The age in which we live is fast, quickly changing, and technologically based. It forces us to learn all the time and to learn quickly. Nowadays, being able to use the most effective learning methods is of vital importance, both for young people and adults.
THE MOST EFFECTIVE LEARNING METHODS
- Recalling concepts and important elements: read a couple of pages of a book, then close it and try to retrieve from your memory the most important concepts you’ve read.
- Practicing test and quizzes.
- Distributing what you study over a period of time: don’t study 40 pages the day before the exam. Rather, study 5 pages each day for the 8 days before the exam. Don’t cram!
- Self-explanation: ask yourself “Why?” about the subjects you study and find connections with other topics. Look for a deeper explanation.
- Organizing your study: arrange a time to study without distraction (turn your cellphone off). You can also use a diary with a timetable for the day. It may be useful for your concentration to study for 20 to 30 minutes without distraction, then take a break for about 10 minutes before studying for another 20 to 30 minutes.
- Creating metaphors and analogies: the more visual the analogy the easier it is to remember. For example, to remember the self-explanation method listed above, you can imagine Einstein thinking of his Theory of Relativity in front of a blackboard.
THE LEAST EFFECTIVE LEARNING METHODS
- Underlining, reading, and rereading: to keep rereading what you underlined is very common but wastes your time. Reading and underlining is only the beginning of learning, after you do it then should use other methods (e.g. taking a test).
- Summarizing: it takes a lot of time and sometimes you only paraphrase what you’ve read.
- Memorizing key words and images in the textbook: your memories have a short life and you must have the textbook to help you.
FURTHER ADVICE
- Sleep: a lack of sleep is harmful for learning and health in general.
- Exercise (work out) and experiment with new things: physical exercise and new experiences help neurons grow and survive.
- Take rest breaks and don’t overload yourself: a tired brain can’t learn.
- Learn and use stress management techniques to tackle anxiety before examinations (e.g. diaphragmatic breathing).
Dr. Andrea Miriello
Business Psychologist
Consultant, Business Coach, and Trainer