Learning Tips

I have recently attended a Learning Session on Coursera and here is a summary of important takeaways.

• Focused and diffused thinking - both are essential for better memory retention.
• Practice and repeat across days. Not in 1 day.
• Practice makes the memory permanent. more u practice, more the memory becomes permanent.
• If u want something to be stored as long-term memory, then repeat the topic once every few days so it gets registered in the brain better.
• Procrastination can be avoided using a timer. Set timer to 25 mins for focused reading and then take a break for some time to do whatever you please and restart for another 25 mins focused session. Continue this process.
• Dig deeper, experiment, practice makes us remember the concepts well than cramming.
• Sleep well so toxins in brain are removed and to make our memory connections stronger.
• Try to read some important topics before sleeping so we get dreams around it, and it will help with better memory on that topic.
• Exercise/run to produce new neurons in brain which improves memory.
• Passion and Persistence, staying the course, not giving up is the key to success. Don't think that you are not smart enough, hence cannot be successful. Not all smart people are successful.
• Being with creative people and youthful ppl makes u feel more creative, youthful and open to new learning and new perspectives.
• Teach others, write blogs, talk to people, ask lot of questions
• Read anything and everything about it
• Immerse in it and practice it. Don't be scared to try out even if you fail, it's ok to fail than not doing anything.

Attached some useful tools from the course.

10 Top Ideas to Help Your Learning.docx (barbaraoakley.com)

Test preparation checklist.docx (barbaraoakley.com)