the
University of California-Irvine shows that even short term stress that lasts just a
few hours can impair brain-cell communication in the areas associated with learning
and memory. This may also explain why your mind seems to go blank right before an
important test or presentation.

With this in mind, it�s extremely important to calm your mind and find ways to
relax before you sit down to study. There are many different stress-busting
techniques, from physical activity to meditating to breathing exercises, and you
may have to experiment a bit before you find one that works for you.
8. Reward yourself

If you�re lacking the will to study, putting a few small rewards in place will not
only boost your motivation, but may even help you better remember what you�ve
learned, especially if you have the luxury of taking a quick nap afterwards.

A study from the University of Geneva found that rewards or positive reinforcement
can seal information in the brain during learning, and these memories can then be
reinforced by a short nap immediately after the learning period.
9. Get moving

In addition to reducing stress, physical exercise can also boost brainpower and
some research even suggests that exercise can stimulate the growth of new brain
cells. Neuroscientists from Cambridge University found that running stimulates the
brain to grow fresh grey matter. The new brain cells were found in the part of the
brain that�s responsible for forming and recollecting memories, which is why
regular aerobic exercise can improve our ability to learn.

Another study from the Radboud University Medical Centre found that people who
completed a high intensity workout four hours after learning retained more
information two days later. However, people who worked out immediately after
learning retained 10% less than those who waited for four hours, so if you do plan
to work out after a study session, give yourself at least a few hours of inactivity
in-between.
10. Listen to music

We are often advised to avoid listening to music and instead seek out a quiet
environment when studying, but research shows that some types of music may actually
help us concentrate. One study led by Stanford researchers showed that music
activates areas of the brain associated with paying attention and making
predictions. Researchers from the Universite de Caen Basse-Normandie in France also
found that listening to music made students more receptive to information. Those
who listened to a lecture where music was played in the background scored
significantly higher on the quiz than those who listened to the lecture with no
music.

Of course, since both of these studies used classical music, it�s unclear whether
other types of music would have the same effect. So if you want to play some music
during your next study session, you�d probably be better off choosing classical
music over Kanye West or Justin Bieber.
11. Make it relevant
When what you�re learning seems relevant to your life in some way, you�ll be far
more motivated and engaged, because you�ll be able to see how that new information
will benefit you in the real world.
Research shows that some of the best ways to establish relevance include looking
for ways to apply theory in practice, relating subject matter to everyday
applications and finding applications in current newsworthy events. If you want to
find out how to make your learning relevant, this article is full of advice on
doing just that.
12. Avoid multi-tasking

Most of us have become accustomed to doing things like texting, reading and
streaming media simultaneously, but when it comes to learning, all this busyness
isn�t doing us any good. Research shows that multitasking reduces the brain�s
ability to store new information, so if you�re constantly switching between tasks,
all that information will likely be going in one ear and out the other. If you
often open your laptop to study only to find yourself distracted by emails or news
sites, website blocking apps such as SelfControl or Anti Social can be useful for
preventing this type of multitasking. But studying offline, at the library for
instance, can also be a good way to avoid online distractions.
13. Try chunking

Chunking is a memory technique that involves grouping smaller pieces of information

together in larger chunks, which can help us to connect random bits of information
and make them more memorable. For instance, if you were memorising a list of
seemingly random words such as spoon, pencil, sharpener and bowl, you could make it
easier to remember the items on your list by organising them into groups. The bowl
and the spoon would go in one group and the pencil and sharpener in another. Of
course this technique doesn�t work for all types of learning, but it can be very
effective for those times when you need to memorise a particular set of rules or
information.
14. Test yourself

Your first instinct when learning something new might be to read the information
over and over in order to commit it to memory, but practice testing is far more
effective as a study technique. One study found that students who took retrieval
practice tests after reading for ten minutes retained around 50% more information a
week later than students who used techniques such as concept mapping or cramming.

Even if you don�t have access to practice tests, you can still test yourself by
writing down everything you remember after each new chapter or frequently asking
yourself questions about what you�re learning.
15. Take up a musical instrument

Although in recent years the credibility of popular brain training games and
exercises has been called into question, there is still one very effective way to
enhance your cognitive abilities. One study by researchers from the University of
Zurich found that regularly playing a musical instrument can change the shape and
power of the brain. In fact, the researchers note that learning to play a musical
instrument can increase IQ by seven points in both adults and children. Changes in
the brain were even noticeable in people over the age of 65 after just four or five
months of playing a musical instrument for one hour each week.
16. Think about teaching someone else

Have you ever heard the saying �While we teach, we learn?� A study published in the
journal Memory and Cognition found that students who thought they would have to
teach the material they were learning to someone else who would be tested on it
engaged in more effective learning strategies. So if you�re learning something new,
think about how you would explain the topic to someone else. Even if you never end
up teaching it to anyone, approaching your learning in this way can help you pick
out the most important information and organise it more effectively.
17. Take notes by hand

Very few students still take notes by hand, but research shows that when we write
by hand our brain receives feedback from our motor actions, and the movements
involved in writing with a pen or pencil play an important role in letter and word
recognition and recall.

Another benefit of taking notes by hand is that you�ll be less likely to be

distracted or engage in multitasking, because your visual attention is restricted
to the point where the pen hits the paper.
18. Inject some humour into your learning

Although learning is no laughing matter, research shows that humour can enhance
learning by increasing student engagement, reducing anxiety and increasing
motivation. One study found that when a statistics lecture was interspersed with
jokes that were relevant to the topic, students were more likely to recall what
they had learned. Another study that looked at humour in online learning showed
that students logged in to the online system more frequently and were more likely
to enjoy the course when it included jokes, cartoons and top 10 lists.
19. Use the 80/20 rule

The 80/20 rule, popularised by productivity guru Tim Ferris, says that you get 80%
of the results from 20% of the work. So what does this mean when applied to
learning? Quite simply, focusing on the most important 20% of what you�re trying to
learn will actually help you learn 80% of what you need to know. Of course, the
exact number doesn�t matter, the takeaway is that it�s important to focus your
energy and use learning strategies that will provide the biggest return on
investment, or get you the best results for the time you put in.
20. Use feedback effectively

We already know that specific and timely feedback can improve student achievement,
but a new study from the University of Surrey found that how students engage with
the feedback they receive is just as important as how the feedback is delivered.

The researchers reviewed numerous studies published since 1984 and found that
learner engagement with feedback is often poor. Students frequently failed to look
at written feedback or look at it only once and then fail to do anything with the
advice they receive. The researchers note that the key message is that students
must look at feedback as a dialogue rather than a one-way communication.

Of course if you�re studying informally and don�t have the support of teachers and
trainers it can be more difficult to get that all important feedback. But there are
still ways to do so, from talking to friends or family members to getting advice
and support from online learning communities.

Get organized

Carry a homework planner at all times. Entering homework, projects, tests and
assignments as soon as they are assigned will make sure they aren�t forgotten
about.
Pay attention in class

It�s important to concentrate and avoid distractions when the teacher is speaking.
Practice active listening by concentrating on what�s being said and taking notes in
your own words. This will help make sure you hear (and understand) what is being
taught in class.
Steer clear of distractions

Distractions are everywhere�from cell phones to social media to friends. Be aware

of what distracts you in class and know how to steer clear of these distractions.
Avoid sitting next to friends if you know they will distract you. Turning off your
cell phone will also help make sure you are paying attention to your teacher.
Make sure notes are complete

Writing clear and complete notes in class will help you process the information you
are learning. These notes will also become study notes that can be reviewed before
a test. Talk to friends or the teacher if you have missed a class to ensure your
notes are complete.
Ask questions if you don�t understand

Raise your hand and ask questions if you don�t understand something. If you don�t
feel comfortable asking in front of everyone, write yourself a reminder to talk to
the teacher after class.
Make a study schedule/plan

When making a study schedule, look at your planner and think about what needs to be
accomplished. Think about the types of questions that will be on the test and the
topics that will be covered so you know what you should focus on. Set specific
goals for each study session, like how many topics you will cover by the end of the
session.

Review notes from class every evening

After school, review and expand on the notes from class. Reviewing notes helps move
material learned from short-term memory into long-term memory, which will help next
time you have a big test.
Talk to teachers

Teachers are there to help you do your best. Talk to your teacher and ask for
clarification or extra help if you need it before your test. Taking the initiative
to ask for help goes a long way with teachers!
Designate a study area

The best study spot is one that is quiet, well-lit, and in a low-traffic area. Make
sure there is a clear workspace to study and write on. Everyone�s needs are
different, so it is important you find a spot that works for you.
Study in short bursts

For every 30 minutes you study, take a short 10-15 minute break to recharge. Short
study sessions are more effective and help you make the most of your study time.
Find out more about taking a study break that works.
Simplify study notes

Make studying less overwhelming by condensing notes from class. Underline or

highlight key words. Create visual aids like charts, story webs, mind maps, or
outlines to organize and simplify information and help you remember better.
Study with a group

Working with classmates encourages an interactive environment to keep you engaged.

This gives you a chance to test your knowledge with others, quiz each other on the
content, and help boost each other�s confidence.
 Seek the most difficult problems, the most difficult questions and try to
address them. It is useless to read pages after pages of textbook material, but it
becomes meaningful if you are doing it to solve a hard problem. This is not news to
Physics students who have always learned by solving problems. Always work on the
toughest problems you can address.
Reflect on what you have supposedly learned. As an undergraduate student, I
found that writing a summary of everything I had learned in a class was one of the
best ways to study for an exam. I would just sit down with a blank piece of paper
and try to summarize everything as precisely as possible. Ultimately, writing your
own textbook would be a very effective way to learn the material. Teaching is a
great way to learn because it challenges you.
Avoid learning from a single source. Studying from a single textbook is
counterproductive. Instead, seek multiple sources. Yes, it is confusing to pick up
a different textbook where the terminology might be different, but this confusion
is good for you.

If sitting docilely in a classroom is inefficient and even counterproductive, then

why is it so common a practice? Why indeed!

Interleaved study trumps mass study

When studying, many people do not want to mix topics �so as not to get confused�.
So if they need to learn to apply one particular idea, they study to the exclusion
of everything else. That is called mass (or block) practice.

Course material and textbooks do not help: they are often neatly organized into
distinct chapters, distinct sections� each one covering one specific topic.

What researchers have found is that interleaved practice is far superior. In

interleaved practice, you intentionally mix up topics. Want to become a better
mathematician? Do not spend one month studying combinatorics, one month studying
calculus and so on. Instead, work on various mathematical topics, mixing them
randomly.

Interleaved practice feels much harder (e.g., �you feel confused�), and it feels
discouraging because progress appears to be slow. However, this confusion you feel�
that is your brain learning.

Interleaved practice is exactly what a real project forces you to do. This means
that real-world experience where you get to solve hard problems is probably a much
more efficient learning strategy than college. Given a choice between doing
challenging real work, and taking classes, you should always take the challenging
work instead.

Memory Improvement Basics

Sam Edwards / Getty Images

There are a number of different things that you can do to improve your memory.
Basic tips such as improving your focus, avoiding cram sessions, and structuring
your study time are a good place to start, but there are even more lessons from
psychology that can dramatically improve your learning efficiency. Check out some
of these memory improvement tips to maximize your memorization and retention of new
information.
2
Keep Learning (and Practicing) New Things
Students learning
Prasit photo / Moment / Getty Images
One sure-fire way to become a more effective learner is to simply keep learning. In
one article published in Nature, it was reported that people who learned how to
juggle increased the amount of gray matter in their occipital lobes, the area of
the brain is associated with visual memory. When these individuals stopped
practicing their new skill, this gray matter vanished.

So if you are learning a new language, it is important to keep practicing the

language in order to maintain the gains you have achieved. This "use-it-or-lose-it"
phenomenon involves a brain process known as "pruning." Certain pathways in the
brain are maintained, while other are eliminated. If you want the new information
you just learned to stay put, keep practicing and rehearsing it.
3
Learn in Multiple Ways
Learn multiple ways
Hero Images / Getty Images

Another one of the best ways to learn is to focus on learning in more than one way.
Instead of just listening to a podcast, which involves auditory learning, find a
way to rehearse the information both verbally and visually. This might involve
describing what you learned to a friend, taking notes, or drawing a mind map. By
learning in more than one way, you�re further cementing the knowledge in your mind.

According to researcher Judy Willis, �The more regions of the brain that store data
about a subject, the more interconnection there is. This redundancy means students
will have more opportunities to pull up all of those related bits of data from
their multiple storage areas in response to a single cue. This cross-referencing of
data means we have learned, rather than just memorized.�
4
Teach What You've Learned to Another Person
Teach to learn
Hero Images / Getty Images

Educators have long noted that one of the best ways to learn something is to teach
it to someone else. Remember your seventh-grade presentation on Costa Rica? By
teaching to the rest of the class, your teacher hoped you would gain even more from
the assignment. You can apply the same principle today by sharing your newly
learned skills and knowledge with others.

Start by translating the information into your own words. This process alone helps
solidify new knowledge in your brain. Next, find some way to share what you�ve
learned. Some ideas include writing a blog post, creating a podcast, or
participating in a group discussion.
5
Utilize Previous Learning to Promote New Learning
Student
Mike Kemp / Blend Images / Getty Images

Another great way to become a more effective learner is to use relational learning,
which involves relating new information to things that you already know. For
example, if you are learning about
Romeo and Juliet, you might associate what you learn about the play with prior
knowledge you have about Shakespeare, the historical period in which the author
lived, and other relevant information.

, you might associate what you learn about the play with prior knowledge you have
about Shakespeare, the historical period in which the author lived, and other
relevant information.
6
Gain Practical Experience
LWA/Dann Tardif / Brand X Pictures / Getty Images

For many students, learning typically involves reading textbooks, attending

lectures, or doing research in the library or on the Web. While seeing information
and then writing it down is important, actually putting new knowledge and skills
into practice can be one of the best ways to improve learning.

If you are trying to acquire a new skill or ability, focus on gaining practical
experience. If it is a sport or athletic skill, perform the activity on a regular
basis. If you are learning a new language, practice speaking with another person
and surround yourself with language-immersion experiences. Watch foreign-language
films and strike up conversations with native speakers to practice your budding
skills.
7
Look Up Answers Rather Than Struggle to Remember
Reading a textbook
Hero Images / Getty Images

Of course, learning isn�t a perfect process. Sometimes, we forget the details of

things that we have already learned. If you find yourself struggling to recall some
tidbit of information, research suggests that you are better offer simply looking
up the correct answer.

One study found that the longer you spend trying to remember the answer, the more
likely you will be to forget the answer again in the future. Why? Because these
attempts to recall previously learned information actually results in learning the
"error state" instead of the correct response.
8
Understand How You Learn Best
Student thinking
David Schaffer / Caiaimage / Getty Images

Another great strategy for improving your learning efficiency is to recognize your
learning habits and styles. There are a number of different theories about learning
styles, which can all help you gain a better understanding of how you learn best.
The concept of learning styles has been the subject of considerable debate and
criticism, but many students may find that understanding their learning preferences
can still be helpful.

Gardner�s theory of multiple intelligences describes eight different types of

intelligence that can help reveal your individual strengths. Looking at Carl Jung�s
learning style dimensions can also help you better see which learning strategies
might work best for you. Other models such as the VARK learning styles and Kolb's
learning styles can offer more information about how you prefer to learn new
things.
9
Use Testing to Boost Learning
Testing improves recall
Tetra Images / Getty Images

While it may seem that spending more time studying is one of the best ways to
maximize learning, research has demonstrated that taking tests actually helps you
better remember what you've learned, even if it wasn't covered on the test. The
study revealed that students who studied and were then tested had better long-term
recall of the materials, even on information that was not covered by the tests.
Students who had extra time to study but were not tested had significantly lower
recall of the materials.
10
Stop Multitasking
Multitasking
ImagesBazaar / Getty Images

For many years, it was thought that people who multitask, or perform more than one
activity at once, had an edge over those who did not. However, research now
suggests that multitasking can actually make learning less effective.

In the study, participants lost significant amounts of time as they switched

between multiple tasks and lost even more time as the tasks became increasingly
complex. By switching from one activity to another, you will learn more slowly,
become less efficient and make more errors.

How can you avoid the dangers of multitasking? Start by focusing your attention on
the task at hand and continue working for a predetermined amount of time.
Elaborate and Rehearse
Rehearse information to improve memory
Chris Schmidt / Getty Images

In order to recall information, you need to encode what you are studying into long-
term memory. One of the most effective encoding techniques is known as elaborative
rehearsal. An example of this technique would be to read the definition of a key
term, study the definition of that term and then read a more detailed description
of what that term means. After repeating this process a few times, you'll probably
notice that recalling the information is much easier.
6
Visualize Concepts
Use visualization to improve memory
yang wenshuang/E+/Getty Images

Many people benefit greatly from visualizing the information they study. Pay
attention to the photographs, charts, and other graphics in your textbooks. If you
don't have visual cues to help, try creating your own. Draw charts or figures in
the margins of your notes or use highlighters or pens in different colors to group
related ideas in your written study materials. Sometimes even just making
flashcards of various terms you need to remember can help cement information in
your mind.
7
Relate New Information to Things You Already Know
Relating information can improve memory
Blend Images - Mike Kemp / Getty Images

When you're studying unfamiliar material, take the time to think about how this
information relates to what you already know. By establishing relationships between
new ideas and previously existing memories, you can dramatically increase the
likelihood of recalling the recently learned information.
8
Read Out Loud
Teach others to improve your memory
Hero Images / Getty Images

Research suggests that reading materials out loud significantly improves? your
memory of the material. Educators and psychologists have also discovered that
having students actually teach new concepts to others enhances understanding and
recall. You can use this approach in your own studies by teaching new concepts and
information to a friend or study partner.
9
Pay Extra Attention to Difficult Information
Focus on difficult information first to improve memory
101dalmatians / Vetta / Getty Images
Have you ever noticed how it's sometimes easier to remember information at the
beginning or end of a chapter? Researchers have found that the order of information
can play a role in recall, which is known as the serial position effect.

