Perhaps you are studying at university, or you are trying to better yourself so you can have a better quality of life, but whatever approach you are undergoing, it is important that you learn crucial skills, not just in terms of studying, but also in terms of learning.
When you learn subjects, the biggest obstacle between you and retaining information is, unsurprisingly, yourself. Perhaps this means you need to learn how to learn? Let’s give you some tools.
Going Beyond The Textbook
While you need to learn your learning style which could be auditory, visual, or sensory, you then have to find the right tasks that are crucial to help you absorb information. It’s worth looking at companies like NST that provide various field trips for all levels of education, and this can help you to engage with the subject matter far better. For example, when it comes to something like learning a language, staring at a textbook is not going to help you retain information, at least for the average person. Immersing yourself in a culture is the best way to learn a language. This is why many universities provide that year abroad. Go beyond the textbook and find your own way of learning.
Learning How To Study
Studying effectively requires focus and a plan. You may have found your own rhythm, but for those that are jumping back into education or are trying a new method, there are various study tools that could help you, especially when they link in with your learning style. A very good example is if you are an auditory learner. Reading aloud is a way for you to consolidate the facts in your mind.
Also, when you start to think about the best tools, the Feynman technique is invaluable. It sounds incredibly sophisticated, but the crux of it is about explaining a topic in its simplest terms. You need to distil all the complexities into something that even a child can understand. One of the best ways to retain information is to teach it. This way, you provide the salient facts, but also, if you don’t understand it yourself, then you’ll have to figure ways around the subject.
Never Underestimate The Great Tools
We live in an age of technology, and this means that we can use technology to our benefit, especially when it comes to focus. Perhaps you’ll have to use the internet but, naturally, social media becomes a major distraction. There are apps that you can use, such as the SelfControl application.
This helps you to eliminate distractions. But if the internet is not a problem you may want to use better tools in order to retain information. If you are someone who likes to make notes so you can learn information properly, there are plenty of dictation tools out there, from the dictation option on Google Docs or if you have some money, Dragon Dictation. Great tools are invaluable. And once you start to look at your learning style, take a lot of notes, but also figure out the methods that make you interested in the subject matter, this is a triple threat that will help you learn how to learn in no time.
If you enjoyed this, check out my Do’s and Don’ts of Living With Other People At Uni and Top Tips For Students Preparing For University
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