Joshua RenderProduct Owner| CognizantHarrisville, Ny, United States
I type/write notes as they speak. This is where I like video learning, I can pause when I need to type. I can also re-watch. Watching a second time helps me a lot.
If I can answer questions based on the material just covered, that goes a long way as well. Saving Changes...
That usual happens when someone is not really interested in the topic or distracted with other thoughts or activities. One approach is rather than try to memorize, look for patterns, logical flows, understanding why it is rather than what it is. Saving Changes...
Write notes rather than type them into OneNote or some other tool. The act of writing will create longer lasting memories. Also, it helps to know your own learning style - some people work well with lists of items, others with pictures...
I suggest two books that I found useful in learning how to learn:
1. A Mind for Numbers (2014) by Barbara Oakley. Even though the subtitle said how to excel in math and science, it is about learning how to learn. I took her Coursera course on the same topic. Quote: "..... many students experience illusions of competence when they are studying". This was referencing the limited benefits for repeatedly rereading their notes or textbook.
2. Become a SuperLearner (2015) by Jonathan Levi. This book will lead you to memory training techniques for effective learning, not just speedreading with zero retention. Saving Changes...
When it comes to studying, always try to apply a newly learned concept to a familiar scenario. The scenario can even be borne from your favourite movie, book, tv show, sports team - but should ideally be related to some facet of your experience.
This not only helps in gaining the knowledge and comprehension aspect of the concept, but also helps in the analysis and synthesis in applying this concept. It changes it from something foreign to something internal.
For normal scenarios - as the others have said - jot it down. Saving Changes...
You should understand what you are trying to learn, don't just memorise it for the sake of wanting to pass a test. See maybe how your topic applies to a real-world situation? Or maybe learn more about the topic on platforms such as YouTube, or projectmanager.com. Then as soon as you understand your topic and can participate in discussions about it, it will become second nature and you don't have to "force" yourself to remember something. This helps me, it's time-consuming but in the end, it's more rewarding and will give you a confidence boost.
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1 reply by Joshua Render
May 21, 2018 7:43 AM
Joshua Render
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It is easier to pass if you understand the relationships and understand why the answer is the answer.
