Focused versus Diffuse Thinking
- Metaphors provide powerful techniques for learning
- Focused and diffuse modes (relax, let your mind flow in diffuse mode, then think in focused)
- Learning something difficult takes time
Procrastination, Memory, Sleep
- Use Pomodoro technique to avoid procrastination, useful for focusing (agree, it is much easier to focus on something, I’ve started to use this site on a regular basis)
- Practice makes permanent- neurons become linked together through repeated use
- Long term memory & working memory
- Spaced repetition - repeat what you’re trying to retain over a number of days, the chance to remember will be higher
- Sleep:
- cleans toxic products in your brain
- erases the less important parts of memories
- strengthens areas that you need or want to remember
- Learning by doing, by active engagement and not passive listening
- Smart != success; passion + persistence = success
Chunking
- focus on something you’re learning
- understand the basic idea (understanding is like a glue to build and connect chunks)
- the first time you actually understand = the first time you can actually do it yourself
- learning = chunks ( how to do something) + context ( when to/not to use it)
Illusions of competence
- Recall is the best learning technique (instead of passive readings)
- Minimize highlights- try to understand the main idea first and then highlight
- Notes and helpful words are great- add them
- Tests yourself= recall
- Interleaving is a great way to master a new subject (jump between different problems/situations, use different techniques/strategies)
Focused learning
- Once a week write a brief weekly list of key tasks in a planner journal
- Daily “to do” list- frees working memory for problem-solving
- Make them as small as a pomodoro chunk
- Interleave (just between different topics)
- Planning your quitting time is as important as planning your working time
- Try to work on the most important and most disliked task first
