Effective learning is counterintuitive.
Most learning advice in school will waste your time and effort. Making what you learn stick is simple if you know how.
My second atomic essay for #ship30for30.
🧵 Prefer tweets? See my essay in the thread.
Most learning advice in school will waste your time and effort. Making what you learn stick is simple if you know how.
My second atomic essay for #ship30for30.
🧵 Prefer tweets? See my essay in the thread.
School is the worst place to learn how to learn.
It's not because of school you develop, but despite it.
It's not because of school you develop, but despite it.
Most learning methods you learn in school make sense intuitively but aren't effective.
Rereading and cramming lead to illusions of knowing; it may be enough for exams, but not to succeed in life.
Rereading and cramming lead to illusions of knowing; it may be enough for exams, but not to succeed in life.
Learning is a core skill that everyone needs.
Leaving school, we mostly learn via trial and error. But sometimes, we need to learn something well and fast. It's then that we realize we know jack shit about learning and think growing as an adult is impossible.
Leaving school, we mostly learn via trial and error. But sometimes, we need to learn something well and fast. It's then that we realize we know jack shit about learning and think growing as an adult is impossible.
Learning is simple if you know how.
There are unconventional techniques to learn fast and make it stick—even as an adult.
There are unconventional techniques to learn fast and make it stick—even as an adult.
Five principles for effective learning:
1. Switch topics before you fully understand them
2. Space out practice in time
3. Make it difficult
4. Experiment
5. Fail
Apply these principles consistently, and you can learn anything.
Let's dig into each.
1. Switch topics before you fully understand them
2. Space out practice in time
3. Make it difficult
4. Experiment
5. Fail
Apply these principles consistently, and you can learn anything.
Let's dig into each.
Principle 1: Switch topics before you fully understand them.
Most people learn topics in isolation, trying to master them before moving on. It's better to interrupt learning periods to give your brain time to process and make sense of things before resuming.
Most people learn topics in isolation, trying to master them before moving on. It's better to interrupt learning periods to give your brain time to process and make sense of things before resuming.
Principle 2: Space out practice in time.
Research shows that spaced practice is more effective than massed practice (cramming).
If you forget a bit and then relearn it, the learning is much stronger.
Research shows that spaced practice is more effective than massed practice (cramming).
If you forget a bit and then relearn it, the learning is much stronger.
Principle 3: Make it difficult.
Would you rather reread or take a quiz? You probably choose to reread, but research shows that testing is a powerful learning tool.
Challenge yourself by retrieving knowledge instead of merely exposing yourself to it.
Would you rather reread or take a quiz? You probably choose to reread, but research shows that testing is a powerful learning tool.
Challenge yourself by retrieving knowledge instead of merely exposing yourself to it.
Principle 4: Experiment.
You can follow a tutorial, but only when you leave the beaten path and experiment with approaches will you develop a deep understanding of why something works.
You can follow a tutorial, but only when you leave the beaten path and experiment with approaches will you develop a deep understanding of why something works.
Principle 5: Fail.
Without failing, experimentation is impossible. It's a myth that learners ingrain errors—as long as they receive feedback.
Fail often and seek feedback if you want to learn quickly.
Without failing, experimentation is impossible. It's a myth that learners ingrain errors—as long as they receive feedback.
Fail often and seek feedback if you want to learn quickly.
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