While recalling middle information can be difficult, you can overcome this problem
by spending extra time rehearsing this information. Another strategy is to try
restructuring what you have learned so it will be easier to remember. When you come
across an especially difficult concept, devote some extra time to memorizing the
information.
10
Vary Your Study Routine
Change your routine to improve memory
Isabel Pavia / Getty Images

Another great way to increase your recall is to occasionally change your study
routine. If you're accustomed to studying in one specific location, try moving to a
different spot during your next study session. If you study in the evening, try
spending a few minutes each morning reviewing the information you studied the
previous night. By adding an element of novelty to your study sessions, you can
increase the effectiveness of your efforts and significantly improve your long-term
recall.
11
Get Some Sleep
Sleep can help improve your memory
James Woodson / Getty Images

Researchers have long known that sleep is important for memory and learning.
Research has shown that taking a nap after you learn something new can actually
help you learn faster and remember better.

In fact, one study found that sleeping after learning something new actually leads
to physical changes in the brain. Sleep-deprived mice experienced less dendritic
growth following a learning task than well-rested mice.
1) Effective Learning Takes Practice, Experience, and Memorization

Learning is a skill. Like any skill, learning takes practice, and you get better at
it with experience.

The best way to practice learning is to use the tips in this article while you are
constantly self-improving and learning practical, masculine skills. Simply by
taking your time to learn useful skills, you are getting a better idea of how you
learn from hands-on experience.

Additionally, all prior learning requires a degree of memorization.

That�s right, learning requires memory. All learning is based on a foundation of

previous knowledge!

A good jiu-jitsu practitioner must memorize and practice the steps for various
takedowns, sweeps, and submissions. Each one takes a considerable amount of time
and effort. In order to instinctively know when to use one technique versus
another, he must know both from practice (of which, again, memorization is a huge
part of) and experience which to draw from and when.

As another example, a student learning calculus needs to recall many of his lessons
from algebra and trigonometry. Therefore, he must have memorized (and be able to
use) the lessons he learned previously from subjects that calculus draws its
information from.
Memorization is not the only process used when you learn, however. What you
memorize must be put to practical use as well, through the ways that we will
discuss further in this article. But that said, you must memorize in order to
learn.

We must note that experience learning makes you better at learning. The more you�ve
learned, the better you understand what you�ve learned from. This makes you a more
effective learner down the road.

Additionally, learning new skills also has many benefits that you cannot fully
predict. Having a wide set of skills to draw from also enables greater problem
solving, and it gives you fresh, creative perspectives on many things in life. For
more on this, read about the importance of the talent stack.

So you will see a lot of overlap between the skills you learn. Therefore, if you
are good at one discipline, you will be better at learning other related skills.

For instance, properly performed heavy weight lifting will strengthen your entire
body, and the core and lower body strength, in particular, will make you more
coordinated for other sports and physical activity. Therefore, lifting can make you
a better dancer, for instance, if you take the time to learn how to dance properly.

The two skills may not have a lot in common conceptually; you will still have to
learn the dance moves, timing, rhythm, and so forth. But lifting will help you
become a better dancer by strengthening the muscles used while you dance, just as
lifting helps with general athleticism and improves your kinesthetic intelligence.

As another example, learning a new language makes it easier to learn others. If

you�re a native English speaker who then learns French as a second language, not
only will you find many similarities between the two, but you will also see
similarities between those languages and other Romance languages. It will make it
easier to learn Portuguese, Italian, German, Spanish, and so on. Many words and
grammar concepts are similar between these languages.

Even if you learn a very different third language, such as Japanese, the experience
of learning a second language will be very useful when you study for the third
language. This is true even though the vocabulary, alphabet, grammar, and sentence
structure are nothing alike.

You may have to modify your routine a bit to learn Japanese since there are more
new concepts to learn and because it�s more challenging for an English speaker, but
the experience from learning an unrelated second language will prove to be an
invaluable base to help you through your Japanese learning process.

In fact, if you want to learn how to learn, picking up a second language is one of
the best ways to do so. This is because you�re learning something massive and
totally new from scratch. It takes tons of memorization, elaboration, practice, and
consistency to get it right. Feedback when speaking is immediate.

Anyway, as you can see, having a wide web of knowledge and experience makes it
easier to learn new knowledge and skills.

On a related note, and to cap this subsection off, let�s briefly mention a feature
of the brain.

As you know, the human brain is extremely complex. Various structures of the brain
are assigned to very different tasks, but we won�t get into them right now.
For now, I will simply state that the neurons of the brain are an intricately
connected web that strengthens as you learn. The more you learn, the more the web
between various neurons is strengthened, and the more neural pathways are enhanced
to utilize the knowledge more efficiently.

The more you retrieve a lesson or skill set, and the more elaborated it is (see
section 4), the stronger the connections are between the associated neurons in your
brain. This makes it faster to recall and it makes it more useful in your brain.

Therefore, as I�ve said, having a wide body of knowledge and experience makes it
easier to connect previous knowledge to new knowledge.
2) Retrieval is Critical to Remember Lessons Better

You have to consciously retrieve something from memory to make it readily available
for later. You have to do this enough times until it is well consolidated, that is,
solidified and easily retrieved in your brain. There is more on consolidation in
the next section.

A simple quiz after reading a text or listening to a lecture greatly improves

retention of the material because you have to immediately make use of the knowledge
you just learned.

This can be easily done with any material that you desire to learn. If you read an
online article, especially one as important as this one, a very effective way to
retain it better is to simply quiz yourself on the information afterward.

This will significantly improve retention of the material.

I find myself doing this all the time when I�m reading articles online; I summarize
the main points in my head when I�m going through and have finished the article. It
only takes a little bit of time and it is huge for long-term retention of the
material.

To practice this concept, summarize the main points of this article to yourself or
someone else.

When you do this, do the following:

Explain the main points of this article in your own words.

Visualize yourself using this new information in your life. Write it down in a
notebook or on a whiteboard if you want.
Connect it to what you already know, either in your head verbally or by drawing
it out.
Put everything in practice (this is extremely important; and note that when you
do this, you are automatically retrieving the information on your own)
Review the material as necessary (conscious retrieval)

The process of connecting new information to what you already know is called
elaboration, and it will be explained in more detail soon. All of these require
retrieval of the information.

One must periodically practice a skill or re-reread information in order to

interrupt the process of forgetting and to strengthen the connections between
neurons.

This is pretty obvious, but if you read an article or book a long time ago and want
to truly relearn its information, go back and reread it. This will interrupt
forgetting and strengthen learning.
However, if you actively use the information in question, it will be much less
necessary to read it again because you are using that information in your daily
life. Rereading a book or article on that information will probably reteach you
things that you aren�t using instead.

For instance, if you practice your deadlift technique in the gym all the time and
think you�re an expert, reading an article might give you an extra trip to improve
your form that you weren�t aware of.

While reading the article, test yourself by explaining the information in your own
words and/or by visualizing yourself using the information, and then actually put
it into practice the next time you�re deadlifting.

You�ve known since grade school that if you want to learn new information, you have
to recite it. However, what is often emphasized less in school is that you need to
put new information into context and elaborate it to make it useful for the future.

So you cannot simply memorize something and expect to be able to use it effectively
when you need it, you absolutely must give it meaning to your own life. This is all
effective retrieval, and there is more on these subjects ahead.
3) Spaced Practice is Critical for Long-Term Retention

To learn something thoroughly, you must space the learning out over a course of
time.

Therefore, if you space out lessons and practice skills over a longer period of
time, you will learn them significantly better in the long run.

Over time, a strongly rehearsed skill or memory comes from its assigned section of
the cerebral cortex instead of the hippocampus, the brain�s short-term and explicit
memory center. This means that it becomes much easier to recall.

Again, consolidation is the process by which a memory becomes integrated into your
brain for easy recall. Consolidation has been shown to be a more effective process
over a longer period of time. It has been shown to happen largely when you sleep.
Interestingly enough, studies have shown that caffeine also helps memory
consolidation, even if you drink caffeine after you initially learn the lesson.

To add to this point, know that students who cram for an exam are not nearly as
effective at withdrawing the material later as students who space their practice
out. You likely know this from your own experience as a student.

In studies where one group of students learns a series of tasks in one day and the
second group spreads their learning out, then both groups are tested on a given
date afterward, the latter group almost always outperforms the former
significantly. I�m not going to link to research on this because I don�t feel like
it. Google it yourself and you�ll see that this is virtually always the case.

Remember this lesson for anything that you want to truly retain and master: you
must space it out and retrieve the knowledge and/or use the skill until it feels
like second nature.

As a side note, if you are shown or read about a new technique, then you
immediately integrate it into your repertoire and thus perform the technique many
times, that is spaced repetition embedded into what you�re doing (as well as
elaboration). It may be helpful to go back to the article, video, or person who
showed you the technique in the first place to make sure it�s being done correctly,
but you don�t need to read about it multiple times if you�re actively doing it.
Anyway, unless you have an upcoming deadline, don�t worry if you haven�t picked up
something for a few days. If you seek to learn a new hobby, for instance, and you
miss a few days of practice, the added days off help you in consolidating your
knowledge and skills.

This is also true about much longer hiatuses. If you started to learn a new
language then you stopped using it for a year before getting back into it, with
proper practice, you will eventually be stronger at it than ever. You�ll end up
with a longer-lasting and stronger understanding of the language because the
practice was spaced out over several years.

Sure, you�d be stronger at it had you never taken a break, and when you get back
into it, it will initially be more challenging. But the fact that you took a long
period of time in between practicing it plays a crucial role in consolidating and
solidifying what you know.

All of this is helpful to know if you have a busy routine and you are learning
something that you cannot practice every day, or if you have taken a long break
from something you started a long time ago. This is one major reason why people
find that they are better at something after they have taken a long break from it.

The struggle that you experience when coming back from a hiatus also causes more
effective, longer-lasting learning. The fifth section will explain more of why this
is the case.
4) Elaboration Is Essential to Truly Understand Any Concept

As I noted, elaboration is the concept of making something your own knowledge by

giving it meaning and connecting it with what you already know.

This is a critical concept to understand about learning.

Let�s say you have 50 foreign vocabulary words to learn. Strict memorization of
these words doesn�t work very well on its own. You need to elaborate them in order
to properly recall them when you need them.

To practice elaboration, try the following.

Verbalize them in syllables, emphasizing each syllable.

Practice relating them to other words.
For instance, in Spanish, despertar (to wake up) is similar to descansar
(to rest). It is also similar to the word disparar (to shoot). I can visualize
myself waking up (despertar), shooting a target (dispirar), then going to sleep
(descansar), while strongly emphasizing the differences in the pronunciations. Ie:
des PER tar, des CAN sar, DIS pir AR.
Draw out a map of various words that are similar � or the opposite. You can do
this in your head or on a whiteboard. Just try to visualize or draw them into
groups.
Practice using the words in sentences and conjugating the verbs if it�s a
language that uses verb conjugations, like Spanish.
Visualize yourself in situations where you will use the words in everyday
speech.
And of course, come back and practice the words multiple times in the future.
This is not elaboration, but this is retrieval and spaced practice. If you are
using these words in conversation, conscious retrieval is not necessary except for
words you don�t use.

On a related note, as you learn more vocabulary in any language, it will make it
even easier to learn even more vocabulary down the road. When you�re learning a new
vocabulary word, you�re learning more than just the word; you�re getting a true
feel for the language as well. This concept is also true of virtually every other
subject you can possibly learn.

Anyway, if you do not elaborate on a concept, you will not have nearly the same
understanding when you need to use it. You�ll be lucky to be able to recall it in
any meaningful level of detail. You absolutely must give anything meaning in order
to understand it later.

Let�s look at another example.

Learning about one ancient culture is easier if you already have a strong
understanding of other cultures. In other words, if you elaborated on those other
cultures thoroughly and have a strong working knowledge of them. If you know dates,
times, and details of many cultures or events, then you can relate them and connect
them to new lessons more effectively.

If you know one set of facts about the Incan Empire, for instance, and you are now
learning about the Aztecs, you can connect a lot of your previous knowledge about
the Incans (and other cultures) to what you�re now learning about the Aztecs.
Dates, times, events, locations, how they got food, their technology, how they were
similar and how they differed, and so forth.

The information you may know about the Incans will connect to what you�ve learned
about the Aztecs. Once your knowledge about the Aztecs is solidified, you will be
able to use that in your web of knowledge to connect to something else that�s
related.

If you�ve ever seen someone who knows an insane amount about a certain subject, and
you�ve asked yourself how it�s possible, it is because they have become well versed
in the subject from years of experience and they can easily elaborate anything new
and connect it to previously learned knowledge.

On that note, there�s one last point I�ll state here. If you practice learning new
concepts by giving them meaning, there�s no known limit to how much you can learn.

Just knowing this fact about elaboration should prove useful very useful for a lot
of people. When I was younger, I used to think I�d forget some old knowledge if I
learned something new. I cannot possibly tell you enough how important it was for
me to drop this misconception.

It�s true that you do �forget� old lessons that you haven�t retrieved in a while.
However, if you have a healthy, functional brain and you forget something, you just
need to consciously retrieve that old information to strengthen your previously
established memories.
5) When You Struggle With a Concept, You Learn Better.

Contrary to what you may believe, if you struggle to learn a lesson before you come
to the conclusion, you will retain it much better.

This is very counter-intuitive to what you may have learned growing up. �Failure�
and struggling while learning is actually productive as long as you eventually come
to the conclusion.

When you struggle with a lesson, you typically have to draw upon multiple trains of
thought to come to the conclusion. This added effort makes the conclusion stick
better, again, as long as you eventually arrive at it. This can occur on your own
or if the answer is eventually given by somebody else after you put in real effort.

However, the initial struggle makes it feel like you are not learning anything, or
perhaps that you are not as smart as you thought you were. Rest assured that this
is an illusion, and when you come back to the lesson later, you virtually always
find that you remember it better than lessons that you did not struggle on.

For example, let�s say that you just entered a new city but you took a wrong turn
and you�re now lost. You have to navigate your way to your destination but your GPS
doesn�t work.

The process of having to spend extra attention figuring what street is which, where
landmarks are, and perhaps even some emotion spent into it as you wonder whether or
not you�ll actually get back, all mean you�re struggling more than you typically
would. Additionally, you have to use navigational skills you may not have used in a
long time, which would enhance those skills and contribute further to the learning
process.

When you finally get back you�re probably a bit relieved. The next time you�re
navigating through the city, especially if it�s the next day or beyond, you�ll come
back to the same city streets with a much greater understanding of the city�s
layout.

Thus, your struggle to learn the city the first day contributed significantly to
your learning of its layout. If you were to only study a map or use a GPS, you
wouldn�t understand the layout nearly as well.

So remember, don�t be afraid to struggle when learning a new lesson. It might not
be something you intentionally do, of course. But if you find yourself struggling,
as long as you eventually reach the conclusion of the lesson, you�ll have learned
it a lot more thoroughly.
6) You Are Often a Poor Judge of When You Are Learning

This is a critical concept to know.

We naturally want to explain what is going on inside of our own minds, but we are
poor judges of when we are learning.

I�ve noticed that if I�m learning something on a day that I�m tired, I often don�t
feel like I�m learning it very well. But the next day when I�m rereading the
material and I�m better rested, I realize that I picked up a lot more than I
thought.

I�ve also noticed from learning Spanish that despite initially struggling with many
new concepts, much of it became second nature down the road.

Remember from the last section that when you struggle with a task you typically
find yourself better able to recall it in the future. During the initial struggle,
it is very common to believe that you are not picking up the task.

However, this is an illusion. Typically the next day you will come back and realize
that you now know the information better than ever.

Conversely, the illusion of knowledge can occur as well, even with experienced
learners. This can happen when you read something in a book but you cannot explain
it very well when it is tested. Another example is when you learn foreign
vocabulary but can only remember it in one context and you struggle to use it in
conversation.

College students are known for re-reading and memorizing textbook information
because it provides them the illusion of knowing the lesson better than they
actually do. They can recall the information well in the context of the book, but
they often end up doing poorly on the exam or a real-world situation. This is
because they over-estimated their own understanding of the material because they
did not practice it well enough.

The best way to determine how well you�ve learned a lesson is come back and test
yourself with it later. Wait at least 15 minutes to several hours from when you
first learned a lesson. Quiz yourself, elaborate it to yourself or someone else,
and/or utilize the knowledge in another practical manner.

And be aware that even though you now know about this illusion, it will still occur
from time to time. The best thing you can do is recognize it from experience and to
test your knowledge and skills to see where you really stand.

You only know how good you are at something when you�re tested on it.
7) To Greater Understand a Lesson, Analyze it From Multiple Angles

Strict memorization by itself doesn�t work. You cannot effectively memorize facts
without making any attempt to connect them to your previous knowledge, and then
expect to be able to use them effectively later. You have to elaborate and make new
information part of your own knowledge.

As previously mentioned, the brain is largely comprised of a web of interconnected

neurons. The more connections you can bring together, the easier it is to recall
new information and make a new lesson a part of your knowledge forever.

If you analyze a new lesson from many angles, you will retain and understand it
much better. Despite what many believe, having a preferred �style� of learning that
helps you learn more effectively is not consistent with research. Lessons are best
retained when you approach them from many angles.

As an example, let�s say that you�re learning a grammar concept in a new language.

First, read the concept in a book. There�s your first angle of understanding
it.
Then apply it by using it in multiple sentences. That is your second angle of
understanding.
Then talk to a native speaker and hear the way they use that grammar concept in
a sentence. Practice using it with them. This is your third angle of understanding
the concept.
Then close your eyes and visualize the grammar chart in one form or another,
filling in the blanks with your brain.

This gives you four angles of understanding one concept.

This method will be much more effective than just looking at the chart briefly and
not thoroughly applying the information within. Analyze any lesson with these four
ways of understanding and you will be able to learn it significantly better. It
will also feel like a lot more stress on your brain, which is a good thing!

When you switch between the various ways of understanding a concept, it is called
interleaving. Interleaving is shown to be extremely effective for greater
understanding and long-term retention.

It may not feel like it is producing immediate results, but remember that you are
often unaware of when you are learning effectively.

Studies where learners interleave their practice produce better long-term results,
even if they do worse on an initial test. The book Make it Stick has a lot of
information on this.
8) Socializing With Like-Minded People Helps You Learn More Efficiently and
Solidify Your Knowledge

Socializing with others who are into the same subject will help you learn a subject
more completely and effectively. Frankly, this shouldn�t be too much of a surprise.

