In adult life, you set goals for yourself – no one will make an action plan for you. When creating your calendar, use the method of small steps. Note that a statement like “I have a year to master Spanish” will have no effect. It is very likely that you will not be able to fulfill the promise you made to yourself in such a long period of time.
Planning
Planning specific actions is the first step on the road to success. It was easier at school and at university. You knew that a test or exam was scheduled well in advance. You knew a specific date and the mere awareness of the passage of time had a motivating effect on you.
So divide the material into smaller batches sensibly and plan the exact dates by which you want to master specific skills. Set clear tasks for each day. Then you won’t be putting anything off.
Planners will come to your aid – both paper and virtual, in the form of applications for a smartphone or tablet. Google Calendar can also be useful. In it, you can place individual activities or information to be done in a special list of tasks.
Try to keep the printed action plan in sight. Then you will definitely not forget about your duties. A good motivational effect is brought by ticking off what you have already done. This way you visualize how much work you have already put into a given resolution. This always helps when the moment of discouragement comes!
Be systematic
All effective learning techniques are based on regularity. Longer breaks in learning cause the knowledge already acquired to fade in the memory. This, in turn, has a demotivating effect. However, remember that systematic learning does not mean spending every evening reading books.
Do you know how to learn foreign languages in a short time? It is enough to spend 15 minutes a day learning to quickly master the foreign language of your choice! Amazing, isn’t it? The catch is that you have to sit down to replay every day – without exception on holidays or on vacation. On the other hand, a quarter of an hour is nothing compared to the time spent every day browsing social media.
Instead of scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, install a foreign language learning app on your tablet or smartphone. Research shows that it is best to learn new words immediately before falling asleep.
Categorize and Share the Information you absorb
Grouping information is the best way to systematize knowledge. It’s not only about order, but also about arranging new things the way you arrange books on a shelf in a library. For the brain, categorizing is a natural process. This was proven by research conducted at the University of California, which led to the creation of the first model of the semantic map that the human brain produces by ordering the information it assimilated.
What will help you in grouping your knowledge are, of course, popular flashcards. These little colorful pieces of paper can work wonders. Different shades of cards can be a great tool for categorizing specific information. Assign a different color to each group and write down specific definitions, formulas or words on paper. Remember to write by hand – research shows that a person remembers information much faster when they write it down by hand, rather than using a keyboard.
Small pieces of paper can hold a few words or sentences, so it’s the best way to learn, for example, difficult concepts, definitions or foreign words. Assimilating in small batches, frequent repetition and putting the most important innovations in sight are proven ways to learn quickly. Therefore, use the cards often. Hang them in different places – above the bed, on the closet, at the desk, or even in the bathroom on the mirror so you can look at them every day. Then your brain will absorb them involuntarily and effectively!
Also, create infographics. On the Internet, you will find a lot of simple graphic applications created just for this purpose. And what is an infographic? This is an illustration where you put the most important information in the form of passwords. The information is legible, and it is supplemented by small pictures. Already at the stage of designing such an infographic, you absorb knowledge, because you choose what is most important from a specific topic. Print out the handmade or downloaded templates and hang them so that they are in sight in your room.
Finally, remember to share knowledge sensibly. It is best if you categorize it into thematic blocks. Name these terms that will be a valuable hint for you during revisions. Compare the groups with each other, trying to find both their common features and the differences between them. This method will help you better understand the material you are interested in.
Don’t forget to take breaks
The saying that breaks are the most important thing at school has its logical justification. A rested and oxygenated brain works much more efficiently. When studying, take care of the right conditions by removing all distractions from the environment. The smartphone should be out of sight. In addition, turn off the TV if you study with a computer, and close the windows of social networks on your laptop.
Try to concentrate on studying for a few dozen minutes, but if you feel tired or it turns out that you have been studying for about 1.5 hours, get up and take a break. Go for a walk or do a short workout. Physical activity supports brain function. It makes concentration deepen and the mind becomes clearer. In addition, set the length of the break so that you do not waste time and do not delay further study.
Make learning fun!
There is only one answer to the question “How to learn quickly and without getting tired?” You have to learn with a positive attitude and curiosity. If you approach learning as a tedious job, it will be just that.
Treat every portion of knowledge as a challenge, a peak to be conquered. Learning is a pleasure when the field you are learning is within your interests. At school, you had no choice – you had to learn everything. Fortunately, in adult life you have more freedom.
Reward yourself for mastering every major batch of material. The reward center in the human brain is a powerful motivator. If you stimulate it effectively, learning will be easier and faster. Celebrate each completed stage of acquiring information or skills – talk about what you have learned. The recognition you see in the eyes of your loved ones will motivate you even more to keep going.
Use fun memorization methods and a system of original associations. For example, if you have a string of numbers to memorize, assign a random word to each of them. Then make a sentence out of them. A strange, funny sentence will surely be remembered.