Top strategies to learn more about any subject December 1, 2015
It does not matter what subject it is you want to learn more about. These strategies will help you get to a deeper level of understanding. Some of these strategies might be new to you and others you might not have thought about. But they are all ways of learning an old or newer subject that have worked for me in the past. I am a firm believer that you can do whatever you set your mind up to and it doesn’t matter what the subject is, if you are really dedicated to learning and studying you will gain the knowledge you are looking for! So without further ado, here are my top strategies to learn more about any subject:
1. Ask questions.
This one might seem pretty common advice, but think about it. How many questions do you really ask at the end of the day? Smaller children ask questions what seems like 24/7, but the older we get, the more we tend to hold back on the questions, for a multitude of reasons. But only if we ask others questions and we do not stop asking ourselves questions, we can get to a deeper understanding of things and the world around us. So hold back on the assumptions and ask more questions. And really listen to people!
2. Find people who share your interest and talk about it.
Maybe your friends want to learn about the same subject. Great! But even if not, find others to exchange ideas with and talk about the things you want to learn more about. Other people can give you great advice and impulses for your own studies. And being in the company with people you like will make learning an even better experience!
3. Scan the media for information and inspiration.
Watch documentaries, movies, Youtube videos, listen to podcasts. Get your hands on magazines and newspaper articles on the subject. Read books and articles on the subject matter and use Google search and other websites to find even more things out when it comes to the subject. Visit your local library and ask the librarian for help with your research if you get stuck. Also, you can even get alerted by email about news articles for certain subjects if you want.
4.Take a formal course or find a (free) internet course on the subject.
This one is pretty self-explanatory, right?
5. Take and keep notes.
Write down all of your questions and continuously learn about the subject on every single day.
6. Test yourself on the subject.
You can always train yourself to do better in tests by testing yourself at home. Mock test you do by yourself will give you an idea, how well you understand the material and they will also teach you to manage your time during a test better.
7. Write your own summaries or short texts on the subject.
To further test your own understanding, write for your own use. This will help you study for a test and help you remember the information you have learned better. If you cannot explain the things you have studied well to others or write about it, you might need to do further digging and dedicate more time for revision. Maybe there is something you didn’t understand yourself? Fill in all the gaps.
8. If you get stuck or do not know the answer to something, try to find out more about it.
Look things up right away or make a note and do it once you have the time. Learn more about what you wanted to know or didn’t know the answer to. This will spark your curiosity and make you become more knowledgeable about anything. There are many possibilities to find answers to your questions and a lot of valuable information is available to you online. We are all born with a natural curiosity. Become curious again and learn something new every day. Whatever your negative beliefs about learning are – learning can be fun and a very rewarding experience. Just do it at your own space and create a positive learning environment for yourself. Avoid cramming whenever possible and learn to manage your time and what study techniques work for you.
9. Broaden your horizon and broaden your learning sources.
It was only this year that I realized that I enjoy listening to audio books and podcasts. Sometimes it is the same with certain subjects or learning techniques. I had a friend at university who swore by studying at a certain spot in the library and would even go there on the weekends. Find out what works for you and stick to it but be also open to try new things. Maybe there are ways you can supplement your studying? If you learn a new language, for example, subscribe to a podcast in that language and find some online study ressources provided by universities and study them in addition to your course material. Try reading children’s literature in the language. You get where I’m going with this, right?
10. Explore new subjects
You will find fun in learning new things beyond the ones you have to study for university or had to learn for in school. Certain things are more intimidating to start learning about than others, like Science in my case. But even subjects you thought you have no talent for whatsoever might be turning out to be easier than you thought. And some things might even turn into a new hobby for you. You will never know though, when you do not give it a shot.
11. You can find some interesting aspects about nearly ANY subject matter.
Try to change your perspective on a subject you are not that interested in. Especially if you have to, for example take a course at university or school that you did not like/do not initially enjoy and you can choose to become more open to learning it. Maybe it is a mandatory course that you would have never chosen yourself in the first place, but in the end it does not matter. You can still try to make the most out of any learning experience and learn some new and valuable information along the way.
12. Find what works for you.
Some subjects ask for different study techniques. If you have more than one subject you want/need to study for, divide your time between them, but also prioritize tasks and spend the time where you need it, should you have to dedicate more time to specific tasks. If you are in university you want to do well in all of your courses. But sometimes you have that one class you struggle with, so you might need a little bit more time doing the coursework and studying for that one. Trust yourself and find the help you need on time. There are many ways to study and you need to learn time management techniques, study strategies and learning techniques that work for you. And sometimes, depending on the subject, they might be different from your other study routines.
Good luck and have fun learning new things!
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