10 useful tips to learn smartly and effectively

We all know that successful people always aim to learn new things. They understand that learning is an endless journey, and that it helps to open up the mind, increase knowledge and strengthen the capacity to think rationally and reasonably. Moreover, learning enriches one's life and helps to maintain one's mental capacity with age due to the continuous activation of the brain. 

This begs an important question: as long as people realize the importance of learning, why doesn't everyone continue to learn after college? Simply, because most people don't know how to learn smartly and effectively, and that's what we are going to talk about in our article. So, follow the tips below to become an effective learner and to avoid the feeling of disappointment resulting from not making use of what you are learning.

Get to know the basics of what you are learning

It is very important to have a basic knowledge of everything you intend to learn. For example, if you want to learn a new language, it is useful to read about the history of this language to enrich your mind with more information about it. Or if you want to learn programming, you should read more about the basics of this field and go back over everything you learned related to the field of programming. It is also advisable to not skip the introductory chapters of any book or course you are taking.

 Set a plan and stick to it

You should specify a specific time and place to learn, and divide the material or course into smaller parts to make it feasible. Sticking to a specific plan helps you prepare yourself for learning and avoid feeling confused and distracted about the time, place, and what you want to learn. In addition, you will find the implementation of the learning plan very attractive to feel the achievement, which makes studying a priority in your life.

Use a variety of sources

Sometimes, we feel that we cannot understand a part of a subject or language that we are learning. So, we should have various sources of learning. This helps us to experience different methods of explanation and teaching. For example, if you are learning programming from a book and you face some difficulties, look for explanations on YouTube or other platforms that provide lessons in this field. However, you should not learn from too many sources at once to avoid getting distracted.

You can also ask for help in forums and discussion groups specific to the field you are learning. You will find many experts and learners who will provide the answers you are looking for.

Create graphic images

In the process of learning, it is useful to draw some graphic images and illustrations of what you learn. In this way, you help the creative and visual paths in your mind work by turning abstract concepts into images.

Some may think that this step takes a lot of time, but vice versa, because you help your mind remember what you learned by just one glance at the images you drew.

Teach someone else

Albert Einstein said, "If you cannot explain your idea to a 6-year-old, you do not understand it yourself."

Indeed, this is not just about explaining things to a six-year-old. In the end, there are ideas and concepts that are difficult for children to understand. But the point is that explaining what you have learned to someone else helps you learn and promotes information in your mind in a great way because you have to dismantle the abstract information and make it easier to explain to someone else. You will also want to explore information more deeply and improve your knowledge. So, teaching others is an exciting and rewarding way to learn something new.   

Learn before going to sleep

If you aim to learn a new skill, language, or anything else, try to practice these things four hours before going to sleep. According to American rapid learning expert Josh Kaufman, any practice conducted within this time frame makes your mind integrate learning more quickly into its neural pathways. Which strengthens your memory faster.

Put your knowledge to use

It is said that the best way to maintain knowledge is to apply it. When you learn something, try to create conditions that help you use the knowledge you have gained. For example, if you are learning a new language, try speaking it to someone else who is also learning it, or to a native speaker of it. This will help you to be more confident in what you have learned and to remember what you are studying constantly.

Applying learning to the projects you are trying to create while you are learning is also a good way to gain experience through self-learning. For instance, if you are working on a web development coding language, you can spend some time creating a web page to help you practice your skills. The point is to stay motivated in the learning process and gain the benefits of what you learn.

Workout

This tip may seem a little strange on this topic, but we learned from a young age that a healthy mind is in a healthy body. In fact, exercise benefits not only your physical fitness but also your mental health. Exercising for a short period of time,  20 minutes  for instance, is extremely crucial to creating new neural links more quickly. This helps you improve the learning process.

Listen to music

The effectiveness of studying in a quiet place is a common information. However, some research shows that a quiet place is not always the best place to learn. A study from Stanford University found that listening to certain music improves the learning process and also revealed that music activates certain areas of the brain associated with prediction and attention, and makes students more receptive to information.

Researchers used classical music in this study, but found it difficult to identify other types of music that help improve learning. However, there are many types of music classified online (e.g., production music, focus music, relaxation music, etc.). So, you can look for these types and try to listen to them while learning.

Try different learning styles

Different learning styles help you avoid being bored and foster your motivation even more. What is meant here is not the different sources, but the styles in which you learn. For instance, if you are used to learning alone, try studying with a colleague or group of colleagues and working with them. If you're used to studying from books, you can experiment with visual and audio aids such as watching videos and listening to speeches and podcasts.

No doubt, each study style has its own advantages, but the combination of different ones activates the mind and stores information in different parts of the brain. Which helps you make information more coherent, effective,