Did someone ever teach you how to learn?
If so, you’re one of the lucky few.
Many people never learn how to learn, and it’s easy to get stuck in unproductive learning habits.
Today, I’m sharing the most common mistakes you might be making when studying (and what you can do about them).
MISTAKE #1: Lack of structure [VIDEO]
If you dive right into the materials, without first taking a step back to get clear on what you have to learn, why you have to learn and how you’re going to learn it, you’re going to have a bad time.
This initial step of reflection goes by many names. Some call it drawing a map, some call it metalearning or meta-cognition (thinking about thinking).
Medical student Elizabeth Philips calls it “broadening the context”. As she explains in the video linked above, an important part of this first step is relating what you need to learn to other things in the world and in your life. Mindmapping is a very suitable method for ding this!
MISTAKE #2: Rereading & highlighting (passive learning) + MISTAKE #3: Cramming [VIDEO]
JR of the Evolving Medic made another awesome video, this time partnering with us 🤩 (his video was the inspiration for this newsletter)
The above diagram from the video shows what we mean by passive learning: techniques where you passively take in information. Passive learning on its own is very ineffective, so solely relying on it is a classic mistake. JR also explains why cramming is ineffective and what you should do instead to retain much more.
What is the most powerful active learning technique? Teaching Others! Have a look at our learning by teaching template on how to do that :)
MISTAKE #4: Studying isolation facts [VIDEO]
When studying for a test, it’s easy to get stuck into memorizing more and more facts - which may or may not appear on the test. However, our brains don’t really learn in isolation. Remembering single facts is almost impossible if they don’t connect to a bigger picture. In this video, Charlotte Crowther explains how viewing knowledge as a tree, and placing new facts onto the tree helps her learn and find creative connections.
MISTAKE #5: No breaks [VIDEO]
Your mind has to modes: focused and diffused mode. Being in focused mode feels more productive, so many students focused for hours on end. But the truth is, learning requires both focused and diffused mode.
Dr. Aman Arora shows how taking breaks and splitting sessions helps you learn more effectively (another one of his tips: put your phone in another room to avoid distractions!).
