Learn to Learn
Recently I have been learning a coursera course, Learn to learn. Actually I had a tried before. And I just let it go. Because I was confident. I have beening good at learning after all these years. Especially when I was a student. I was always at the top class. I could learn the stuff so quickly and remembered them for so long. I can even recall the passages I recited in my 8th grade. I was so proud of my memory, my efficiece, and my way to learning.
But in my college, I met my roomate and let’s just call him Jack. Jack is smart, and his smartness is beyond my knowledge. He could keep playing games all terms and would have all his classes A+ after a months learning. This ability is so amazing. I never had met someone like him. And I tried myself. I could play basketball all the way and I could get it through a little tight with one month learning. And I had to go to class time to time. But this guy Jack just learned every class by himself alone. From then on, I tried to be smart as him. But apparently I failed at last. Well this is a another story. Although it was a pity I had never asked him how did he make it. But after so many years, I gradually understand some.
But it was so many years later. It is now.
Again I chose this coursera class. This time I did not let it go. I learned something. It’s almost finished. But I want to say something.
Ideally, people want to learn quickly, efficiently, and rememer as long as they can. But controversies exists always. If you learn quickly, you can not remember long. And if you want to memorize something for long, you have to learn it again and again. As a ordinary earth planet guy, you should learn it by heart so that you can get it.
But there are some technics that we can use to make this happen. At least try to make it happend. The great tool we use to learn is what? Guess. Of course is our brain. This is nature’s gift. A great gift if we can use it well, we can make great happen. But How?
From my experience, there are levels here.
Entry level is you are taught by someone like a teacher, step by step. Entry level 2, you can learn on your own, but it is not so easy and you have to spend much time and energy. Senior, you can learn something you want to learn in some strategy and gain well. Master, you can learn quickly with a great methodology and most importantly you get great structure about your knowledge. It is a system, a great building. No matter what subject, after your learning, you can have it like a brick in your system.
When I learned the mechanic chemestry, I could have all the system just like a map. Its regularity is just like a net. No matter which side you get it, you can always have a whole net. That’s awsome.
To be honest, I am struggling in the less senior level. Even for a long time, I was at entry level 2. But sometimes I was so stupid to pretend smart. Do something smartly or imitate smart guys. That was riduculous of course. Honest is the first step.
Recently due to my job roles changed, I have to learn many brand new things, and sometimes I have to deliver to my customer. I found something and after this learning some echos arise in my inside.
Something I learnd in this class that I had gained long time ago. But I just didn’t develop them well after a long time which is the reason I did not advance. As a student, school reguates that our time most divided into class, 30-40 minutes. At that time, we try to concentrate on our learning stuff, avoding any kind of interrupting. This is called pomodoro in this class. Keep focus for sometime on something thenaward yourself with some relaxtion. Your mind would have a break like musule after workout.
Learn the new thing from basic concepts. To understand it from different angles and explain the mind of the new things in your own words can help you understand it or find your missings. This is some kind of practice. And you need more practice to make it understood so that you memorize it deep.
When to memorize something, try to make it visuasible. Your brain are good at rememberring image. And of course keep revisiting.
Classify the tings you learn. Have a system or biosystem to it. Just like build a building or weave a net. Make things you learn alive or connected.
Share with others. I used to hate this sharing. I can recall that’s because I did not acturally get it and I was afraid to be embarassed. Shame on me. This may be the most efficient way. Of course you got a chance to humiliate yourself in front of other people. Make it before sharing. Be honest.
Use your brain wisely and technically. You are biological creture. Some sort of mechanics, take good care of its health and efficiency.