Regardless of whether you’re a full-time student in school, or a working adult pursuing a professional qualification on a part-time basis, you share a common desire with all the other students out there. And that is to get the best results out of the efforts you’ve invested into the learning process.
In this post, I’ll offer you learning techniques, some of which may be new to you, to improve the way you study and more importantly, increase the amount of information you can digest and retain. Although information retention is only one part of learning, it’s no doubt an essential component that needs to be in place before we can even talk about applying what we’ve learned.
Without further ado, let us begin by first understanding how our brain actually processes and retains information.
How the Brain Remembers
Tonnes and tonnes of data stimulate our senses and go through our brain each day. How does the brain decide that one piece of information is more important than the rest and should be filed for future use, while others can be ignored and discarded?
One commonly accepted brain theory says that for a piece of factual information to be recorded for posterity, it has to undergo a few stages. These stages can be simplified as follows:
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Data capture. Before information can be stored, it must first be captured by our senses and registered by the cerebral cortex, the outer layer of our brain. How well information is captured plays a key role here as it will influence, though not entirely, how this piece of data will be stored and how well it can be recalled later. Poor data collection will usually lead to poor memory retention and retrieval.
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Information consolidation. At this stage, information is sent to a short-term memory system where it will last for a matter of seconds. The hippocampus, the part of the brain that is heavily involved in learning, will then assess the value of the information based on the following criteria:
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Is the information sensational or outstanding? We are more likely to remember shocking news, or events that elicit a strong emotional response in us. Things that are out of the ordinary, unusual or exceptionable are also particularly unforgettable.
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Is the information related to something that exists in the long-term memory? Remembering the latest news about your ex is way easier than remembering the name of someone you’ve just met.
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Is it a new piece of information? If a piece of data is repeatedly replayed in the hippocampus, the brain will conclude that it must be something worth keeping. Studies have also found that sleep can help one to remember newly learned information better, possibly because data are replayed in the hippocampus during sleep and thus helped to create lasting memory.
If a data satisfies any of the above conditions, it will be sent to the cortex where it will be stored as a long-term memory. If it doesn’t, the information will be trashed, or rather left to fade into oblivion.
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Note: After a piece of information has been stored as a long-term memory, it doesn’t mean it will stay the same forever. Re-consolidation occurs as new experiences are being processed and old memories are being retrieved. How often old memories are used, the aging process as well as the presence of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s are just some of the other factors that can also affect our long-term memories.
How to Make Learning More Effective
Having understood how long-term memory is formed, we can adopt some specific learning techniques that promote a higher retention of the information we are learning. Here are some of them:
Learning Techniques that Work
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Learn in 25-minute chunks. The average time in which most people can concentrate reasonably well is only about 25 minutes, after which fatigue and tiredness will start to set in. So it’s a important to take a five or ten-minute break to relax for every 25 minutes of concentrated learning to maintain alertness. Research has also shown that the ideal length for an entire study session should be no more than two hours. Therefore, in a two-hour study session, you will have four 25-minute chunks separated by five-minute break each.
If you’re having problem concentrating even in a 25-minute chunk, try meditation. By concentrating on your breaths or an external object, such as a mandala, meditation can help to lengthen the amount of time you can stay on a single task without wavering. Besides, meditation also has the added benefits of relaxing the mind, removing anxieties and preparing your mind for an optimal learning experience.
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Take power naps. After every two-hour study session, take a fifteen minute power nap to let your brain consolidate the information it has received. People who took naps after a learning session fared better and were more alert than those who didn’t in studies. Having said that, it’s still important to get adequate quality sleep each night. Power naps only supplement your rest periods and are not a replacement of sleep.
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Strategically time your revisions. It’s a well-known fact that the more times we’re exposed to a piece of information, be it visual, sound or any other form, the easier it will be for us to remember it. But, how far apart should we spaced our revisions so that we can achieve the maximum result with the least effort?
