10 rules of how to study, and a few more on how not to do it
Whether you are a mathematician or a humanitarian, professor Barbara Oakley is convinced that everyone has the inner potential to learn any knowledge. The main thing is to learn how to learn and to run your brain to the fullest. Moreover, a monotonous and purposeful movement toward solving a problem is not always the best way. Sometimes it is worth taking a step back to look at the task from the other side, to start your creativity, even if you are working on solving a mathematical problem.
We glorify focus and try to overcome procrastination. We like to read with a pencil, but not always wisely. We consider ourselves ardent humanitarians and declare math as enemy number 1. And all because we do not know how to learn. And because the brain is a terribly lazy person and a liar. In this book, she shares proven methods and stories of real people on how to study interestingly and effectively, train memory, and be more creative and productive.
Thanks to this book, I’ve started to plan in the evening, to find time for procrastination (otherwise it will find time on its own), to switch over, to train my memory, and to follow the Pomodoro Technique.
So here are the 10 rules of how to learn.
Refresh everything that you have already learned.
After reading the page, put it aside and recall the main thoughts. Don’t overdo the underlining, and don’t highlight what you haven’t first fixed in your memory through recalling. The ability to think back — to independently formulate the main ideas of the material — is one of the main features of effective learning.
Test yourself.
In everything. Always. Cards with information can help with this.
Divide your total study time into intervals.
Study everything in small parts every day. Your brain is like a muscle: it’s capable of only a limited amount of effort on the same topic at the same time.
Perform different tasks.
Don’t practice the same method of solving a problem for too long in one lesson: after a while, you’ll just start mechanically following the same steps that you’ve already done. Work on tasks of different types. This way you will understand how and when to apply a certain method.
Classify the solutions.
Try to understand the solution to the problem and store it in your memory so that, when necessary, it comes to your mind as a ready-made template. After you have dealt with something, practice a bit more. Make sure that you can perform this exercise, each of the steps, without any problems. Imagine that this is a melody and learn to scroll it in your mind over and over again, until this information is formed into a complete fragment of memory that you can easily retrieve from there when necessary.
Take breaks.
There is nothing strange in the fact that sometimes exercises of a new type can’t be solved immediately. That is why doing a little bit every day is much better than doing a lot but rarely. If you are not able to cope with some task, take a break so that other parts of the brain can work on this issue on a subconscious level.
“Eat all your frogs first thing in the morning”.
Do all the most difficult things as early as possible, when you are still in a good shape.
Ask clarifying questions and look for simple analogies.
If a topic is difficult for you, ask yourself: “How can I explain it so that a ten-year-old child can understand it?”. Using analogies really helps: for example, an electric current can be compared to the flow of water. Explain it not only in your head — you can write it down or say it out loud. The additional effort of speaking or writing will help to entrench what you have learned.
Don’t get distracted.
Turn off all sound signals and vibrations on your phone and computer, and start the timer for 25 minutes. Concentrate and work hard during this time. When the time is up, think of some small witty reward for yourself. Such daily sessions are really helpful in your studies.
Create contrasts in your mind.
Think back to your present life and see the contrast with the dreams that will be realized thanks to learning. You can place a picture or some text that will remind you of what you desire. When motivation fades out, look at these words or images. Your work will benefit both you and those you love.
And now there are some rules that you should avoid. They can waste your time, although you will think that you are learning.
Passively re-reading is just “running your eyes’’ over the pages.
Until you are sure that you have learned the material, until you recall the main ideas without looking at the book, rereading will be simply a waste of time.
Believe in the text notes.
If you underline what you’re reading, you may get the misleading feeling that you’re really learning something, when in fact you’re just moving your hand. Underlining the text from time to time is not harmful— sometimes it even helps to find important passages. But if you want to use underlining as a memorization tool, make sure that the information you mark stays in your head.
Considering your solved problem with the idea that you understand it.
You should be able to complete the exercise step by step without looking at the solution.
Studying at the last minute.
If you were preparing for a sports competition you wouldn’t postpone training until the last day, right? Your brain is like a muscle — it is capable of only a limited amount of effort on the same topic.
Doing too many exercises of the kind you’ve already mastered.
This can be compared to a basketball player who prepares for a game by training only the ball-handling technique.
Going to group classes that turn into chit-chat.
If you check your answers with friends and test each other’s knowledge, you can make the learning process more enjoyable, as well as identify the gaps in your knowledge and deepen your understanding of the subject. But if joint classes turn into fun before you finish the work, you are just wasting your time.
Not sleeping.
When you sleep, the brain thinks and sorts out every piece of information that you have put into it during the day. Constant exhaustion leads to the accumulation of toxins in the brain, which destroy the neural structures necessary for quick thinking.
Thinking that you can master the material even with numerous distractions.
Every little interruption — whether it’s a text message or a conversation — takes away mental energy that you could be using for learning. Interrupting the concentration destroys neural structures when they haven’t yet had time to gain a foothold.