Like-minded people will give you a realistic perspective on what you know compared
to them. They can put their input into what you know and add to your knowledge.
They can also give you different perspectives on the subject that you have not
considered on your own. If you teach them something about the subject, this
elaboration process solidifies concepts in your brain and helps you retain the
information better.

Some find that it is initially easier to learn a difficult new concept on their
own. But once you have the basics down, surrounding yourself with like-minded
people will be immensely beneficial toward a greater understanding of the subject.
This cannot be understated; you should not attempt to learn something in a vacuum.

Ideally, it is best to surround yourself with people who know more than you about a
given subject. If you cannot do this, find great resources online: podcasts,
articles, and videos by experts on the subject you seek to learn. There�s a ton of
free, high-quality information out there. Just make sure that you can effectively
separate the good from the bad. Listen to how an expert approaches and discusses
the subject that you are interested in.

Setting Yourself Up for Success

Image titled Study More Effectively Step 1

1
Perform a resource reconnaissance. Sit down and make a list of what you think
will be on an exam or quiz. Next, write down all the resources you have at your
disposal to help you learn the information, such as taking a practice exam or
joining a study group.[1]
If you are studying for an exam, look back on the previous quizzes. Some of
that information is bound to come up again.
Quizzes are smaller than exams, and typically only cover information from
the current section or chapter.
If you can't find a practice exam or study group, create your own!
Image titled Study More Effectively Step 2
2
Create a study plan. Once you figure out what you need to study and how you
will take advantage of the resources at your disposal, sit down and make a study
schedule. Block out periods of time within your schedule to dedicate to studying
and stick to the plan.
Make sure you give yourself more time than you think you need, specially if
it is a subject that you struggle with.
Image titled Study More Effectively Step 3
3
Get in a positive mindset. You need to be in as positive a mindset as possible
when you sit down to study. If you are emotionally distracted, you will be less
effective at learning and retaining information. Try to think positively while
studying, and don�t compare yourself to others.[2]
Try saying something positive to yourself before you being studying, like,
�I am going to ace this exam!�
If you find yourself thinking negative thoughts like, �I�m going to fail
that quiz,� stop the thought in its tracks. Replace it with a positive thought,
like, �I�m going to master this material and succeed!�
Image titled Study More Effectively Step 4
4
 Find a quiet study spot with minimal distractions. Where you study affects how
effective your study sessions are. If you are distracted by television, the
Internet, or your roommate, you won�t study as effectively as you would in a quiet
place with fewer distractions.[3]
Take advantage of the library. Find a cozy spot with light foot traffic and
start studying.
Spend the afternoon studying in a quiet coffee shop.
Study when your roommate is at work or class, and you have the place to
yourself.

Score
0 / 3

Method 1 Quiz

Why is a positive mindset important for studying?

So you can maximize your learning potential.
So that you don't become distracted.
So that you don't have to study as long.
So that you will feel positive no matter what grade you receive.
Method 2
Studying Smarter

Image titled Study More Effectively Step 5

1
Study in intervals. Long, extended study sessions with no breaks will not help
you learn information effectively. To be an effective learner, you will need to
take regular breaks as you work. Try studying in 30 minutes intervals, and taking a
5-10 minute break at the end of each interval.[4]
If you find that your concentration is starting to falter, you may have to
pause studying for the day or switch to a different subject.
Do something relaxing during your break that doesn't take too much
concentration, such as stretching or walking.
Image titled Study More Effectively Step 6
2
Quiz yourself. Use flash cards, mock quizzes, and practice exams to more
effectively learn information. Taking a test helps you learn information better
than simply re-reading the information. Try creating flash cards to quiz yourself.
You can also create, or ask your instructor for, a mock quiz or practice exam.[5]
You can create a simple mock exam for yourself by copying all of the
questions from your previous quizzes and answering them.
Consider taking a mock quiz or exam first. The topics that you struggle the
most with are the ones that you should focus on when studying.
Image titled Study More Effectively Step 7
3
Use as many senses as possible. Some people retain information better if
multiple senses are engaged in the study process. One way to incorporate multiple
senses while studying is by reading your notes out loud as you rewrite them. This
approach uses multiple senses and might help you retain information more
effectively.[6]
Image titled Study More Effectively Step 8
4
Play a memory game. Try using a song, acronym, or mnemonic device to help you
remember information. For example, if you need to memorize the notes of the treble
scale, EGBDF, you can assign the letters a set of words or phrase that is easy to
remember, like, �every good boy does fine.�[7]
Memory games don't work for everyone. If you find yourself struggling to
memorize information using this method, skip it.
Score
0 / 3

Method 2 Quiz

How can breaks during the study session help?

So you can quiz yourself on what you've reviewed.
So you can check your phone calls and text messages.
So you can digest the information you just learned.
So you can get a snack.
Method 3
Using Notes to Study

Image titled Study More Effectively Step 9

1
Rewrite your own notes. When you rewrite your notes, you are reiterating
information that you are already familiar with. This repetition can help you recall
information from the notes more effectively. Try writing a copy of your notes
before an exam or quiz to help you remember the information.[8]
Consider rewriting your notes using the same ink color that you will be
using for the exam. For example, if you'll write in blue ink, write your notes in
blue ink.
Image titled Study More Effectively Step 10
2
Put other people�s notes or outlines in your own words. It�s okay to copy
someone else�s notes once in a while, but you should put them into words and
phrases that make sense to you.[9]
Putting information into your own words can help you remember the important
stuff later on.
Image titled Study More Effectively Step 11
3
Outline the information you need to learn. Creating an outline from class notes
and materials is an active way to study your notes and other materials from the
class. Try taking your lecture notes and making an outline of the information you
took down in class.[10]
You can also incorporate information from your textbook in the outline.
4
Use your notes to teach someone. Teaching someone from your notes is a great
way to solidify the information in your own mind. Try using your notes to develop a
short lesson and ask a friend to listen to you give it. Your friend could even do
the same if they are in the same class as you, so you can both reap the benefits of
this activity.
For example, you could create a brief PowerPoint using your notes, or write
key talking points on index cards and use them to help you present the material.
5
Try the Cornell note-taking method. This method of note-taking requires you to
plug in essential answers to questions using the information in your notes. As a
result, you will be better able to retain the information in your notes.[11]

Seek tutoring if you are having trouble remembering information or taking notes. A
tutor can help you with individual subjects or help you to build study skills in
general.
Highlighting information helps so that you can remember the important parts. This
is good, especially if you are a visual learner
Spread-out learning is more effective learning.

According to research, if you really want new material to stick, the best way to
study is something called "distributed practice." That means that if you want to
master a new concept, your best bet is to study hard for a short period of time,
take a break, and then have another go at it, spreading intense bursts of learning
over a long period of time.

But while research shows this is one of the best ways to practice, it doesn't
necessary fit neatly into the usual way school days are planned. Creative teachers
could, of course, work around that to incorporate the strategy into their plans,
but according to Kent State's John Dunlosky, who led a team of psychologists to
review the evidence for a great variety of learning strategies, many teachers are
simply unaware of the benefits of distributed practice and other science-backed
techniques.

"These strategies are largely overlooked in the educational psychology textbooks

that beginning teachers read, so they don't get a good introduction to them or how
to use them while teaching," Dunlosky commented.

But while you (or your children) are unlikely to use distributed learning at
school, that doesn't mean you can't inform yourself and improve your study
techniques at home or work. The takeaway is clear: It's past time to ditch the
highlighter and take a more scientific approach to learning.

"I was shocked that some strategies that students use a lot -- such as rereading
and highlighting -- seem to provide minimal benefits to their learning and
performance. By just replacing rereading with delayed retrieval practice [i.e.,
spreading out studying], students would benefit," Dunlosky concluded

1. Learn the same information in a variety of ways.

The research (Willis, J. 2008) shows that different media stimulate different parts
of the brain. The more areas of the brain that are activated, the more likely it is
that you�ll understand and retain the information.[1]

So to learn a specific topic, you could do the following:

Read the class notes

Read the textbook
Watch a Khan Academy video
Look up other online resources
Create a mind map
Teach someone what you�ve learned
Do practice problems from a variety of sources

Of course, you won�t be able to do all of these things in one sitting. But each
time you review the topic, use a different resource or method � you�ll learn faster
this way.
2. Study multiple subjects each day, rather than focusing on just one or two
subjects.

It�s more effective to study multiple subjects each day, than to deep-dive into one
or two subjects (Rohrer, D. 2012).[2]

For example, if you�re preparing for exams in math, history, physics, and
chemistry, it�s better to study a bit of each subject every day. This approach will
help you to learn faster than by focusing on just math on Monday, history on
Tuesday, physics on Wednesday, chemistry on Thursday, and so on.

Why?

Because you�re likely to confuse similar information if you study a lot of the same
subject in one day.
So to study smart, spread out your study time for each subject. In so doing, your
brain will have more time to consolidate your learning.
3. Review the information periodically, instead of cramming.

Periodic review is essential if you want to move information from your short-term
memory to your long-term memory. This will help you get better exam grades.

As the research (Cepeda, N. 2008) shows, periodic review beats cramming hands-down.
[3]

The optimal review interval varies, depending on how long you want to retain the
information. But experience � both my own and through working with students � tells
me that the following review intervals work well (I explain the entire periodic
review system in this article):

1st review: 1 day after learning the new information

2nd review: 3 days after the 1st review
3rd review: 7 days after the 2nd review
4th review: 21 days after the 3rd review
5th review: 30 days after the 4th review
6th review: 45 days after the 5th review
7th review: 60 days after the 6th review

4. Sit at the front of the class.

classroom

If you get to choose where you sit during class, grab a seat at the front. Studies
show that students who sit at the front tend to get higher exam scores (Rennels &
Chaudhari, 1988). The average scores of students, depending on where they sat in
class, are as follows (Giles, 1982):

Front rows: 80%

Middle rows: 71.6%
Back rows: 68.1%

These findings were obtained under conditions where the seating positions were
teacher-assigned.[4] This means it�s not just a case of the more motivated students
choosing to sit at the front, and the less motivated students choosing to sit at
the back.

By sitting at the front, you�ll be able to see the board and hear the teacher more
clearly, and your concentration will improve too.

Now you know where the best seats in class are!

5. Don�t multitask.

The data is conclusive: Multitasking makes you less productive, more distracted,
and dumber.[5][6][7] The studies even show that people who claim to be good at
multitasking aren�t actually better at it than the average person.

Effective students focus on just one thing at a time. So don�t try to study while
also intermittently replying to text messages, watching TV, and checking your
Twitter feed.

Here are some suggestions to improve your concentration:

Turn off notifications on your phone

 Put your phone away, or turn it to airplane mode
Log out of all instant messaging programs
Turn off the Internet access on your computer
Use an app like Freedom
Close all of your Internet browser windows that aren�t related to the
assignment you�re working on
Clear the clutter from your study area

6. Simplify, summarize, and compress the information.

Use mnemonic devices like acronyms, as these are proven to increase learning
efficiency.[8]

Example #1

If you want to memorize the electromagnetic spectrum in order of increasing

frequency, you could use this acronym/sentence:

Raging Martians Invaded Venus Using X-ray Guns

(In order of increasing frequency, the electromagnetic spectrum is: Radio,

Microwave, Infrared, Visible, Ultraviolet, X-rays, Gamma rays.)

Example #2

Question: Stalactites and stalagmites � which ones grow from the top of the cave
and which ones grow from the ground?

Answer: Stalactites grow from the top, while stalagmites grow from the ground.

Study smart by using mnemonic devices whenever possible. In addition, you could
summarize the information into a comparison table, diagram, or mind map.[9] These
tools will help you learn the information much faster.
7. Take notes by hand, instead of using your laptop.

Scientists recommend this, and not just because you�re more likely to give in to
online distractions when using your laptop. Even when laptops are used only for
note-taking, learning is less effective (Mueller, P. 2013).[10]

Why?

Because students who take notes by hand tend to process and reframe the
information.

In contrast, laptop note-takers tend to write down what the teacher says word-for-
word, without first processing the information.

As such, students who take notes by hand perform better in tests and exams.
8. Write down your worries.

worry

Will I do well on this exam?

What if I forget the key concepts and equations?

What if the exam is harder than expected?

These kinds of thoughts probably run through your head before you take an exam. But
if these thoughts run wild, the accompanying anxiety can affect your grades.

Here�s the solution �

In one experiment,[11] researchers at the University of Chicago discovered that

students who wrote about their feelings about an upcoming exam for 10 minutes
performed better than students who didn�t. The researchers say that this technique
is especially effective for habitual worriers.

Psychologist Kitty Klein has also shown that expressive writing, in the form of
journaling, improves memory and learning.[12] Klein explains that such writing
allows students to express their negative feelings, which helps them to be less
distracted by these feelings.

To be less anxious, take 10 minutes and write down all the things related to the
upcoming exam that you�re worried about. As a result of this simple exercise,
you�ll get better grades.
9. Test yourself frequently.

Decades of research has shown that self-testing is crucial if you want to improve
your academic performance.[13]

In one experiment, University of Louisville psychologist Keith Lyle taught the same
statistics course to two groups of undergraduates.

For the first group, Lyle asked the students to complete a four- to six-question
quiz at the end of each lecture. The quiz was based on material he�d just covered.

For the second group, Lyle didn�t give the students any quizzes.

At the end of the course, Lyle discovered that the first group significantly
outperformed the second on all four midterm exams.

So don�t just passively read your textbook or your class notes. Study smart by
quizzing yourself on the key concepts and equations. And as you prepare for a test,
do as many practice questions as you can from different sources.
10. Connect what you�re learning with something you already know.

In their book, Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, scientists Henry
Roediger III and Mark A. McDaniel explain that the more strongly you relate new
concepts to concepts you already understand, the faster you�ll learn the new
information.[14]

For example, if you�re learning about electricity, you could relate it to the flow
of water. Voltage is akin to water pressure, current is akin to the flow rate of
water, a battery is akin to a pump, and so on.

Another example: You can think of white blood cells as �soldiers� that defend our
body against diseases, which are the �enemies.�

It takes time and effort to think about how to connect new information to what you
already know, but the investment is worth it.
11. Read key information out loud.

Studies have been conducted, which demonstrate that reading information out loud
helps students to learn faster than by reading silently (MacLeod CM, 2010 & Ozubko
JD, 2010).[15][16]

What�s the reason for this?

When you read information out loud, you both see and hear it. On the other hand,
when you read information silently, you only see it.

It isn�t practical to read every single word of every single set of notes out loud.
That would take way too much time.

So here�s the process I recommend:

Step 1: As you read your notes, underline the key concepts/equations. Don�t stop to
memorize these key concepts/equations; underline them and move on.

Step 2: After you�ve completed Step 1 for the entire set of notes, go back to the
underlined parts and read each key concept/equation out loud as many times as you
deem necessary. Read each concept/equation slowly.

Step 3: After you�ve done this for each of the underlined key concepts/equations,
take a three-minute break.

Step 4: When your three-minute break is over, go to each underlined

concept/equation one at a time, and cover it (either with your hand or a piece of
paper). Test yourself to see if you�ve actually memorized it.

Step 5: For the concepts/equations that you haven�t successfully memorized, repeat
Steps 2, 3, and 4.
12. Take regular study breaks.

study break

Taking regular study breaks enhances overall productivity and improves focus (Ariga
& Lleras, 2011).[17]

That�s why it isn�t a good idea to hole yourself up in your room for six hours
straight to study for an exam. You might feel like you get a lot done this way, but
the research proves otherwise. So take a 5- to 10-minute break for every 40 minutes
of work.

I recommend that you use a timer or stopwatch to remind you when to take a break
and when to get back to studying.

During your break, refrain from using your phone or computer, because these devices
prevent your mind from fully relaxing.
13. Reward yourself at the end of each study session.

Before starting a study session, set a specific reward for completing the session.
By doing this, you�ll promote memory formation and learning (Adcock RA, 2006).[18]

The reward could be something as simple as:

Going for a short walk

Eating a healthy snack
Listening to your favorite music
Stretching
Doing a couple of sets of exercise
Playing a musical instrument
Taking a shower

Reward yourself at the end of every session � you�ll study smarter and learn
faster.
14. Focus on the process, not the outcome.

Successful students concentrate on learning the information, not on trying to get a

certain grade.

Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck�s research shows that these students � [19]

Focus on effort, not the end result

Focus on the process, not on achievement
Believe they can improve � even in their weak subjects � as long as they put in
the time and hard work
Embrace challenges
Define success as pushing themselves to learn something new, not as getting
straight A�s

Not-so-successful students tend to set performance goals, while successful students

tend to set learning goals.[20]

What�s the difference between these two types of goals?

Performance goals (e.g. getting 90% on the next math test, getting into a top-
ranked school) are about looking intelligent and proving yourself to others.

In contrast, learning goals (e.g. doing three algebra problems every other day,
learning five new French words a day) are about mastery and growth.

Most schools emphasize the importance of getting a certain exam score or passing a
certain number of subjects. Ironically, if you want to meet � and surpass � these
standards, you�d be better off ignoring the desired outcome and concentrating on
the learning process instead.
15. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day.

drink water

You probably think you drink enough water, but studies show that up to 75% of
people are in a chronic state of dehydration.[21]

Dehydration is bad for your brain � and your exam grades too.

University of East London researchers have found that your brain�s overall mental
processing power decreases when you�re dehydrated (Edmonds, C. 2013).[22] Further
research has shown that dehydration even causes the grey matter in your brain to
shrink.[23]

The simple solution?

Drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Bring a water bottle wherever you go,
and drink water before you start to feel thirsty.

And if you�re taking an exam, bring a water bottle with you. Every 40 minutes or
so, drink some water. This will help you stay hydrated and improve your exam
performance. Plus, this also acts as a short break to refresh your mind.
16. Exercise at least three times a week.

Exercise is good for your body. It�s also very good for your brain.

Various studies have shown that exercise �

Improves your memory[24]

 Improves your brain function[25][26]
Reduces the occurrence of depression
Helps to prevent diseases like diabetes, cancer, and osteoporosis
Enhances your sleep quality
Reduces stress
Improves your mood[27]

Exercise is quite the miracle drug!