Studies revealed that we forget as much as eighty percent of what has been learned the day before. So if we can revise what we’ve learned before we forget them, we’ll greatly increase the likelihood of transferring these information to the long-term memory system.
As such, a number of books on effective learning proposed the following revision model:
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First revision: Ten minutes after initial learning
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Second revision: 24 hours after initial learning
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Third revision: One week after initial learning
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Fourth revision: One month after initial learning
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Fifth revision: Six months after initial learning
Though the exact number may differ across different books, the general consensus is that the first few revisions should be spaced closer to initial learning, after which subsequent revisions can be spaced further apart from one another.
Try the model above and tweak the exact time frame according to the nature as well as the complexity of the subject you’re studying.
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Enliven your learning experience. Though we tend to remember dramatic events and news better by virtue of the emotional response they elicit, it’s impractical to expect everything that we are studying to have the same emotional impact. Some subjects are, by their very nature, quite dry. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can do either. I find that by reading up on the historical facts behind a theory, idea or concept, a dry topic can instantly become interesting and meaningful. Knowing how a particular equation is applied in real life, or how it helps to make previously impossible things possible is also a good way to make an unexciting theory fun and practical. There are also other ways to make a boring subject comes to life:
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Think in pictures and colors to make your notes a visual treat!
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Invent funny stories out of lengthy or complex concept
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Create rhyming phrases to remember cold, hard facts
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Relate to your existing knowledge. Whenever possible, associate newly acquired information with those you already know. This way, not only will you remember the new piece of information better, you’ll also be reinforcing your memory of existing ones. If you’re trying to learn a new word, for example, you can associate it with a word you know well, or relate it to a picture or even a famous character that embodies the essence of the word. Although it may take some effort to do the linking between the new and the old, especially when there is no obvious connection, the lasting result you’ll get is well worth the time and energy you put in.
There are of course many more learning techniques to increase your productivity and efficiency.
Are there learning techniques that you swear by? Share them with us in the comments. Thanks!
These tips are interesting, although I may have a problem with power naps. It’s not easy for me to fall asleep.
I used to have difficulty taking naps too, Walter. But later I discovered that the environment was the one that played a determining role, at least for me. When I was still working in cubicle, it was tough to take a good nap. There were just too many distractions going around. But once I shifted my workplace to home, the problem went away by itself.
I am doing Chartered Accountant course where I have to study and work also. I am not able to concerntrate more than 30 minutes and then feels pressure of studies on me where i have to devote good amount of time like 10 hours daily, while going for sleep I have started meditation but still I am feeling loaded , please tell me some way out?
Don’t be disheartened, Pratik. Your dedication to your study is commendable. Since you already have the dedication and persistence, I think what you need is a good learning plan. A plan will not only give you focus in your study, but will also put you at ease so that you need not worry about not having enough time to cover all that you need.
To come up with a good study plan, here are some suggestions:
1. Plan backwards. Work backwards from the date of your examination. Calculate how much time you need to devote to each subject so that you can cover all subjects thoroughly. Allow some days as buffer for last minute emergencies.
2. Spread it out. In your study plan, don’t cram the study of one topic or subject over a few days. Spreading the study of one topic over a couple of days gives your mind time to process and absorb information better.
3. Adopt smart learning strategies. Read this post on smart learning techniques thoroughly and adopt the strategies outlined, such as breaking each learning session into 25-minute chunks, schedule revisions in your study plan to increase recall rate, make learning fun and interesting, and always try to relate what you’ve learned to your existing knowledge.
I wish you all the best in your study!
Thank You for ur help and guidance, now I know d person whom can i say my worries. I sincerely thank you from bottom of my heart!!!!
Don’t mention it, Pratik. Sometimes I find the Internet fascinating in its ability to bring people from different continents together and helping each other. I’m just glad to be of some help through The Conscious Life. And I’ll continue to contribute in my own little way for as long as I possibly can.
If you find this site useful, do help to tell your friends and loved ones about it. I’d appreciate it very much. Thanks!
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