Learning is supposed to be one of life’s greatest pleasures. But, retaining what you learn, and applying it, can often be tedious, uncertain, and difficult.
Learning doesn’t need to be that way. Learning can be fun, exciting, and immensely valuable.
Regardless of what you are learning and why you want to learn it, by performing three simple actions as often as possible, you will be able to learn in a much easier and far more effective manner.
Each one of these three simple actions can be applied almost immediately, with great ease. But, while they may be simple and easy, these three simple actions will tremendously improve your learning experience, ensuring that you remember what you learn, and can easily apply it!
Quiz Yourself As Often As You Can
Regardless of what you are learning, you must be able to break it down into simple questions that possess simple answers.
Without being able to do this, the structure of your knowledge may be scattered and inconsistent; a series of data points and blocks of information with little in the way of tangible value or applicability.
None of that knowledge, in a form that’s broken and formless, can be accessed or applied with any semblance of ease.
Time and time again, science has demonstrated that memory is perpetually shifting and transforming, based on the information that we are picking up and engaging with.
But, that’s not all science has demonstrated. Modern science is demonstrating, with increasing regularity, that our most significant memories are those that have been “retrieved” numerous times, and that the more we retrieve a particular memory, regardless of what it may be, the more that we will remember it and be able to apply it with ease.
The best way to learn something new, and to remember what it is that you are learning, is to retrieve the information that comprises what you are learning as often as possible.
The easiest way to do that, is to quiz yourself as often as you possibly can.
You can make your own quizzes – flashcards are very useful – or you can use someone else’s. Regardless of how you quiz yourself, though, make sure you do it as often as you can.
By quizzing yourself regularly, you will have a much easier time remembering what you are learning, and this makes applying that same information a nearly effortless task.
Teach Someone Else What You Are Learning
Just six-years ago, back in 2014, there was a very interesting study conducted at Washington University. The purpose of this study was, quite simply, to determine whether or not teaching someone else what you have learned helps you to retain and apply that same information.
But, the study, and its results, were quite a bit more interesting than that.
Rather than just examining whether or not teaching someone else was beneficial, the study also examined whether the expectation of having to teach someone what you are learning would be beneficial towards information retention and application.
The results were unanimous: yes, that expectation will improve every facet of your retention and application.
According to that same study, the reason for this is quite simple: expecting to teach someone else what you are learning means that you will focus on the key points of what you are learning and, in turn you will focus on creating a simple and easy-to-understand structure that captures the essence of those key points.
So, if you want to remember what you are learning, all you really need to do is pretend that you will be teaching someone else what you are learning. By doing so, you will remember what you are learning with greater clarity, making it so much easier to apply that same information.
To enhance your learning even further, you can put together a simple and easy-to-understand guide on what you are learning and how that knowledge can be applied.
You certainly don’t need to share this guide with anyone, but putting it together will allow you to organize what you have already learned, further enhancing your retention of that information, while making it a lot easier for you to apply that same information.
Be Compelled To Learn And Apply What You Are Learning
The simplest, and easiest action, of these three is to want to learn what you are learning about and to be compelled to apply what you are learning.
Sure, that isn’t so much an action as it is a theme, but, nevertheless, it is extremely important.
Without a genuine desire to learn all about the subject you are immersed in, and without a genuine desire to apply what you are learning about on that subject, it is very unlikely that you will retain much of what you are learning or apply any of it in a particularly meaningful way.
There are two very simple reasons for this.
The first of these reasons is that, when you actually want to do something, it’s likely you will put more effort and attention into it, which means that you will retain, at the very least, some of what you are learning.
The second reason is a little more complex, but just as applicable. Emotions serve as a way of encoding certain memories with greater significance. Because of this, if you are learning about something that you genuinely care about, then those memories will be encoded with those strong emotions, making it so much easier for you to retain that information and to apply it whenever you need to.
Regardless of what you are learning about, make sure there is a valid and desirable reason for you to learn. Something as simple as the feeling of accomplishment that comes from passing a test will be more than sufficient. But, as you are learning, you must remember that feeling and, in turn, the end result of what you are learning and why you are learning it.
Conclusion
Remember, learning is meant to be fun and deeply rewarding!
No matter what you are learning, just remember to quiz yourself as often as possible, share your knowledge with others, and to put some strong, positive emotions behind your learning and the end result of that learning.
Just by doing those three things, you will have a fun and very pleasant time learning anything that you need to learn!
Max Akin Writing 