So to study smarter, exercise at least three times a week for 30 to 45 minutes each
time. You�ll be healthier and more energetic, and you�ll remember information
better too.
17. Sleep at least eight hours a night, and don�t pull all-nighters.

I�ve spoken to and worked with 20,000 students so far. Not a single one has told me
that he or she consistently gets eight hours of sleep a night.

�There�s just so much to do,� I hear students say, again and again. As a student,
sleep often seems more like a luxury than a necessity.

But what does the research have to say about sleep?

The research shows that if you get enough sleep, you�ll be more focused, you�ll
learn faster,[28] and your memory will improve.[29] You�ll also deal with stress
more effectively.[30]

This is a recipe for excellent grades.

So sleep at least eight hours a night. This way, your study sessions will be more
productive and you won�t need to spend as much time hitting the books.

In addition, sleep expert Dan Taylor says that learning the most difficult material
immediately before going to bed makes it easier to recall the next day.[31] So
whenever possible, arrange your schedule such that you study the hardest topic
right before you sleep.

Lastly, don�t pull all-nighters. As psychologist Pamela Thacher�s research shows,

students who pull all-nighters get lower grades and make more careless mistakes.
[32]
18. Eat blueberries.

blueberries

Blueberries are rich in flavanoids, which strengthen connections in the brain and
stimulate the regeneration of brain cells.

Researchers at the University of Reading have found that eating blueberries

improves both short-term and long-term memory (Whyte, A. & Williams, C. 2014).[33]
[34] Blueberries may also help to prevent degenerative diseases like Alzheimer�s.
19. Eat chicken and eggs.

A team of researchers from Boston University conducted a long-term study on 1,400

adults over 10 years. They found that participants who had diets high in choline
performed better on memory tests.[35]

Choline is the precursor to acetylcholine, which is essential for the formation of

new memories.

What foods are high in choline?

Chicken and eggs (the egg yolk contains 90% of the total choline in the egg[36]).

Just in case you�re worried about the high cholesterol content of egg yolks, you
can breathe a sigh of relief. Recent studies show that eggs � including the yolk �
are a healthy food for just about everyone.[37]

And if you�re a vegetarian, there are alternatives to getting choline in your diet:

Lentils
Sunflower seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Almonds
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Broccoli

20. Eat omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids are critical for brain function.[38] One experiment (Yehuda, S.
2005) also found that taking a combination of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids
reduced test anxiety in students and improved their mental concentration.[39]

Omega-3 fatty acids are linked to the prevention of high blood pressure, heart
disease, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, depression, attention
deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dementia, Alzheimer�s, asthma, colorectal
cancer, and prostate cancer.[40]

That�s an incredible list!

Here are foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids:

Salmon
Sardines
Mackerel
Trout
Flaxseed
Pumpkin seeds
Walnuts

The bottom line

This is a long article that contains a lot of information. But don�t feel
overwhelmed, because there�s no need to implement everything at one shot.

As the saying goes �

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

In the same way, to implement all 20 tips in this article, do it one tip at a time.
Focus on just one tip a week, or even one tip a month. Once you�ve turned that tip
into a habit, move on to the next one.

Throughout the process, don�t let the goal of getting straight A�s become an
unhealthy obsession. After all, education is about much more than getting good
grades

1. Teach Someone Else (Or Just Pretend To)

If you imagine that you�ll need to teach someone else the material or task you are
trying to grasp, you can speed up your learning and remember more, according to a
study done at Washington University in St. Louis. The expectation changes your
mind-set so that you engage in more effective approaches to learning than those who
simply learn to pass a test, according to John Nestojko, a postdoctoral researcher
in psychology and coauthor of the study.
"Sleeping between two learning sessions greatly improves retention."

�When teachers prepare to teach, they tend to seek out key points and organize
information into a coherent structure,� Nestojko writes. �Our results suggest that
students also turn to these types of effective learning strategies when they expect
to teach.�
2. Learn In Short Bursts of Time

Experts at the Louisiana State University�s Center for Academic Success suggest
dedicating 30-50 minutes to learning new material. �Anything less than 30 is just
not enough, but anything more than 50 is too much information for your brain to
take in at one time,� writes learning strategies graduate assistant Ellen Dunn.
Once you�re done, take a five to 10 minute break before you start another session.

Brief, frequent learning sessions are much better than longer, infrequent ones,
agrees Neil Starr, a course mentor at Western Governors University, an online
nonprofit university where the average student earns a bachelor�s degree in two and
a half years.
"Changing the way you practice a new motor skill can help you master it faster."

He recommends preparing for micro learning sessions. �Make note cards by hand for
the more difficult concepts you are trying to master,� he says. �You never know
when you�ll have some in-between time to take advantage of.�
3. Take Notes By Hand

While it�s faster to take notes on a laptop, using a pen and paper will help you
learn and comprehend better. Researchers at Princeton University and UCLA found
that when students took notes by hand, they listened more actively and were able to
identify important concepts. Taking notes on a laptop, however, leads to mindless
transcription, as well as an opportunity for distraction, such as email.

�In three studies, we found that students who took notes on laptops performed worse
on conceptual questions than students who took notes longhand,� writes coauthor and
Princeton University psychology professor Pam Mueller. �We show that whereas taking
more notes can be beneficial, laptop note takers� tendency to transcribe lectures
verbatim rather than processing information and reframing it in their own words is
detrimental to learning.�
4. Use The Power of Mental Spacing

While it sounds counterintuitive, you can learn faster when you practice
distributed learning, or �spacing.� In an interview with The New York Times,
Benedict Carey, author of How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and
Why It Happens, says learning is like watering a lawn. �You can water a lawn once a
week for 90 minutes or three times a week for 30 minutes,� he said. �Spacing out
the watering during the week will keep the lawn greener over time.�

To retain material, Carey said it�s best to review the information one to two days
after first studying it. �One theory is that the brain actually pays less attention
during short learning intervals,� he said in the interview. �So repeating the
information over a longer interval�say a few days or a week later, rather than in
rapid succession�sends a stronger signal to the brain that it needs to retain the
information.�
5. Take A Study Nap
Downtime is important when it comes to retaining what you learn, and getting sleep
in between study sessions can boost your recall up to six months later, according
to new research published in Psychological Science.

In an experiment held in France, participants were taught the Swahili translation

for 16 French words in two sessions. Participants in the �wake� group completed the
first learning session in the morning and the second session in the evening of the
same day, while participants in the �sleep� group completed the first session in
the evening, slept, and then completed the second session the following morning.
Participants who had slept between sessions recalled about 10 of the 16 words, on
average, while those who hadn�t slept recalled only about 7.5 words.

�Our results suggest that interweaving sleep between practice sessions leads to a
twofold advantage, reducing the time spent relearning and ensuring a much better
long-term retention than practice alone,� writes psychological scientist Stephanie
Mazza of the University of Lyon. �Previous research suggested that sleeping after
learning is definitely a good strategy, but now we show that sleeping between two
learning sessions greatly improves such a strategy.�
6. Change It Up

When learning a new motor skill, changing the way you practice it can help you
master it faster, according to a new study at Johns Hopkins University School of
Medicine. In an experiment, participants were asked to learn a computer-based task.
Those who used a modified learning technique during their second session performed
better than those who repeated the same method.

The findings suggest that reconsolidation�a process in which existing memories are
recalled and modified with new knowledge�plays a key role in strengthening motor
skills, writes Pablo A. Celnik, senior study author and professor of physical
medicine and rehabilitation.
5
Teach your brain to learn. Learning quickly is a habit and you might need to
work to retrain your brain for good habits instead of bad ones. Improve your focus
by doing complex tasks without breaks (even if they're unrelated). Set aside a time
and place that's just for learning and keep that place sacred. Perhaps most
importantly, find a way to make learning fun for you. This will make your brain
want to do more and you won't struggle to learn quite so much.
For example, pursue learning about the subjects that you do enjoy.
Eventually, your brain will master the learning skills and you can apply those
skills to subject areas that you don't enjoy too.

Part 2
Learning to Learn

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1
Pick a goal. Look at the changes you want to make to Measurably Improve Your
Quality of Life. Which goals require you to learn more before you can confidently
make the change you want? Look for a goal you could start on now, without too much
time required. In this case, the goal we have chosen is to take better care of our
body. Then we are going to break it down. What elements go along with taking better
care of our body?
Study as early as possible.
Get plenty of sleep
Eat healthy food
Drink plenty of water
Get exercise
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 2
Research options for learning.
Brainstorm criteria for which options you are attracted to and which you
are not. Are you interested in researching on the internet? Do you want to talk
with a nutritionist or a fitness instructor? If you have difficulty when paying
attention while reading, would magazine articles be an effective option for
learning?
Trust your intuition. If heading down a certain path doesn't feel right,
don't go that way! If you begin reading on ways to improve your sleep habits, and
the information is not something you would be willing to use in your own life, then
stop reading, and find a different resource. Do not continue simply because it is
information coming from an �expert� or because �everyone is doing it�. The
information has to be useful to you.
Refine your goal with research. As you begin to look into ways to take
better care of your body you may discover there is one element that you really want
to focus on. This narrows your goal from �I want to take better care of my body� to
�I want to take better care of my body by eating a healthier diet.�
Find someone who has done what you want to do and have them show you. If
you know someone who has changed elements of their lifestyle, such as exercising
more or implementing a healthier way of eating, talk to them. Find out what they
did, how they did it and where they found their information.
Do research on the internet, take a class, interview others, and find a
mentor. Try out different varieties of learning to see which one works best for
you.
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3
Choose the best option.
Pick something that is possible to do in your environment, that you can
work on constructively within your timeframe, and that you can do successfully with
the energy and attention you have. Do not decide to take a nutrition class if you
are already pressed for time and won�t have time to attend. Instead, take a smaller
piece, such as following a nutritional plan. Whatever it is, it needs to be
something you can effectively add to your life.
Consider time constraints, geographic constraints, and your mental state.
Do not bring more stress to your life by taking on more than what works for your
life circumstances. Learning should add to the quality of your life, not take away
from it.
Schedule a time of day for learning and practicing what you learn. Having a
set time for learning can help motivate you to continue the process.
Develop the habit of paying attention to what you want to learn or improve
upon. "Emotions drive attention. Attention drives learning." Pay attention to your
emotional reactions. If you are researching exercise options and find yourself
resisting, explore why. What is it about exercising that is causing the reaction?
There is a reason for resisting the learning experience.
Don't become overwhelmed with all the choices. Sometimes we become
distracted and overwhelmed by wanting to choose the �right� option. There is no
�right� or �wrong�; it is about what works for you. Just pick one and try it! If it
doesn�t work, then pick another one.
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4
Experiment with learning. To effectively conduct an experiment you need to have
a plan, a way to evaluate if the experiment is working and a time to reflect on the
process and outcome. The learning process works the same way.
Setting a specific criteria allows you to see if you have met it or not.
When deciding on a nutritional plan do I want it to include 3 meals a day or do I
need it to cover several smaller meals throughout the day?
Be sure to have a method for keeping track of progress. Use whatever tools
you have! Notebooks, phone, apps, computer, internet, calendar, blogs, etc.
Keep reflecting on your progress. Do I still need more information or do I
have what I need to begin a new sleep routine?
Set milestones and stick to them. I want to find 3 new healthy dinner
recipes to incorporate into my nutrition plan.
Image titled Avoid Repeating the Old Same Mistakes All over Again Step 14
5
Evaluate your results and milestones.
Did you reach them? Did you learn enough to implement a new exercise plan?
Have you found an effective way to improve your sleep habits?
A reminder in your calendar will prompt you to reflect. Set a �check-in�
date to evaluate the information you have learned; see if it is effective; is there
is more you have realized that you need to know. What worked and what didn't? Why?
Image titled Avoid Repeating the Old Same Mistakes All over Again Step 10
6
Refine your approach. If the learning approach you chose worked, then keep
going with it. If not, go back and pick a different one and start experimenting!

Part 3
Learning in School

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1
Pay attention when you learn things for the first time. The best way to learn
faster is to make sure that you're really paying attention when things are
explained to you the first time. Even the smallest break in your focus can cause
the information not to settle properly in your brain. Unfortunately, there are few
tricks for this: you'll mostly need to learn how to maintain willpower.
Try listening with the idea that you will have to answer a question
immediately about the material, such as your teacher calling on you, or so that you
can repeat the information back to yourself. In fact, if you're on your own,
repeating the information back to yourself (paraphrased and in your own words) can
help to anchor the information in your brain.
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2
Take notes. Taking notes is another great way to maintain your focus as you
learn the material the first time. Taking notes not only forces you to think about
the material you're learning, it also give you a framework to study from later.
Taking notes doesn't mean writing down everything that is said. All you
have to do is write down the broad outline, with specific information when you know
it's important. Write down major facts and any explanations that you either have a
hard time understanding or you know you won't remember because they are very
complicated.
Image titled Be Quiet During Class Step 16
3
Participate in class. Stay active in your learning experience. This will not
only help you stay focused, it will also help your brain absorb the information
better because it becomes a multi-sensory experience, rather than you just
listening to someone talk. There are lots of ways to participate in your learning
experience, from getting active in group work to asking questions during the
lecture.
Try to answer questions when the teacher asks. Don�t worry about being
wrong: this is a learning experience and being wrong sometimes is a part of the
process.
When you�re split up into groups in order to do activities, reading, or
discussion, really embrace the experience and participate. Don�t just sit quietly
and do as little as possible. Engage your fellow students and ask them questions,
give your opinions, and enjoy the experience.
Ask questions when you don't understand or want to know more. Asking
questions is another great way to stay focused as you learn material, plus it will
also help make sure that you really understand what you're learning. When you don't
understand what your teacher said or when you think something is interesting and
want to know more, don't be afraid to ask.
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4
Create a helpful environment. If your lab partner is a huge nuisance or your
place to study at home is in front of the TV, then it's probably no surprise that
you're having trouble learning quickly. You'll need a quiet environment that's
dedicated to studying if you want to give your brain the best chance at learning
the information. Having a quiet, distraction-free environment means that you won't
get distracted. Having a place set aside for studying and learning can also help,
because it triggers your brain into working in a particular way.
If your classroom environment is a problem, ask your teacher for help. You
might be able to move seats or work with someone else. If your home environment is
the problem, find unique places to study. You can go to a library if there's one
close enough. You can also do things like study in your bathroom or really early in
the morning, if you have noisy roommates.
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5
Work with your learning style. Learning styles are the different ways in which
our brains best absorb information. There are many different learning styles and
while we all can learn using every learning style, there are usually one or two
that work best for an individual. You can take online tests to help gauge what your
learning style might be, but if you have a teacher available to help you, they
should be able to help you figure it out. You can even talk to them about adding
more of that learning style to how they teach.
For example, if you find that you learn best when you can look at charts
and graphs, you might be a visual learner. Try studying by drawing up your own
infographics, to help you remember the information more.
Do you find that you remember how things sound or that you can clearly
remember what you were reading as you listened to a particular song? If so, you
might be an auditory learner. Try recording your class lectures to listen to before
and after you study, or even while you study if the information is very clearly the
same.
Do you sit in the classroom feeling like you might burst because you need
to go for a run? Do you absent-mindedly tap your foot while you listen to lectures?
You might be a physical learner. Try fiddling with a small object during class or
go for a walk while you study, to help you learn faster.
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6
Learn in the right way for the type of material you�re working with. Different
kinds of subjects are learned better in different ways. You might not be studying
for the subject you want to learn in the most helpful way. Adjust how you study so
that you�re learning the right skills in a way that works with your brain.
For example, our brains are designed to learn language through
interactions, listening, and usage. You�ll learn English much faster if you immerse
yourself and spend time speaking it, rather than just looking at flash cards. If
you need more help learning English faster, see our article on the topic here.
Another example is with learning math. Instead of just solving the same
problems and looking at the same examples over and over again, look and solve lots
of different problems that use the same skills.[4] Doing problems with related but
different skills can also help solidify your understanding of what you�re trying to
learn.
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7
Get evaluated for a learning disability. If you really find that you can�t
focus while learning or that your brain doesn�t seem to absorb any of the
information, even with help and different techniques, then you might want to
consider getting evaluated for a learning disability. There are lots of learning
disabilities and most are fairly common (it is estimated that as much as 1 out of
every 5 people in the US have one[5]). They don�t mean that you�re stupid or that
there�s something wrong with you, it just means that you learn in a slightly
different way. Common learning disabilities include:
Dyslexia, which causes problems with reading. If you find that your eyes
can�t track properly as they move across a page, you might have dyslexia.
Dyslexia-related disorders like dysgraphia and dyscalculia which cause
similar problems with writing and math. If you find it difficult to write about
something but you can easily talk about it, you might have dysgraphia. If you have
trouble recognizing numbers or doing things like estimating costs, you might have
dyscalculia.
Central Auditory Process Disorder is another common learning disability
which makes it difficult for sufferers to process sounds. It's similar to deafness,
but without any hearing loss, and can lead to problems following conversations and
focusing when background sounds are present.

