Learn Less, Learn Smart: Better Ways to Hold More in Less Time
When you are learning new material, it can be overwhelming when you think about how long it will take you to really understand it all. This teaching method will help you stay focused and get more information in short training sessions.
The lecture “Learn Less, Learn Smart,” shown in the video above, is from Psychology Professor Dr. Marty Lobdell of Pierce College . In it, Lobdell shares his best study tips so you never have to try these awful classes. The video itself is quite old and some of you have probably seen it before, but every student should watch it. The lecture is about an hour long and is definitely worth watching in its entirety, but here are some of the best tips:
- Practice in chunks: Your ability to memorize information diminishes after about 25-30 minutes, so break it down into several small lessons. Reward yourself with fun activities during your breaks
- Have a special area for study: do not learn where you do something – else. Do not exercise in bed where you are playing games (even if this is your computer) or in front of the TV.
- Know the difference between recognizing and remembering: Recognition requires a trigger for you to remember something, and you may not get it on the test. Exercise vigorously with an emphasis on memories. Ask yourself a question, rather than just browsing the highlighted notes.
- Take Good Notes: Find a note-taking method that works for you and expand on it after a class lecture to improve memorization and comprehension.
- Be prepared to teach what you have learned : if you can teach it to someone else, you are good at the material.
- Read textbooks effectively: use the SQ3R method – survey, question, read, recite, repeat – to actively preserve information. It is not enough just to read it.
Finally, divide everything you learn into two categories: facts and concepts. Facts are things that can drop out of your brain, and you may need to come up with a mnemonic trick to learn them. Concepts are the glue that holds the whole picture together, making them the most important part to explore. Concepts are why you learn something to begin with, and once you learn them, they stay with you. Stop wasting hours studying at a pace that you could only walk a third and learn smartly.
Marty Lobdell – Learn Less, Learn Smart | Youtube