10 Brain Hacks to Learn Anything Faster!
Have you sometimes wished you could have super powers or abilities to just grasp things a lot easier and faster? Here are 10 hacks to learning anything faster.
1.Practical Application:
Most of what we learn are abstract; ideas, concepts, theories, without actual practical application. This is a problem because practical applications serve as a sealant. If you learn a theory or concept or an idea of something, a way to make it stick is by practicing it.
Say you’re learning to code, it’s okay to read about HTML and all, but to make it sink in and to become proficient in it, you need to practice. It is in practice that you perfect knowledge. So practicalise things, repeat them, this way, you discover innovative approaches, learn faster and become even better.
2.Pareto’s Law:
Developed by Vilfredo Pareto, this law says that 80% of consequences come from 20% of the causes, suggesting an unequal relationship between inputs and outputs. The first 20% of information you’ll learn will yield a larger percentage of knowledge than the next 80%. Many people go the route of assuming that they have to know everything about a subject matter that they’re learning.
They strive for perfection in everything they’re learning. Thing is, there’s nothing wrong in striving for perfection, but, you can’t know everything , and the earlier you realise and accept this, the better. Nobody knows everything. Even the best minds in a particular field are constantly studying and learning about it.
So rather than beat yourself up, take it easy on yourself, practice focused studying, start small, and then scae gradually. Build a healthy learning foundation.
3.Burst Learning:
Louisiana State University researchers discovered that studying for shorter sessions are a lot more effective than studying at a stretch. The ideal time is to study between 30 and 50 minutes at a time.
While studying in less than 30 minutes is too short as you won’t get deep enough to absorb information, going beyond 50 minutes is a stretch and you risk information overload which leads to forgetfulness. Keep your sessions short.
4.An Introductory Framework:
Skimming may seem like a terrible approach to learning, but it actually is important in the learning process. What skimming helps you do is give a surface idea of the subject matter that you’re about to learn. Skimming can be seen as exploring the ideas you’re about to dive into in detail.
Useful as this might seem, it cannot replace actual studying. What you can likely do is to use the skimming framework to structure the concept you’re learning. This way, you’re helping the brain make meaningful connections.
5.Consistent Perseverance:
to learn faster and more effectively, you have to be consistent. Build a routine and stick to it. To become a learner you have to learn something new everyday. Build your discipline and consistency.
6.Mental Relaxation:
Sometimes, the best way to learn is to not try to learn. Step aside, rest your brain. Give your brain some time to process the things you just studied after you have studied for a while.
You can engage in low brain demanding activities like seeing a movie, relaxation exercises, a nap, a shower or meditation. The goal is to allow your mind declutter and relax.
7.Avoiding Mindlessness:
Mental relaxation is fine, but if you wander away too far, it’s as detrimental as overloading your brain with information. You don’t want to be neck deep in studying one thing and then doing a totally different thing right after. This doesn’t help you process what you just learnt.
Instead of sealing the knowledge you just acquired, you’re letting it slip away. Do away with these numbing activities/routines if you want to learn much more effectively.
8.Familiar Connections:
Consciously make connections between new knowledge and familiar knowledge (information encountered on a regular basis) to make your new findings valuable.
9.The Natural Learner:
Learning according to the Pew Research Center, learning is a lifelong process. People who learn the most incorporate learning into every aspect of their lives. Learning feels natural to them. So never stop learning. Learn, grow, build.
10.Diversifying Methods:
Lastly, there’s no cast in stone method to learning faster. According to a 2016 study by John Hopkins University Researchers, “Diverse learning tactics yield a greater understanding than one consistent method.” If you want to make the most of your knowledge, find ways to blend them all together.