Part 4
Reviewing Material Efficiently

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1
Study as soon as possible and as frequently as you can. Of course, the more you
study, the more you'll learn, so studying frequently is a good idea. But the sooner
you start studying, the easier it will also be for you to remember everything. This
means that you shouldn't start studying two or three days before an exam. Start
work at least a week before an exam; and consider just studying continuously
throughout the quarter if you feel like you need to.
It's a good idea to go back over old information at the same time that you
go over the information from this week too. This will help keep those older ideas
and skills fresh in your mind so that you can build on them.
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2
Get help from a tutor or your teacher. There's nothing wrong with getting some
help and getting expert advice that's tailored to your situation. It can seriously
help you learn much faster. Put aside your shyness and your pride and ask your
teacher for help. If they don't have time to help you, they should be able to help
you at least find a tutor.
If you don't have money for a tutor, your teacher might be able to set you
up with someone in your class who is doing well and can help you out.
Many schools also have free tutoring centers. Check those out if they're
available.
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3
Make a mind map to speed up your studying. A mind map is a great way to burn
whatever information you're trying to learn straight into your brain. A mind map is
a visual representation of what you're trying to learn. Use note-cards, pictures,
and sheets of paper to write out facts, explanations, and organized concepts. Now,
pin the items on a wall or lay them out on a floor, placing similar items together
and using string or other items to indicate linked ideas and subjects. Study from
this map instead of just looking at your notes.
When you go to take a test or write a paper, you'll be able to think back
to your mind map and remember the information based on where it was and what it was
connected to, just like how you can remember where things are on a geographical
map.
Image titled Write Information in a Cornell Outline Format Step 6
4
Memorize efficiently to lock in information fast. Memorizing isn't always the
most foolproof technique, but it can help if you need to learn certain kinds of
information very quickly. Memorization works best for lists of things, like what
order actions should be done in or vocabulary words. Systematic memorization of
more complex material is unlikely to be successful.
Try using mnemonics in order to learn information more quickly. Mnemonics
are phrases or words with act like a key to larger amounts of information. For
example, the mnemonic phrase "My very eccentric mother's jazz singing usually
nauseates."
Focus on small sections at a time. When you're learning and studying, it's
a good idea to get as comfortable with small sets of information before moving on
to new ones. You may feel like this goes slower but it's actually faster because
you won't need to go back over the information as much. This is especially
important when you're trying to memorize vocabulary, lists, and other similar types
of information. Work on sets of words no more than 5-8 at a time before moving on
to the next one.
Image titled Write Information in a Cornell Outline Format Step 11
5
Give yourself context that you find interesting. When you have context for
information, it becomes much easier for you to process. When that context is really
interesting to you, it also makes the information easier to remember. Do your own
research and look for experiences which can help you to contextualize the things
you're trying to learn.
Let's say you're trying to learn English. Try watching a movie that you're
interested in that covers a similar subject to the particular area of vocabulary
that you're trying to learn at the moment. So, for example, if you're learning
travel words, try watching Lost in Translation.
Another example would be if you're trying to study for a history class.
Find a documentary on the subject you're learning about or even one which just
shows the country you're studying. Even just having visuals to go along with the
stories will help you remember the information because it becomes easier to
imagine.

Tips

Don't settle on your first option for learning. Explore all options before
making your choice.
One way to think of what counts as "learning" comes from renown psychologist
Robert Bjork: "Learning is the ability to use information after significant periods
of disuse, and it is the ability to use the information to solve problems that
arise in a context different (if only slightly) from the context in which the
information was originally taught." [6]
After you read a particular topic, try to say it out loud without seeing it and
simplify it as much as you can so that it feels as if you were explaining it to
someone. It will help retain that information for a longer period.
If you pay attention in class you get 60percent of the material into your brain
. if you go home and read the material once in your house you get the other forty
percent.so paying attention in class will help you a lot.
Aim your goal every day and make a habit of making notes in the class, as it
will help you in future.
Before you are going to study tidy up your rooms, bed table and also open the
windows that gives you much fresh air (neither it is a city or town no need) open
the window that next to garden or park or trees or anything else that you give
confidence and have a tea or coffee before studying and you could eat vegetables or
fruits and put all your study materials like pen, pencil, eraser, sharpener, scale
etc... And also buy or use a fluorescent marker for marking the imp.

Warnings

Use it or lose it! Find opportunities to use and practice what you learned. Be
opportunistic. If you are learning a healthier way of eating, show a friend or
family member how they can make healthier eating choices
 1
Figure out your learning style. In order to start learning effectively, it's
imperative that you know how you learn. There are three types of learning styles
and most people fall clearly into one category. Even if you are about evenly split
between two, it's advantageous to know what doesn't work as well.
Visual learners learn primarily by seeing and watching. They tend to sit in
front of the class, are neat and clean, and often close their eyes to remember or
visualize something. They benefit from images, illustrations, videos, colors, and
prefer to see the content they are learning.
Aural learners are more successful in learning by hearing and listening.
They often sit where they can hear, but not necessarily where they can see, hum or
talk to themselves when bored, find themselves reading aloud and remembering by
verbalizing lessons or information. They'd rather talk than write and relish the
opportunity to discuss what they've learned.
Kinesthetic learners learn best by touching and doing. They need to be
active, take frequent breaks, and are often caught using their hands and gesturing
while talking. They enjoy activities that manipulate materials, like cooking,
construction, and engineering and will tinker or move around when bored.
Which of these describes you? If you can't tell, do some research
online, consult your professors, or read up on learning styles.
Image titled Determine Your Child's Learning Style Step 1
2
Understand the differences. Each learner needs different things to adequately
conceptualize and retain the information they are given. If a visual learner is
told to remember something, they most likely won't. If a kinesthetic learner
watches a movie on how to do something, they might not be able to do it. Neither is
less intelligent than the other--they just aren't tuned into their optimal learning
style.
Learning abilities don't stop in the classroom. Styles even invade the way
we talk! Look for key examples found in dialogue: A visual learner might say, "This
looks good." His or her aural counterpart would say, "This sounds good." "I hear
you," versus "I see what you're saying." If you are conflicted as to what your
style is, tune into your words--or ask others to keep an ear (an eye?) out for you!

Method 2
Visual Learners

Image titled Learn Step 3

1
Use written materials and exercises. Now that you know you learn by seeing and
watching, utilize this knowledge. Write down what you hear, translating the aural
into the visual.
If your teacher shows you a movie or is talking about specific points on a
test, write it down. After you write it down, look over it twice. Start speaking
your brain's preferred language.
If your teacher uses slides while lecturing, it's important to concentrate
on the slides. You'll be less likely to remember what he/she said, but you will
remember what you saw on the screen.
Image titled Learn Step 4
2
Use boards, models, and flip charts. Take what you're trying to learn and let
your eyes use it. This may involve an extra step, but your test scores will
certainly lap it up.
Did your professor just say English was 30% French, 30% Latin, 25%
Germanic, and 15% other? Great! Pie chart it is! Now, what color do you associate
with each?
Hone your artsy side. Need to know when the Model T was introduced? Draw a
license plate on the back of a car. The number reads 1011908, for October 1st,
1908. Get creative.
 Image titled Learn Step 5
3
Take good notes. Every teacher will stress, "Don't write down everything I say!
You'll get so far behind!" Well, you're not an aural learner anyway, so why would
you remember what they said?
If your teacher goes much too fast for you to write anything legible, ask
them for notes or an outline on their materials. They will love your enthusiasm.
You could always write what you learned on wikiHow!

Method 3
Aural Learners

Image titled Learn Step 6

1
Tape record lectures. Fortunately for you, this does not mean carrying around a
large dark box anymore. Whip out your smart phone, press a few buttons, and voila.
It's aural history whenever you need it.
It may be best to warn your teachers or professors of the methods you're
employing. Otherwise you risk your phone (or other device) being taken away.
Explain that this is the best way you learn and they will be highly unlikely to say
no.
Image titled Learn Step 7
2
Ask questions. As you listen to your teacher discuss the topic at hand, engage.
Listening to them speak is one thing, but listening to yourself speak is another.
You know how it's always so easy to remember the dumb things we've said? Well, it's
easier to remember the questions we asked in Biology class, too.
If you're a little crowd shy, do this after class! Your teacher will love
the 5 minutes you took out of your day to express interest in their topic of
expertise. The one-on-one time may even be more in-depth and interesting to boot.
Image titled Learn Step 8
3
Participate in small groups. Whatever it takes, get yourself (and others)
talking. Small groups force the topic at hand to be discussed instead of seen or
written down and ignored.
If your teachers aren't keen on pair or group work, join a study group.
There are always students looking to improve their grades and get the information
down pat. Not only will you get a chance to talk about the material, you'll be able
to bounce ideas off of each other and meet new people as well.
If the two options above don't seem feasible, talk about your schoolwork at
home. Grab your mom and teach her about exothermic reactions or grab your roommate
and see how much they actually know about WWII. When it's test time, you won't
wonder what Professor Feeny said about The Catcher in the Rye, you'll remember your
little sister asking you how the book was about baseball and how her soon-to-come
loss of innocence reminded you of Phoebe and...there it is. You knew it all along!
Just had to jog your memory.

Method 4
Kinesthetic Learners

Image titled Learn Step 9

1
Demonstrate a concept. Take to using your hands. Whether it's at home or in the
classroom, get involved. Be the first to light the Bunsen burner and volunteer to
dissect that cow's eyeball.
Take any concept and make it concrete and malleable. Learning about DNA?
Grab your legos and make a replica of the double helix.
It doesn't have to stop at math and science. Take an excerpt from any book
and act it out. Don't necessarily don a scarlet "A" to school, but do make the book
come alive. Heck, grab your conch shell and vote someone off the school lunch
table--everyone will remember that.
Image titled Learn Step 10
2
Underline and highlight. A lot of teachers love to see their students take
notes. While this isn't the best way for you to learn, make it work with
underlining and highlighting.
Work with different colors. Keep a code that means something to you. For
dates, purple. For beliefs, green. For theories, yellow. Get a system to make your
notes more memorable.
Image titled Learn Step 11
3
Get involved physically. Join an after school science club or develop your own
learning habits. You don't have to wait to do it in class, disassemble and
reassemble that computer on your own time!
Take your own field trips. Some schools don't utilize the resources of
their community. If yours doesn't, visit your local art, history, or science
museums, live theatres, and display exhibits. Educational tools are often free or
offered at a reduced price for students. Most things will be hands-on and more
kinesthetic than your average classroom.

Method 5
For All Learners

Image titled Learn Step 12

1
Study in the testing room. Though it may seem far-fetched, students often do
better on a test when a test is taken in the room they received the information.
This is called context-dependent memory.
A study at Iowa State University (one of many) garnered results that
matched this theory across the board. And get this: their conditions were silent
and noisy. Those who received the information in a silent context recalled the
information quicker and more accurately in a silent context; those who received the
information in a noisy context recalled easier in a noisy context[1]. No matter
what your conditions, keep them constant. Study in the testing room to get the
closest context possible.
Image titled Learn Step 13
2
Keep your physiological states constant. Now that we've covered context-
dependent learning, let's venture to state-dependent learning. You guessed it,
you'll recall better if you're in the same state (of mind, body, etc.) than if
you're not. Take a look:
A recent study at Bonaventure University found that congruent (the same)
states heightened recall and incongruent states heightened false memories[2]. That
is, in the same state, you're likely to recall things that are more accurate. In
different states, you're more likely to recall things that are just plain not true
Funnily enough, alcohol works the same way. In an old issue of Science
Magazine, an article studied sobriety and recall. Those (men) who were drunk during
the learning session performed better at the recall session if they ingested
similar levels of alcohol [3].
It is not advocated to go drunk to class. What is advocated is to
develop a routine and stick to it. If you learned the information while wearing
purple and on a coffee high, take the test while wearing purple and on a coffee
high.
Image titled Learn Step 14
3
Be patient. Changing how you learn doesn't come overnight. What's more, certain
topics are going to come easier to you than others. Keeping an open mind will make
it easier to persevere in the face of difficulty.
 Don't be ashamed to ask for help. If you know someone who's an expert on a
topic you're studying, hit them up! They'd love to bestow their knowledge on
someone else. Whether it's friends, family, or mentors, tap into the resources you
have around you.
Image titled Learn Step 15
4
Find what you enjoy. No one is good at absolutely everything. Finding what you
enjoy and sticking to that will make your academic outlook more positive.
Take what you love and make it applicable to what you're studying. Super
into billiards and film but not so into geometry? For a school project, shoot a
video using the diamonds on the table and sink shots from ridiculous angles. Love
music but can't stand Shakespeare? Take the opening monologue from Romeo and Juliet
and put it to Beyonc�'s Bootylicious. Do whatever you have to do to make it
memorable and fun.
Image titled Learn Step 16
5
Watch TV. That's right, TV. There are tons of channels that are educational
"edutainment." Discovery, National Geographic, and the History Channel (just to
name a few) are great resources to tap into.
Do you have Netflix? Ever taken time to scroll down that main page just a
bit? Documentaries abound! And if you don't have Netflix, there are many websites
that offer high-quality documentaries for free. All you have to do is surf the
internet to find them.
Image titled Learn Step 17
6
Go online. Just because your professor speaks in a monotone, coughs, or adjusts
his mustache every 7th word doesn't necessarily mean the material is boring. Go
online to find the same information put in a way you can understand and appreciate.
KhanAcademy[4], Memrise[5], and AcademicEarth[6] are all great starting
points.
Let's not forget YouTube and wikiHow! Cough, cough...
Image titled Learn Step 18
7
Go above and beyond. Learning doesn't have to stop at 3 pm on Friday. If you
find something that ignites a fire in you, keep with it! With technology nowadays,
you don't even have to pay for it.
iTunesU[7], Coursera[8], and many university websites offer audio and/or
video lectures. With Coursera, you even get a certificate upon completion! And it's
all free!
Image titled Learn Step 19
8
Take time to internalize what you learn. Taking gaps while learning a new thing
or skill helps one have a deeper grasp over it[9]. Its cause mind(sub-conscious)
and body(muscle memory) have enough time to absorb or adapt or align to the new
skill you are trying to learn.
Try this experiment. To learn a new habit or skill quickly and efficiently,
consciously practice it and then follow up with a gap or break, before consciously
practicing it again. Follow this cycle and see for yourself how it improves your
learning curve. For example: To learn how to drive a car, practice on the wheel for
sometime (let's say an hour) and then take a gap (let's say, 1-24 hours) before
coming back to practice again. The gaps like this could be called as micro gaps as
they are being used in shorter scheme of events.
Since some skills like martial arts, programming, movie making etc, require
years of practice so in longer scheme of events taking 'macro gaps' can be quite
fruitful. Suppose you want to learn a particular style of martial arts so take
advantage of macro gaps for better learning. For example: Go to class for few days
a week followed by a gap of 2-3 days(to internalize), and follow the same cycle
again. Of course you can take micro gaps in these macro gaps, like taking breaks
during the class, time between two classes etc. You can use Macro gaps for even
longer scheme of events. For example: going to classes for 3 weeks in a row and
then taking a week off from the practice. Again, of course, you can take micro gaps
in between these macro gaps.
The numbers above are just to give an idea and could vary for different
people. Its cause everyone's different, have different learning curves,
personalities, openness to new things and so on. So don't compare yourself with
anyone and accept your personality, learning curve etc. Also the usage of the terms
'macro gaps' and 'micro gaps' is just for explanation purposes, so don't get stuck
on them and make it a structure. Instead look beyond them as true intelligence is
structure-less. Read Become Mentally Flexible for more depth.
Keep a balance. Don't make the gaps too small or too long. As small gaps
wouldn't give body and mind enough time to internalize while too long gaps could
lead you to forget about the concepts of new skill. So calibrate and iterate to get
a better idea of personality and learning curve.

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How to Learn
Author Info

In this Article:Article SummaryKnow Your StyleVisual LearnersAural

LearnersKinesthetic LearnersFor All LearnersCommunity Q&A9 References

Do you have problems learning? Can't pass those tests? It may be that you (and your
teachers) aren't tuning into the most effective way of learning for you. Here are
some ideas and tricks you can play on your brain that will help.
Method 1
Know Your Style

Image titled Learn Step 1

1
Figure out your learning style. In order to start learning effectively, it's
imperative that you know how you learn. There are three types of learning styles
and most people fall clearly into one category. Even if you are about evenly split
between two, it's advantageous to know what doesn't work as well.
Visual learners learn primarily by seeing and watching. They tend to sit in
front of the class, are neat and clean, and often close their eyes to remember or
visualize something. They benefit from images, illustrations, videos, colors, and
prefer to see the content they are learning.
Aural learners are more successful in learning by hearing and listening.
They often sit where they can hear, but not necessarily where they can see, hum or
talk to themselves when bored, find themselves reading aloud and remembering by
verbalizing lessons or information. They'd rather talk than write and relish the
opportunity to discuss what they've learned.
Kinesthetic learners learn best by touching and doing. They need to be
active, take frequent breaks, and are often caught using their hands and gesturing
while talking. They enjoy activities that manipulate materials, like cooking,
construction, and engineering and will tinker or move around when bored.
Which of these describes you? If you can't tell, do some research
online, consult your professors, or read up on learning styles.
 Image titled Determine Your Child's Learning Style Step 1
2
Understand the differences. Each learner needs different things to adequately
conceptualize and retain the information they are given. If a visual learner is
told to remember something, they most likely won't. If a kinesthetic learner
watches a movie on how to do something, they might not be able to do it. Neither is
less intelligent than the other--they just aren't tuned into their optimal learning
style.
Learning abilities don't stop in the classroom. Styles even invade the way
we talk! Look for key examples found in dialogue: A visual learner might say, "This
looks good." His or her aural counterpart would say, "This sounds good." "I hear
you," versus "I see what you're saying." If you are conflicted as to what your
style is, tune into your words--or ask others to keep an ear (an eye?) out for you!

Method 2
Visual Learners

Image titled Learn Step 3

1
Use written materials and exercises. Now that you know you learn by seeing and
watching, utilize this knowledge. Write down what you hear, translating the aural
into the visual.
If your teacher shows you a movie or is talking about specific points on a
test, write it down. After you write it down, look over it twice. Start speaking
your brain's preferred language.
If your teacher uses slides while lecturing, it's important to concentrate
on the slides. You'll be less likely to remember what he/she said, but you will
remember what you saw on the screen.
Image titled Learn Step 4
2
Use boards, models, and flip charts. Take what you're trying to learn and let
your eyes use it. This may involve an extra step, but your test scores will
certainly lap it up.
Did your professor just say English was 30% French, 30% Latin, 25%
Germanic, and 15% other? Great! Pie chart it is! Now, what color do you associate
with each?
Hone your artsy side. Need to know when the Model T was introduced? Draw a
license plate on the back of a car. The number reads 1011908, for October 1st,
1908. Get creative.
Image titled Learn Step 5
3
Take good notes. Every teacher will stress, "Don't write down everything I say!
You'll get so far behind!" Well, you're not an aural learner anyway, so why would
you remember what they said?
If your teacher goes much too fast for you to write anything legible, ask
them for notes or an outline on their materials. They will love your enthusiasm.
You could always write what you learned on wikiHow!

Method 3
Aural Learners

Image titled Learn Step 6

1
Tape record lectures. Fortunately for you, this does not mean carrying around a
large dark box anymore. Whip out your smart phone, press a few buttons, and voila.
It's aural history whenever you need it.
It may be best to warn your teachers or professors of the methods you're
employing. Otherwise you risk your phone (or other device) being taken away.
Explain that this is the best way you learn and they will be highly unlikely to say
no.
Image titled Learn Step 7
2
Ask questions. As you listen to your teacher discuss the topic at hand, engage.
Listening to them speak is one thing, but listening to yourself speak is another.
You know how it's always so easy to remember the dumb things we've said? Well, it's
easier to remember the questions we asked in Biology class, too.
If you're a little crowd shy, do this after class! Your teacher will love
the 5 minutes you took out of your day to express interest in their topic of
expertise. The one-on-one time may even be more in-depth and interesting to boot.
Image titled Learn Step 8
3
Participate in small groups. Whatever it takes, get yourself (and others)
talking. Small groups force the topic at hand to be discussed instead of seen or
written down and ignored.
If your teachers aren't keen on pair or group work, join a study group.
There are always students looking to improve their grades and get the information
down pat. Not only will you get a chance to talk about the material, you'll be able
to bounce ideas off of each other and meet new people as well.
If the two options above don't seem feasible, talk about your schoolwork at
home. Grab your mom and teach her about exothermic reactions or grab your roommate
and see how much they actually know about WWII. When it's test time, you won't
wonder what Professor Feeny said about The Catcher in the Rye, you'll remember your
little sister asking you how the book was about baseball and how her soon-to-come
loss of innocence reminded you of Phoebe and...there it is. You knew it all along!
Just had to jog your memory.

Method 4
Kinesthetic Learners

Image titled Learn Step 9

1
Demonstrate a concept. Take to using your hands. Whether it's at home or in the
classroom, get involved. Be the first to light the Bunsen burner and volunteer to
dissect that cow's eyeball.
Take any concept and make it concrete and malleable. Learning about DNA?
Grab your legos and make a replica of the double helix.
It doesn't have to stop at math and science. Take an excerpt from any book
and act it out. Don't necessarily don a scarlet "A" to school, but do make the book
come alive. Heck, grab your conch shell and vote someone off the school lunch
table--everyone will remember that.
Image titled Learn Step 10
2
Underline and highlight. A lot of teachers love to see their students take
notes. While this isn't the best way for you to learn, make it work with
underlining and highlighting.
Work with different colors. Keep a code that means something to you. For
dates, purple. For beliefs, green. For theories, yellow. Get a system to make your
notes more memorable.
Image titled Learn Step 11
3
Get involved physically. Join an after school science club or develop your own
learning habits. You don't have to wait to do it in class, disassemble and
reassemble that computer on your own time!
Take your own field trips. Some schools don't utilize the resources of
their community. If yours doesn't, visit your local art, history, or science
museums, live theatres, and display exhibits. Educational tools are often free or
offered at a reduced price for students. Most things will be hands-on and more
kinesthetic than your average classroom.
Method 5
For All Learners

Image titled Learn Step 12

1
Study in the testing room. Though it may seem far-fetched, students often do
better on a test when a test is taken in the room they received the information.
This is called context-dependent memory.
A study at Iowa State University (one of many) garnered results that
matched this theory across the board. And get this: their conditions were silent
and noisy. Those who received the information in a silent context recalled the
information quicker and more accurately in a silent context; those who received the
information in a noisy context recalled easier in a noisy context[1]. No matter
what your conditions, keep them constant. Study in the testing room to get the
closest context possible.
Image titled Learn Step 13
2
Keep your physiological states constant. Now that we've covered context-
dependent learning, let's venture to state-dependent learning. You guessed it,
you'll recall better if you're in the same state (of mind, body, etc.) than if
you're not. Take a look:
A recent study at Bonaventure University found that congruent (the same)
states heightened recall and incongruent states heightened false memories[2]. That
is, in the same state, you're likely to recall things that are more accurate. In
different states, you're more likely to recall things that are just plain not true
Funnily enough, alcohol works the same way. In an old issue of Science
Magazine, an article studied sobriety and recall. Those (men) who were drunk during
the learning session performed better at the recall session if they ingested
similar levels of alcohol [3].
It is not advocated to go drunk to class. What is advocated is to
develop a routine and stick to it. If you learned the information while wearing
purple and on a coffee high, take the test while wearing purple and on a coffee
high.
Image titled Learn Step 14
3
Be patient. Changing how you learn doesn't come overnight. What's more, certain
topics are going to come easier to you than others. Keeping an open mind will make
it easier to persevere in the face of difficulty.
Don't be ashamed to ask for help. If you know someone who's an expert on a
topic you're studying, hit them up! They'd love to bestow their knowledge on
someone else. Whether it's friends, family, or mentors, tap into the resources you
have around you.
Image titled Learn Step 15
4
Find what you enjoy. No one is good at absolutely everything. Finding what you
enjoy and sticking to that will make your academic outlook more positive.
Take what you love and make it applicable to what you're studying. Super
into billiards and film but not so into geometry? For a school project, shoot a
video using the diamonds on the table and sink shots from ridiculous angles. Love
music but can't stand Shakespeare? Take the opening monologue from Romeo and Juliet
and put it to Beyonc�'s Bootylicious. Do whatever you have to do to make it
memorable and fun.
Image titled Learn Step 16
5
Watch TV. That's right, TV. There are tons of channels that are educational
"edutainment." Discovery, National Geographic, and the History Channel (just to
name a few) are great resources to tap into.
Do you have Netflix? Ever taken time to scroll down that main page just a
bit? Documentaries abound! And if you don't have Netflix, there are many websites
that offer high-quality documentaries for free. All you have to do is surf the
internet to find them.
Image titled Learn Step 17
6
Go online. Just because your professor speaks in a monotone, coughs, or adjusts
his mustache every 7th word doesn't necessarily mean the material is boring. Go
online to find the same information put in a way you can understand and appreciate.
KhanAcademy[4], Memrise[5], and AcademicEarth[6] are all great starting
points.
Let's not forget YouTube and wikiHow! Cough, cough...
Image titled Learn Step 18
7
Go above and beyond. Learning doesn't have to stop at 3 pm on Friday. If you
find something that ignites a fire in you, keep with it! With technology nowadays,
you don't even have to pay for it.
iTunesU[7], Coursera[8], and many university websites offer audio and/or
video lectures. With Coursera, you even get a certificate upon completion! And it's
all free!
Image titled Learn Step 19
8
Take time to internalize what you learn. Taking gaps while learning a new thing
or skill helps one have a deeper grasp over it[9]. Its cause mind(sub-conscious)
and body(muscle memory) have enough time to absorb or adapt or align to the new
skill you are trying to learn.
Try this experiment. To learn a new habit or skill quickly and efficiently,
consciously practice it and then follow up with a gap or break, before consciously
practicing it again. Follow this cycle and see for yourself how it improves your
learning curve. For example: To learn how to drive a car, practice on the wheel for
sometime (let's say an hour) and then take a gap (let's say, 1-24 hours) before
coming back to practice again. The gaps like this could be called as micro gaps as
they are being used in shorter scheme of events.
Since some skills like martial arts, programming, movie making etc, require
years of practice so in longer scheme of events taking 'macro gaps' can be quite
fruitful. Suppose you want to learn a particular style of martial arts so take
advantage of macro gaps for better learning. For example: Go to class for few days
a week followed by a gap of 2-3 days(to internalize), and follow the same cycle
again. Of course you can take micro gaps in these macro gaps, like taking breaks
during the class, time between two classes etc. You can use Macro gaps for even
longer scheme of events. For example: going to classes for 3 weeks in a row and
then taking a week off from the practice. Again, of course, you can take micro gaps
in between these macro gaps.
The numbers above are just to give an idea and could vary for different
people. Its cause everyone's different, have different learning curves,
personalities, openness to new things and so on. So don't compare yourself with
anyone and accept your personality, learning curve etc. Also the usage of the terms
'macro gaps' and 'micro gaps' is just for explanation purposes, so don't get stuck
on them and make it a structure. Instead look beyond them as true intelligence is
structure-less. Read Become Mentally Flexible for more depth.
Keep a balance. Don't make the gaps too small or too long. As small gaps
wouldn't give body and mind enough time to internalize while too long gaps could
lead you to forget about the concepts of new skill. So calibrate and iterate to get
a better idea of personality and learning curve.

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Community Q&A

Question
What is a good time and place to study?
SmartNerd2
Community Answer
Wherever you feel you can focus and get work done is the best place to study. A
quiet environment usually is the best place to study, but it depends on the person.
Try a library or an empty room. Study whenever you have time, so you're not in a
rush to study quickly.
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What is the best time to take a break (like every 1 or 2 hours)?
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Every 50 minutes is often a good time to take a break.
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Why would my son forget what he learned in elementary school instead of
maintaining and adding to it?
wikiHow Contributor
Community Answer
Perhaps he never learned it well the first time, or he doesn't practice his
skills enough. He may need a tutor or some extra help. The more he practices, the
more he's likely to recall.
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How many times should a person read?
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Read as many times as it takes to learn the topic. Usually, two to three times
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I hate to do written work, what can I do about this?
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Try online learning, like Khan Academy or IXL. Those are good alternatives if
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If the topic is boring, you can try to find something fun about it, to help you
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What time of day is best for studying?
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This is different for everyone. Some people prefer to study in the morning and
others prefer to study at night. You should try both and see which one works better
for you. If you do study at night, make sure not to sacrifice your sleep for it.
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I find all the children in my class are more intelligent than me and I find
myself lower to others. What should I do?
Cheeku Ap
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Don't think of yourself as less intelligent than they are. Have faith in
yourself and be fearless. You will be unstoppable and study daily.
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Tips

Make sure to add small breaks; research has shown that a ten minute break (no
longer!) can actually make sure you retain the information for a lengthier period
of time.
Avoid cramming the night before. You'll retain the information a lot longer if
you study over a period of time.
Slow down. When learning, you can't take anything too fast or yourself too
seriously. Learn things the right way instead of finding a short cut.

Practicing Learning Techniques

Image titled Become an Animator Step 2

1
 Take an active interest in what you're learning. This may sound obvious, but
it's easiest to learn anything when you actually have an interest in the thing
you're learning. Whether it's a musical instrument, a chapter from your school
textbook, or something you're required to learn for work, finding ways to become
interested in that subject matter will help you dedicate yourself to learning and
developing new skills.[1]
Try finding ways to relate the subject matter to something you are
interested in. If you're learning about something for school, for example, try to
find ways to relate that subject to a subject that you're actually interested in.
Even looking for connections may make the subject more interesting to you.
If you can find ways to explore the subject on your own terms, you may find
yourself more engaged and interested over time.
Image titled Become a College Professor Step 17
2
Focus solely on what you're learning. While you may feel like you can multitask
and divide your attention equally, the reality is that this isn't always effective
when learning something new. Whether it's a new language, new skill, or new piece
of information, dedicating your time and attention exclusively to the new thing
you're learning will help you learn faster and with greater retention.[2]
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3
Break information down into manageable chunks. Learning new information can be
difficult, especially if the information is vast and complex. Studies have shown,
though, that breaking information down into more manageable components, called
"chunking," can make it much easier to learn new information rather quickly.[3]
You already practice chunking on a smaller scale, though you may not be
aware of it as such. For example, when you memorize a phone number, you usually
memorize the area code, first three digits, and final four digits, rather than as a
single number.[4]
Try splitting information into its logical sections and components. For
example, if you're trying to learn 20th Century world history, you might break it
down into major wars/conflicts, notable people in politics, etc.
As you practice chunking, try to remain cognizant of the relationship
between each component as it relates to the larger subject.[5]
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4
Learn new things in the afternoon. It's best to learn something new when you're
not falling asleep or struggling to wake up. Whether you consider yourself a
morning person or a night owl, some studies have shown that you're most attentive
and alert during the afternoon. For this reason, it may be best to devote
study/practice time in the afternoon whenever possible.[6]
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5
Spend time learning everyday. Any new skill, subject, or talent you want to
develop is going to take time and effort. The more time you devote to learning that
new subject matter, the quicker you'll learn how to become proficient in that
subject. Some studies suggest that daily practice helps you retain at least 54% of
the material you review, but after two weeks of not practicing you'll have lost
more than half of the information you were previously reviewing.[7]
Set a schedule for yourself and stick to it consistently.
If you can't make time to practice/learn every single day, schedule time
for it as frequently as you can manage.
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6
Seek out immediate feedback. When you learn something new in school, you have a
teacher there to correct you when you're mistaken. Likewise when you're studying
how to play a new instrument in music class or performing drills with a sports
team. This immediate feedback helps you sharpen your skills and find ways to
improve.[8]
 Being told when you're doing something incorrectly (and when you're doing
it correctly) can help you identify what needs to change so that you don't waste
time learning things incorrectly.
Try practicing your new skill/study material/etc. with someone who's
familiar with that concept. If you don't know anyone who's an expert, a trusted
friend whose input you value will still be helpful.
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7
Make sure you get enough sleep each night. Sleep is important for your sense of
wellbeing, but sleep can also affect your ability to retain information over long
periods of time. If you approach a study/practice session well-rested and follow it
up with a good night's sleep at the end of the day, you're far more likely to
retain more of that information.[9]
Most teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night, though some may need
even more sleep.[10]
Adults generally need seven to nine hours of sleep each night, though some
adults may need more than nine hours of sleep.

Part 2
Improving Your Memorization Abilities

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1
Use visual memorization. Many people who have trouble memorizing terms or names
find that visual association/memorization techniques can assist in the learning
process. Try to focus on an actual visual element of the thing you're trying to
memorize, then develop some type of memorable association in your mind.[11]
Memory is largely visual, so pinning some type of visual element to the
word, name, or series of actions you're trying to memorize can help you cement that
concept in your memory.
If you're trying to remember that someone you've met is named Nathan, for
example, you might think about Nathan's nose to associate the name Nathan with the
physical shape or size of his nose.
Any other sensory information you can pair with a visual memory will only
strengthen that memory in your mind.[12]
Image titled Become a Successful Businessman Step 12
2
Incorporate repetition of the new information/skill. Repetition, or what some
psychologists refer to as over learning, is one of the best ways to memorize any
new skill or piece of information.[13] Repetition of the same action over and over
helps you build muscle memory, and repetition of the same information helps you
cement that data as a new memory.
Your practice and repetition should be conducted on a regular basis. Try to
avoid cramming, as this is not a good way to memorize or learn new things.
Space your repetition out over a longer span of time to maximize your
results.
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3
Try using a mnemonic device. A mnemonic device is any mental technique that
helps you memorize and recall information. There are many different types of
mnemonic devices, some of which date back thousands of years.[14] A few of the most
common mnemonic devices include:
Acronyms - this involves using the first letter or letters from a name or
phrase to form a new word or phrase that's easier to remember. One of the most
common acronyms used by music students is remembering the musical staff EGBDF with
the phrase "Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge."
Rhymes - many students rhyme names, dates, or phrases to help make those
concepts easier to recall. For example, substituting the words of a song you like
with the names/terms from a lesson plan may make it easier to remember those terms
on an exam.
The Method of Loci - this mnemonic device uses a mental image of some place
you know intimately (like your bedroom, or the rooms of your house as a whole).
Then you assign each term/name to a spot within that location and visualize it as
though it were a tangible object in that space.

Part 3
Acquiring New Skills

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1
Focus on acquiring the skill, rather than getting it perfect. Many people
trying to learn a new skill expect to achieve perfection. While you may be able to
master a skill to the point of perfection over time, it's best to focus on learning
and acquiring that skill on a more basic level when you're just starting out. Once
you remove the expectation of immediate perfection, you open yourself up to
incremental progress without the risk of frustration.[15]
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2
Practice the skill consistently. Some studies have shown that you can acquire a
basic, entry-level ability in most new skills after approximately 20 hours of
practice.[16] Remember, though, that this means 20 actual practice hours, not just
20 hours after you first practice something. Learning any new skill requires
repetition and patience, but with practice it will begin to come easier.
If you have a hard time setting aside large chunks of time to practice, try
making it a point to practice in whatever small increments you can spare.
For example, if you can't sit for an hour each day to practice, commit to
practicing in 15 minute blocks four times each day.
Image titled Become an Oncologist Step 23
3
Quiz yourself to identify what needs to improve. A good way to measure your
progress is by testing what you know. This can help you identify the areas that
need improvement while also reinforcing the things that are working well.[17]
If you're trying to master a new instrument, practice your scales or chords
and see how many you can complete by memory.
If you've been trying to learn a new skill, try forcing yourself to
complete the first few steps without consulting the instructions. This will give
you a good gauge of how much you've learned so far, and you can extend your
memorized recitations as you progress.
If you're studying scholarly subject matter (take vocabulary words, for
example), try testing yourself with flash cards. Write a name/term on one side, the
definition on the other side, and as you quiz yourself pay attention to which
terms/names you struggle with.
Tips

If you need to demonstrate that you're a fast learner during a job interview,
you can do this by listening actively and summarizing back what you have been told.
Another option is to simply ask thoughtful questions about the organization. Don't
try to show that you "know everything," as this may end up backfiring.

Method 1
Compressing and Visualizing Knowledge

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1
Identify your learning style. By determining your learning style, you can
determine the best techniques to help you retain information more effectively. Many
people have multiple learning styles while some people may just have one dominant
style. Figure out which style works best for you.[1]
Auditory learners pick up information by listening to it. Lectures,
podcasts, discussion groups, and videos may work best for you.
Visual learners gain new information by watching it. Charts, diagrams,
pictures, films, and written material is most beneficial for these types.
Kinesthetic learners adopt new practices by doing them. Participation in an
activity, such as a science lab, discussion group, or hands-on class, may help you
learn more effectively.
Image titled Improve Your Ability to Learn Quickly Step 1
2
Use mnemonic devices. These are quick tricks designed to increase the amount of
information that your brain can remember. They work by getting you to organize
information into memorable patterns. The song �I can sing a rainbow� is one
example; it is used to remember color names.[2]
If you need to recall a set of numbers, break them down in sections
containing three numbers each and memorize the sequence. This is called �chunking�
and is one reason why social security numbers and telephone numbers are broken up
into groups.
Recall a set of letters by creating an acronym. This is a word formed out
of the first letters in a word or phrase. For example, musicians looking to
remember the bass staff note order ACEG could memorize the phrase, �All Cows Eat
Grass.�
Keep tricky pieces of information in your mind via rhyming. For a college
history exam, �Columbus sailed the ocean blue in fourteen-hundred and ninety-two.�
Image titled Improve Your Ability to Learn Quickly Step 2
3
Study with images. Transform written information or numbers lists into visuals,
such as a chart, graph, or map. Creating images like these increases your mind's
flexibility which, in turn, helps with its ability to remember new information.
Don�t worry if the final product isn�t perfect; assigning images is a very
individual thing.[3]
Associate a person�s name with a particular image, such as Robin with a
bird. Or, when you meet Brad, picture him alongside the famous Brad Pitt. The
visuals do not have to be similar for the memory to stick in your mind.
Learn the mobile numbers of all your friends by making a mental picture of
every number (0-9). Think of a pencil for 1; for 2, think of the head of the duck
and so forth. After keeping a picture in your mind for every number, develop a
story based on those pictures. Make sure the sequence is not altered.
Image titled Improve Your Ability to Learn Quickly Step 3
4
Engage your senses. If you need notes, take them by hand and via audio
recorder. Then, type them up afterwards. The more ways that you experience
something, the better you learn it. Use as many of your senses as you can, perhaps
by playing a song as you study.[4]
Image titled Improve Your Ability to Learn Quickly Step 4
5
Make connections. You come to every task with tons of prior knowledge; use it.
Ask yourself where you have seen this particular type of information before. For
example, if you are writing an essay, remember what worked the last time you turned
something in.[5]
Connect dates that you are trying to learn with important ones in your
memory. It can be your school team winning, your mother's birthday, father's
birthday, or any date that is significant to you. You can even break up the dates
and remember months based on Zodiac signs.
Image titled Improve Your Ability to Learn Quickly Step 5
6
Emphasize recall. Push your mind to remember every detail in the moment and to
make the larger connections later as you talk with others about your experience.
Watch a lab demonstration and then discuss your observations with your lab partner
afterwards. Pay attention to what your partner noticed that you missed and vice
versa.[6]
Image titled Improve Your Ability to Learn Quickly Step 6
7
Tell a story. Benefit from the power of an interesting tale. There is a reason
why creation stories are remembered and passed from generation to generation. They
excite while also passing along knowledge.
If you are working with a group, build a story together. For example, if
you are studying the history of U.S. presidents, make up a story about each one.
Or, better yet, find a real story to remember.
Image titled Write a Physics Lab Report Step 5
8
Create a mindmap. A mindmap is a visual chart that uses branches and lines to
demonstrate the relationship between ideas. These are great for visual learners.
Write the main idea in a box in the center of a piece of a paper, and draw branches
off the center to identify similar ideas. Keep drawing out branches to new sources
of information, and connect ideas with lines or images.[7]

Method 2
Challenging Your Mind

Image titled Improve Your Ability to Learn Quickly Step 7

1
Be aware of your strengths. Set aside a few minutes every day to think about
how you learn. Ask yourself, �Do I understand more with notes or highlighting?�
Write down a list of what you consider to be your strengths and weaknesses when
learning something new. For example, do you quit easily when you are frustrated?[8]
Image titled Improve Your Ability to Learn Quickly Step 8
2
Test yourself. Don�t wait until the formal exam date to see how you perform
under pressure. Set up rounds of practice testing well beforehand. Give yourself a
prep exam or ask a friend to give you a pop quiz.
If you use flashcards, do not remove cards as you feel comfortable with
them. It is best to keep all cards in play and to practice frequently until the
date of an exam.[9]
Image titled Improve Your Ability to Learn Quickly Step 9
3
Keep it different and new. Brains can get lazy, especially when they are good
at certain tasks. Once you reach mastery at a certain task, you need to move on to
a new one. For example, if you can easily play poker, push yourself to learn
blackjack. You want your mind to be constantly challenged.[10]
Image titled Improve Your Ability to Learn Quickly Step 10
4
Seek out difficulty. Set a high bar for new learning tasks. Try to make a
difficult recipe or change your own oil. Keep it challenging, but not impossible.
This will help you to remember how to learn quickly by improving how your mind
performs under stress.[11]
For maximum benefit, try setting aside your technology, such as the spell
checker on computers, and going manual for a bit.
Playing fast-paced action video games creates a high level of difficulty
that pushes users to adapt to new physical skills. This can result in gamers having
an advantage when learning to ride a bike, for example.[12]
Image titled Improve Your Ability to Learn Quickly Step 11
5
Check your motivation. Before you start a task, ask yourself, �Why am I doing
this?� The more passionate that you are about a task, the better. Your excitement
will let your brain know that it is time to learn.[13]
Image titled Improve Your Ability to Learn Quickly Step 12
6
 Stay single-minded. Focus all of your attention on one task before moving on to
another. Finish your game of chess before moving on to checkers. If you switch
actions mid-stream you lose valuable time. You also have to get your mind 'back in
the game' every time you switch jobs.[14]
The exception is if you are completely stuck on a task. If so, leave that
math problem behind and work on writing for a bit before coming back to it.

Method 3
Preparing Your Mind

Image titled Improve Your Ability to Learn Quickly Step 13

1
Practice yoga meditation. Find a quiet place and do a few stretches before a
big test. Or, take five deep, calming breaths before walking in to the boardroom.
You want to achieve a relaxed and focused mind. This is especially helpful prior to
completing a particularly difficult or time-intensive task.
Watching your breathing, along with other yoga techniques, improves both
long and short term memory.[15]
Image titled Improve Your Ability to Learn Quickly Step 14
2
Stay fit. Try to work out at least 30 minutes three times a week. Strength
training, intervals, and cardio all improve brain function.[16] Exercise also
boosts productivity and energy levels, leading to more production in the long term.
Students have been shown to work faster on a memory task after exercising.
It is believed that these benefits are immediate.[17]
Image titled Improve Your Ability to Learn Quickly Step 15
3
Eat right. Get three balanced meals a day, even you are faced with little time.
Quality food is fuel for your mind. For example, cinnamon not only improves memory,
it reverses the damage associated with memory loss.[18] Likewise, eating dark
chocolate leads to a better memory.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (especially omega-3), found in salmon and
walnuts, help with memory as well. Forgetfulness is often a sign of omega-3
deficiency.[19]
Image titled Improve Your Ability to Learn Quickly Step 16
4
Drink water. Carry a water bottle with you to stay hydrated and refill it
often. If you are even a little dehydrated, your mind will move slower. Drinking
water well in advance, and immediately before, a test has shown the best results.
Children offered additional drinking water perform better on tests
involving memory, such as pairing letters.[20]
Image titled Improve Your Ability to Learn Quickly Step 17
5
Get enough sleep. Aim for 8-10 hours of undisturbed sleep a night. Sleep allows
your mind and body to rest in preparation for a new day. It also helps to approach
a complex task from a new perspective the following day.[21]

Tips

Remind yourself that you can improve and increase speed, it may just take time
and practice. Confident learners are more effective learners.
Age is not a disadvantage when it comes to learning. Older people, as well as
younger ones, can all improve their minds.[22]
Ask questions. You'll get answers and insight that can help you learn faster.

Warnings

Be cautious when enrolling in a �Brain Training Program.� Many of these sites

only result in very minimal mental improvements and require a great deal of time.
[23]
It is often believed, especially by students, that it is better to �cram� or
study at the last minute for an extended period of time. However, you will receive
better results if you study in multiple sessions spaced out over time.[24]
This is what I learned about learning.

A) HACK THE 10,000 HOUR RULE

This rule, developed by Anders Ericsson and popularized by Malcolm Gladwell,

damaging me for years thinking I needed 10,000 hours to succeed at anything, states
that you need 10,000 hours of �deliberate practice� to reach master-level
potential.

For instance, as Gladwell writes in �Outliers� (but Ericsson disputes in his book
�Peak�), The Beatles got their 10,000 hours playing 20 hours a day in strip clubs
in Germany before they wrote their first album.

Mozart played piano for 10,000 hours by the time he was 12 years old.

Story after story.

So I felt frustrated. I feel frustrated.

I�m almost 50. I only like to learn something if I can be among the best. If I can
reach my potential. Potential enough to see the nuances in something I love so much
I want to get good at it.

But I�ll be dead after another 10,000 hours of learning.

But now I�m convinced the 10,000 hours can be skipped.

Here�s how.

B) PLUS, MINUS, EQUAL

PLUS

Find mentors.

A mentor can be real (someone who is willing to help you analyze your mistakes), or
virtual (read books).

Both real and virtual are good.

For anything you are interested in, you should read 100 books a year. You should
watch 100s of videos.

We have mirror neurons that learn by watching or reading our virtual mentors. It�s
as if we download their lives into our brain and the mirror neurons think that
their experience are ours.

For instance, when I wanted to learn how to be a better public speaker, I would
watch videos of great public speakers right before I had to speak.

When I played in chess tournaments I would play through the games of world
champions so I could learn more how they thought about the game.

And every time I lost a game I went over the game, move by move, with a grandmaster
who I paid to coach me. He would set up similar positions to my losing position and
we�d play game after game until I mastered the nuances.

When I wanted to learn about investing I read every investment book I could find
and spoke with 100s of other great investors.

When you read, to maximize what you learn: immediately after reading a book write
down �ten things I learned�. Else, you won�t remember more than 1 or 2 things at
best from the book.

I�m trying to learn Standup Comedy now. I capitalize it because it�s that important
to me. It�s the hardest skill I�ve ever had to learn.

I�m in year two. I probably watch 20 videos a day. I videotape myself on stage 4�6
times a week. And I read books about and by comedians. And, fortunately, I have a
podcast. So I ask great comedians to come on and I can ask them any question I
want.

EQUALS

This is so important it really deserves its own letter. This one category alone,
�Equals�, is worth about 4,000 of the 10,000 hours.

Find people who love what you love and spend as much time talking about this shared
area as you can.

If you are all equally striving and finding your own path through learning this new
skill you all want to share, then you will build community and learn together.

(the �Beats�. Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William S Burroughs, all rose up as
writers together by comparing notes, editing each other�s works, encouraging each
other, for over 20 years as they rose up in the industry together).

When I was learning poker, my friends and I would compare notes on every difficult
hand we played during an evening.

When I was learning investing, I�d talk to friends in every area of investing (day
trading, arbitrage, value investing, special situations, quantitative, etc etc) and
we�d share notes and quickly learn through the experiences of each other.

Why not do this with mentors? Because the mentors have so far passed this level
they are not always able to get into the weeds in the same way as the Equals.

MINUS

Explain what you are learning while you are learning it. Two reasons:

1) If you can�t explain in a simple way, then you need to learn more. Beginner�s
mind.

2) People who are behind where you are at in learning the skill will ask basic
questions that you often need to rehearse and rehearse and rehearse. Again:
beginner�s mind.

C) MICRO-SKILLS

Every skill worth learning has dozens of micro-skills:

For instance, when I started my first successful business I had some natural skills
at sales and technology (it was a technology business) but I had to learn so many
micro-skills in order to succeed that it felt like I was going to die and fail
almost every single day.

Here are some business micro-skills:

Sales, Management of employees, Negotiating, Selling to investors, Selling to

acquirers, Product development, Product consistency and execution, Motivation,
Emotional stability, and on and on.

All of the skills are exclusive of each other. Negotiating is not the same as
Sales. Product development is not the same as management. But each skill needs to
be developed to be successful.

Chess micro-skills: openings, middle game, endgame, tactics, positional play (which
can be divided up into about 50 micro-skills, as well as all the different types of
endgames), attack, defense, psychology, etc.

(White to move and win. Checkmate in two moves).

Standup micro-skills (I think. I hope): likability, commitment, crowd work (20�50

different types of crowds, mic work, pacing, stage control, and finally humor,
which includes: punchlines, premises, tags, call backs, story telling, persona,
act-outs, etc etc.

For whatever you are interested in: list the micro-skills. Figure out what you are
good at, what you are bad at, and how you can learn to be better at each.

D) FAILURE

Anything worth learning, you�re going to suck. You�re going to suck badly.

The first day you play chess: you might love it, you might be talented, you might
be confident, but you are a disaster compared to anyone with experience who has
studied the game.

The same goes for business. For investing. For writing. For acting. For art. For
creativity. For everything worth learning.

And failure is painful.

(It took Edison 10,000 attempts before he found the right filament to invent a
lightbulb)

Nobody wants to lose money in poker. Or in investing. Nobody wants to spend months
or years writing a book nobody reads.

But if you love something, and you want to get to your peak potential, your heart
is going to break when you inevitably fail. And you will fail big and horrible and
it will be like your brain and heart are torn in half.

But that�s the good news:

Because then you�re uncertified to study the failure. You can go to a PLUS, and
your EQUALS, and look at where you went wrong.
You can�t learn as much from succeeding because it�s harder to pinpoint where
mistakes are (and it means you are not taking enough chances).
Ray Dalio, the largest hedge fund manager ever, told me on my podcast, �Pain +
Reflection = Progress�.

Pain is a must.

With standup comedy, I always say �Yes� to a challenge. Do comedy on a subway car?
Yes. Do comedy on a Monday night in a blizzard with the entire audience from
Norway? Yes. Go on stage with a 102 fever and my voice completely shot? Yes.

Then videotape. Then go over quarter second by quarter second.

I was speaking to one of the best comedians in the world a few weeks ago. He told
me he still videotapes and studies every single time he�s gone on stage. Every
year, every month, he�s better than the month before.

With business, it�s difficult because a business can take years. But try to have
mini-failures. Challenge yourself on deadlines, challenge yourself on customer
acquisition, on customer service, on micro-execution of product, and on and on.

Figure out the ways that you can fail, do them, study them, repeat.

E) ENERGY

This should be the first item. Because it�s the most important.

Without energy, you can�t learn.

If you don�t sleep enough, you�ll be too tired and you won�t learn.

If you�re in a bad relationship, your brain will be distracted and you won't learn.

If you don�t exercise your creativity, you won�t be able to combine ideas and learn
from �idea sex�.

If you are too anxious, you will spend too much mental energy worrying about the
future instead of learning in the present.

When I went broke for the fourth or fifth time I finally had to take a look back
and say, �What was I doing right every time I made money?� and �What was I doing
wrong�. It all boiled down to:

PHYSICAL HEALTH: Eat / Move / Sleep

EMOTIONAL HEALTH: Eliminate ALL of the toxic people in your life.

CREATIVE HEALTH: Write down ten ideas a day. The ideas can be about anything.

SPIRITUAL HEALTH: Learn how to deal with anxiety and regret. Release control over
the things you have no control over.

Just these four things gave me so much energy, it probably took another 1000�2000
hours out of the 10,000 hours.

F) THE ONE PERCENT RULE:

Try to improve 1% a day at whatever it is you are trying to learn.

This seems like a small number. Just one percent!

But 1% a day, compounded, is 3800% per year.

That�s 37 times better than where you started in just one year.

I had a friend who I always played chess with. He played chess all day every day.
But he never read a book on chess or studied with anyone.

He just played the same moves and made the same mistakes game after game. I asked
him why he didn�t take the basic steps to improve?

All you have to do is take basic steps each day to improve as small as 1%.

He said, �Ahhh, I just like to play.� Which is fine.

But he never got better. Chess is much more enjoyable (everything is much more
enjoyable) when you get better and when you learn and can appreciate the subtleties
and the nuances.

Everything is an art form. The greatest artists have a vocabulary of 100,000s of

patterns in their chosen field.

�Speaking� that vocabulary is pleasurable because you can enjoy the art form more,
you can succeed more easily, you get acclamation for your success, you make friends
with others who are also successful because you speak their language - but it
requires every day learning new �words� in your art form.

Studying how Warren Buffet invests. Or how Bobby Fischer plays the King�s Indian.
Or how Richard Pryor brought his authentic voice into his comedy. Or how Richard
Branson can build and manage 400 businesses.

Or challenging yourself to fail a little bit each day to expand your comfort zone.

One percent a day = 3800 percent a year.

G) DO IT

You can�t get better at chess just by reading about it. You have to play. Then you
have to play in high stress situations (like a tournament).

You can�t get to be the best at business just by reading about Richard Branson. You
have to start a business (or work for a startup or even work for a big business and
notice their small successes and failures).

You can't get to be great at comedy by watching videos. You have to go on stage.
Every day.

Every day.

You will forget half of what you read after 2 weeks and 90% after 2 months.

Many answers here are saying that taking notes and reviewing them is boring or not
necessary. This is simply not true. You will not retain what you learn from a book
unless you get multiple repetitions of the information over time.

People tend to want the shiny new thing ("fresh" information) when really they
would be better off reviewing what they have already read/forgotten. One you fully
realize how much time you are wasting by not reviewing your notes (because you are
forgetting so much of what you read) you will start to enjoy it. Most of my best
ideas come from going back and collecting and synthesizing disparate notes and
quotes from the books I have read.

My General Process Looks Like This:

1. Consume your information

This means you underline your book, take notes from an audio or video course or
collect the best posts from a forum into a word document or page in OneNote.

2. Boil it down

Transfer your highlights or underlines to a separate piece of paper so you have

your own set of notes.

3. Boil it down again

Use a highlighter to go over your notes and find the most important pieces. You can
circle chunks of text in your notes to start organizing them.

4. Create Your final product

These are only useful for certain types of information. Some books are more general
facts/information and may not be worht the extra time investment if you only have a
few pages of notes and not many actionable steps.

A. Mindmap

Use your chunked notes to create a mindmap. Stick to one page and fit in as much
detail as you can.

B. Action List

Go through your notes and decide what you want to take action on. Prioritize the
list and put it somewhere where you will look at it again, like the wall next to
your computer.

C. Notecards

Cut up your information into two sided notecards. You can do this by hand or
digitally.

Tip: You can leave notes at any stage in the process and come back later. You can
also skip or combine these steps depending on how aggressively you want to learn.

From my 8-courses-in-1 Udemy course, End Game: The Ultimate Accelerated Learning
System, with over 30 hours of HD video and 4.6/5 star rating from 79 reviews and
over 1,000 students. Use the discount coupon link below (Code: "1013900QU1001"):

1. Work your memory

Twyla Tharp, a NYC-based renowned choreographer has come up with the following
memory workout:

When she watches one of her performances, she tries to remember the first twelve to
fourteen corrections she wants to discuss with her cast without writing them down.

If you think this is anything less than a feat, then think again. In her book The
Creative Habit she says that most people cannot remember more than three.
The practice of both remembering events or things and then discussing them with
others has actually been supported by brain fitness studies.

Memory activities that engage all levels of brain operation�receiving, remembering

and thinking�help to improve the function of the brain.

Now, you may not have dancers to correct, but you may be required to give feedback
on a presentation, or your friends may ask you what interesting things you saw at
the museum. These are great opportunities to practically train your brain by
flexing your memory muscles.

What is the simplest way to help yourself remember what you see? Repetition.

For example, say you just met someone new:

�Hi, my name is George�

Don�t just respond with, �Nice to meet you�. Instead, say, �Nice to meet you
George.�

Got it? Good.

2. Do something different repeatedly

By actually doing something new over and over again, your brain wires new pathways
that help you do this new thing better and faster.

Think back to when you were three years old. You surely were strong enough to hold
a knife and a fork just fine. Yet, when you were eating all by yourself, you were
creating a mess.

It was not a matter of strength, you see. It was a matter of cultivating more and
better neural pathways that would help you eat by yourself just like an adult does.

And guess what? With enough repetition you made that happen!

But how does this apply to your life right now?

Say you are a procrastinator. The more you don�t procrastinate, the more you teach
your brain not to wait for the last minute to make things happen.

Now, you might be thinking �Duh, if only not procrastinating could be that easy!�

Well, it can be. By doing something really small, that you wouldn�t normally do,
but is in the direction of getting that task done, you will start creating those
new precious neural pathways.

So if you have been postponing organizing your desk, just take one paper and put in
its right place. Or, you can go even smaller. Look at one piece of paper and decide
where to put it: Trash? Right cabinet? Another room? Give it to someone?

You don�t actually need to clean up that paper; you only need to decide what you
need to do with it.

That�s how small you can start. And yet, those neural pathways are still being
built. Gradually, you will transform yourself from a procrastinator to an in-the-
moment action taker.
3. Learn something new
It might sound obvious, but the more you use your brain, the better its going to
perform for you.

For example, learning a new instrument improves your skill of translating something
you see (sheet music) to something you actually do (playing the instrument).

Learning a new language exposes your brain to a different way of thinking, a

different way of expressing yourself.

You can even literally take it a step further, and learn how to dance. Studies
indicate that learning to dance helps seniors avoid Alzheimer�s. Not bad, huh?

What�s more, you can make learning 10X faster with a Digital Brain.
4. Follow a brain training program

The Internet world can help you improve your brain function while lazily sitting on
your couch. A clinically proven program like BrainHQ can help you improve your
memory, or think faster, by just following their brain training exercises.
5. Work your body

You knew this one was coming didn�t you? Yes indeed, exercise does not just work
your body; it also improves the fitness of your brain.

Even briefly exercising for 20 minutes facilitates information processing and

memory functions. But it�s not just that�exercise actually helps your brain create
those new neural connections faster. You will learn faster, your alertness level
will increase, and you get all that by moving your body.

Now, if you are not already a regular exerciser, and already feel guilty that you
are not helping your brain by exercising more, try a brain training exercise
program like Exercise Bliss.

Remember, just like we discussed in #2, by training your brain to do something new
repeatedly, you are actually changing yourself permanently.
6. Spend time with your loved ones

If you want optimal cognitive abilities, then you�ve got to have meaningful
relationships in your life. Talking with others and engaging with your loved ones
helps you think more clearly, and it can also lift your mood.

If you are an extrovert, this holds even more weight for you. At a class at
Stanford University, I learned that extroverts actually use talking to other people
as a way to understand and process their own thoughts.

I remember that the teacher told us that after a personality test said she was an
extrovert, she was surprised. She had always thought of herself as an introvert.
But then, she realized how much talking to others helped her frame her own
thoughts, so she accepted her new-found status as an extrovert.
7. Avoid crossword puzzles

Many of us, when we think of brain fitness, think of crossword puzzles. And it�s
true�crossword puzzles do improve our fluency, yet studies show they are not enough
by themselves.

Are they fun? Yes. Do they sharpen your brain? Not really.

Of course, if you are doing this for fun, then by all means go ahead. If you are
doing it for brain fitness, then you might want to choose another activity
8. Eat right � and make sure dark chocolate is included
Foods like fish, fruits, and vegetables help your brain perform optimally. Yet, you
might not know that dark chocolate gives your brain a good boost as well.

When you eat chocolate, your brain produces dopamine. And dopamine helps you learn
faster and remember better. Not to mention, chocolate contains flavonols,
antioxidants, which also improve your brain functions.

So next time you have something difficult to do, make sure you grab a bite or two
of dark chocolate!

Skills are easier to pick up as individual parts.

If you want to learn the guitar, don't think about performing all the parts at
once. Set the smaller, more measurable goal of learning a few easy chords, how to
strum correctly, and how to put those chords together.

Over time, the accumulation of those tinier skills will add up to the whole ability
to play guitar.

It's a technique that applies to mechanical learning as well as fact-based lessons.

Multitasking doesn't work, especially for storing new information.

Most people understand that multitasking is a myth - your brain really can't pay
equal attention to two tasks simultaneously. But few people apply that insight to
learning.

In addition to breaking a task down into individual steps, be sure to devote your
full energy to each step on its own. When you get distracted, it takes roughly 25
minutes to return your focus to the original task.

Over time, multitasking could mean you only gain a partial understanding of various
different skills or concepts, without acquiring a full knowledge or mastery of any.

Writing down what you've learned helps cement it in your mind.

If you want to translate information to knowledge, research suggests you should be

writing down what you learn - by hand.

A 2014 study found that students who took notes on pen and paper learned more than
students who typed notes on their laptops. Over a battery of tests, the pen-and-
paper group were more adept at remembering facts, sorting out complex ideas, and
synthesising information.

Researchers say the physical act of touching pen to paper creates a stronger
cognitive link to the material than merely typing, which happens far too quickly
for retention to take place. Writing forces you to confront ideas head-on, which
leads them to stick with you over time.

Mistakes should be celebrated and studied.

Being perfect is overrated. The entire point of learning is to make attempts, fail,
and find a lesson about where you went wrong.

In 2014, a study of motor learning found the brain has more or less reserved a
space for the mistakes we make. Later, we can recruit those memories to do better
next time.
If parents teach kids never to make mistakes, or shun them when mistakes happen,
kids end up missing a wealth of knowledge.

Being optimistic helps you succeed.

Stressing kids out with negative reinforcement can get them stuck in a mental rut,
filling them with self-doubt and anxiety, both of which are toxic for learning.

"Anxiety precludes you from exploring real solutions and real thought patterns that
will come up with solutions," says Harvard Business School professor Alison Wood
Brooks.

Decades of positive psychology research suggest that we will become more successful
in just about anything we try to do if we approach it with an open mind and see
tangible room for improvement.

Parents should teach kids to see learning as exploration. It will help give them a
sense of determination, which they can manufacture into grit when the going gets
tough.

Exciting topics are 'stickier' than boring ones.

Kids naturally drift toward the weird and wacky, but once the experience of rote
education gets them thinking in cold hard facts, that sense of fun can die off.

Parents: don't let that happen.

As early as possible, kids should gain an appreciation for why they remember
Grandma's weird-smelling house and those highlighter-yellow shorts Dad wears on
night-time runs. It's because they're unique.

Author and former US memory champion Joshua Foer memorised a full deck of playing
cards in under two minutes by tying each card to a weird image. Kids can do the
same for their times tables and presidents.

Speed reading can condense learning times.

The premise is simple: If you can read faster, you can learn faster. Though you
might think speed reading takes a lot of effort, programs like Spreeder pick up the
pace gradually to make it feel manageable.

By training your brain to process words more quickly, you get accustomed to reading
entire strings of words, rather than imagining each one individually, which slows
you down.

Practice, practice, practice.

Matthew Ragan/Flickr

A strong work ethic makes a real impact on the brain.

In 2004, a study published in Nature found the act of juggling produced more grey
matter. When people stopped juggling, the grey matter disappeared. There wasn't
anything special in the juggling itself, just the repetition.

Neuroscientists call this process 'pruning'. It refers to the new pathways that are
carved by doing an act over and over again, to the point where it sticks around for
good.
In other words, skills follow the use-it-or-lose-it principle.

Use what you know to learn what you don't.

If kids encounter a topic they have trouble wrapping their heads around, parents
should help them to understand how it relates to something they've already learned.
The practice is called associative learning.

A student might like football but struggle with differential calculus. If he can
see the similarities between a spiralling pass and the slope of a curve, he stands
a better chance at understanding the abstract concept.

Looking things up isn't always a bad thing.

Kids should learn how to grapple with tough problems - the act teaches them
discipline. But evidence suggests spending too long on a problem can make it worse.

In 2008, researchers found that unresolved tip-of-the-tongue moments can gradually

slip people into an 'error state', in which their memory of the concept or fact
gets replaced by the memory of the tip-of-the-tongue moment.

The solution: If you know you know it, but just can't remember it, Google it.

Teaching other people helps you, too.

communitiesuk/Flickr

Scientists have dubbed it 'the prot�g� effect'.

When you take something that you've learned and put it into your own words, you're
not only demonstrating mastery of an idea - you're refining your own understanding
of it.

In distilling information into small pieces that someone can easily digest, the
teacher must gain a certain intimacy with the subject matter.

That's why older siblings are generally smarter than younger siblings, one 2007
study suggested - because one of the jobs of the older sibling is passing knowledge
along after having received it.

1. The Most Powerful Question Any Learner Can Ask

One of the reasons some people find learning so painful is that they don�t ask a
simple question.

It�s a question that, when applied often, can unlock the nuclear power needed to
drive you through some of the hardest missions in life.

It�s a question almost no learner asks.

Probably because it�s a bit tough for most people to wrap their heads around.

It sounds kind of selfish, after all.

The question is:

�What�s in it for me?�

But even if it has a selfish angle to it, this question is so important.

Why?

Because So Many Learners Are Trying To

Accomplish Outcomes For Everyone But Themselves!

Think about it:

You go to school and learn things to please the machine �

You get a medical degree to appease your family �

You study a language because it�s part of a degree �

Nothing wrong with any of that, unless �

None Of It Has To Do With What

You Authentically Want In Life!

And so it�s little wonder learning feels hard. If you�re the last person who gets a
kick-back for all that effort, it�s always going to feel like you�re trying to chew
through a brick wall.

Make it easier on yourself by learning things that have a definite payoff for the
number one person that matters: You.

Because here�s the plain truth:

You�re a good person.

You want to serve others.

And you can change the world.

But it will never happen if you secretly hate the learning process because it just
doesn�t serve your needs first.

Want a fast and easy way live authentically? Practice gratitude:

2. Why Comatose Zombies Can

Outlearn The Flash Any Day

Okay, that sub-headline might be a bit misleading.

What I mean to say is that you need to relax to learn.

Because here�s a fundamental truth:

Information flees from tension. But it�s Magnetically attracted to relaxation.

Let me say that again:

Information flees from tension. But it�s Magnetically attracted to relaxation.Click
To Tweet

And the more you know how to relax your brain, the more information will want to
stick around. You�ll be able to slosh it around the mouth of your mind like fine
wine and actually enjoy it for a change.

And what you enjoy � ?

Pleasure Is Instantly Easier To Remember!

The trick you need to understand when it comes to relaxing your mind is this:

Your mind is produced by your brain.

Your brain is a physical entity.

And that�s what makes the Memory Palace technique so powerful:

It�s something physical out in the world being used physically inside your material
brain.

Don�t know how to make a Memory Palace? No problem. Register for this:

Free Memory Palace Memory Improvement Course

And to get the most of the training, relax your mind each time before you use your
memory.

That said, never try to relax your mind without relaxing your body first.

In fact, it�s very likely that the only way to truly relax your mind is by relaxing
the body first.

So the next time you sit down to study, stretch a little first.

Meditate.

Focus for awhile on your breathing.

Attention paid to breathing will lower most of your resistances to learning and
make everything easier.

3. Understand That The Map Is Never The Territory �

But Maps Sure Do Help!

When I created this Infographic and Podcast episode teaching you how to
realistically memorize a textbook, I had no idea people would find it so practical
and useful.
Image of a Magnetic Memory Method student explaining how this memory training has
helped him learn faster

After all, everybody asks me for �tips and tricks� that will let them memorize
entire books.

But the truth is that this feat is rarely necessary. In fact, it�s probably never
necessary.

But if you use the techniques I teach in that podcast to get a global overview of
the book you need to read, you�ll have a map. This map will set the stage for your
experience of the territory.

And that will give you laser-targeted tools for remembering the parts that matter.
Proof:

When you can do that, you do better than just learn and remember. You also create
knowledge.

And when you create knowledge, the speed at which you can learn grows
exponentially. It feels good, creates energy and encouragement and keeps you on the
path of continual growth.

Nothing difficult or painful about that.

4. The Magnetic Magnifying Glass Method

Have you ever heard the phrase, �you don�t know what you don�t know�? Tony Buzan
mentioned it during our conversation some time ago on the Magnetic Memory Method
Podcast.

If you want to make learning faster and easier, make sure to get yourself in orbit
with that concept.

Why?

Because when you hold a magnifying glass to your own ignorance, you get real clear
on what it is you need to learn. Without that clarity, it�s nearly impossible to
make progress!

In other words, learning truly is hard and slow when you�re stumbling around blind
in a cloud of unknowing.

But when you ask questions about what you know and don�t know about a topic,
suddenly a lot of that fog is whisked away.

Want a simple exercise you can use for each and every learning project you ever
undertake?
It�s easy, fun and speeds up everything.
It�s called:

Writing summaries.

Every time you take a class, attend a lecture, read a chapter, watch a video or
even use an app, take a quick second to jot down everything you can remember.

Then beneath that, start asking questions about what it is you think was covered �
but mysteriously can�t remember.

Then make two plans:

One plan for how you�re going to continue to remember what you remembered.

Another plan for what you�re going to do to fill in the gaps so that you can
remember the information you think flew over your head.

Simple. Elegant. Easy and effective.

Why Most People Prefer A Life Based On Excuses

A lot of people will go through a post like this, nod yes to each and every point
and then carry on with their lives of learning desperation.

The reason why this happens, beyond just a bad way of drawing from their episodic
memory, is simple:

It�s all contained in point number one.

If you missed it and care about the life of your memory and your mind, go over it
again.

And if you feel like you�re resistant to any of the wisdom contained in this post,
review the second point I�ve made.

If anything on the planet raises your hackles, a few simple brain exercises that
take just a few minutes of your time could be a game changer for you.

And if you�d like a realistic way to remember everything of importance in any book
or posts like these you encounter in the world, there�s a link there just waiting
to help you out.

For the true Magnetic Knight, point four will be the most precious of all. There�s
a little comment section below where you can complete this part of the exercise.
I�ll be around to help you fill in any gaps I may have missed.

I look forward to hearing from you, and until next time, keep learning and keep
yourself Magnetic!

1. Take notes with pen and paper.

Though it might seem that typing your notes on a laptop during a conference or
lecture will be more thorough, thus helping you learn faster, it doesn�t work that
way. To speed up your learning, skip the laptop and take notes the old-fashioned
way, with pen and paper. Research has shown that those who type in their lecture
notes process and retain the information at a lower level. Those who take notes by
hand actually learn more.

While taking notes by hand is slower and more cumbersome than typing, the act of
writing out the information fosters comprehension and retention. Reframing the
information in your own words helps you retain the information longer, meaning
you�ll have better recall and will perform better on tests.

Related: Your Lousy Handwriting Might Actually Make You Smarter

2. Have effective note-taking skills.

The better your notes are, the faster you�ll learn. Knowing how to take thorough
and accurate notes will help you remember concepts, gain a deeper understanding of
the topic and develop meaningful learning skills. So, before you learn a new topic,
make sure you learn different strategies for note taking, such as the Cornell
Method, which helps you organize class notes into easily digestible summaries.

Whatever method you use, some basic tips for note taking include:

Listen and take notes in your own words.

Leave spaces and lines between main ideas so you can revisit them later and add
information.
Develop a consistent system of abbreviations and symbols to save time.
Write in phrases, not complete sentences.
Learn to pull out important information and ignore trivial information.

3. Distributed practice.

This method involves distributing multiple practices (or study sessions) on a topic
over a period of time. Using short, spaced-out study sessions will encourage
meaningful learning, as opposed to long �cram sessions,� which promote rote
learning. The first step is to take thorough notes while the topic is being
discussed. Afterward, take a few minutes to look over your notes, making any
additions or changes to add detail and ensure accuracy.

Do this quickly, once or twice following each class or period of instruction. Over
time, you can begin to spread the sessions out, starting with once per day and
eventually moving to three times a week. Spacing out practice over a longer period
of time is highly effective, because it�s easier to do small study sessions and
you�ll stay motivated to keep learning.

Related: 3 Ways to Become a More Effective Learner

4. Study, sleep, more study.

You have a big project or a major presentation tomorrow and you�re not prepared. If
you�re like many of us, you stay up too late trying to cram beforehand. Surely your
hard work will be rewarded, even if you�re exhausted the next day� right? However,
that�s not the most efficient way for our brains to process information.

Research shows a strong connection between sleep and learning. It seems that
getting some shut-eye is an important element in bolstering how our brains remember
something. Deep sleep (non-rapid-eye-movement sleep) can strengthen memories if the
sleep occurs within 12 hours of learning the new information. And students who both
study and get plenty of sleep not only perform better academically; they�re also
happier.

Related: Study Finds the Less You Sleep the Less People Like You
5. Modify your practice.
If you're learning a skill, don�t do the same thing over and over. Making slight
changes during repeated practice sessions will help you master a skill faster than
doing it the same way every time. In one study of people who learned a computer-
based motor skill, those who learned a skill and then had a modified practice
session where they practiced the skill in a slightly different way performed better
than those who repeated the original task over and over.

This only works if the modifications are small -- making big changes in how the
skill is performed won�t help. So, for instance, if you�re practicing a new golf
swing or perfecting your tennis game, try adjusting the size or weight of your club
or csds