Whether you’re studying for a professional certification or trying to master a skill, or just learning a new subject, the fear factor is real. And that anxiety gets in the way of learning, impairing your thought processing, memory, and causing procrastination to kick in. That’s why we’re setting you up for success with ten hacks for faster learning to change the way you feel about tackling new skills and topics.
Sleep on it
Your boss just assigned you to a presentation on your company with just one day to prepare for it. The go to move is late night cramming, rehearsing for hours, or even staying up all night. While this seems like a logical approach, science says you’ll forget 50% of the stuff you’re trying to catalog in your brain this way.
Contrary to popular belief, your brain needs time to absorb new information. What’s science’s answer to this dilemma? Study your presentation topic for a while, then sleep on it. Pour yourself a cup of java and hit the learning trail again in the morning. While you sleep, your subconscious stores info in your long-term memory. All-nighters actually prevent you from learning and storing the info you need to present.
Pivot power
Do you know about the illusion of mastery? It’s the reason your Uncle Bob thinks he’s a comedian every Thanksgiving.
It’s a common issue for learners—getting a basic understanding and thinking you’ve arrived. Say you’ve made PowerPoint decks before that got the job done. And next time you head into this task, you just assume that your current skill level is good enough.
To keep learning in this area from becoming stale, try a new slide transition on your next deck or embed a video to illustrate a point instead of the clipart and bullets you’ve done before. This is just one example of a way you can harness pivot power to improve your mastery.
Weave and bob
A 2008 study showed researchers that people can learn faster when they mix in learning other subjects at the same time.
In the study, people were assigned to learn the works of many artists and encouraged to apply different methods. The first group learned the artwork per artist while the other group mixed the artists’ works to learn. The group that mixed the artwork (versus concentrating on memorizing one set of work at a time) retained more information.
What’s our lesson here? Mix subjects and learning methods to retain more info.
Chewing gum
Maybe you have that co-worker—the one who chews gum to keep his breath fresh in case super cute Betty from accounting ever stops by his desk to audit his expense report. What that co-worker probably doesn’t know is that chewing gum helps your brain learn faster, according to a series of studies.
People who chew gum are not only more alert, but also experience less stress according to a 2009 study. A 2011 study showed gum chewers stay happy and motivated while they work. And different flavors can make your brain more receptive and flexible.
The hydro flow
Did you know drinking water aids learning? College students who drank water during preparation and taking an exam scored up to a whole letter grade better than those who didn’t. Hydrating also helps you digest information, store new memories, and solve complicated problems.
Why? Because water keeps your brain on its A-game. A 2012 study showed that keeping your brain and body hydrated even makes you more stoked about learning while strengthening your short and long term memory. So, drink (water) while you think and watch the learning flow.
Change channels
Is your study process in a rut? Do you ALWAYS use flashcards or a study guide? Think about mixing it up to help you retain more info.
Try speaking the information aloud or making a presentation that you share with a co-worker. When you blend learning styles, you’re activating different parts of your brain to store more sensory info about your topic. AND you gain an understanding of the topic from different perspectives.
So next time you need to learn something new, teach yourself a new learning style at the same time and reprogram your learning channel.
Speed read
Most people read about 200 words per minute, which means they spend an average of two minutes per page. The key to speed reading is scanning for keywords, nouns, and adjectives. Other parts of speech are usually unnecessary when you’re trying to get basic information.
Highlighting these keywords and phrases can help you review any text, fast. Start by reading the first and last sentences of a paragraph. If the first sentence introduces a topic you already know and the last sentence wraps up the thought, it’s your greenlight to skip ahead.
Lastly, try to relate what you read to something you already know, like a personal experience, to help you retrieve it from your subconscious later. You’ll soon be up to 700-1,000 words per minute.
Soundtrack for success
Music makes your mind more receptive to new information and improves your memory by engaging different areas of your brain. But one of the biggest benefits of listening to music is that it reduces anxiety and stress.
Conscious or not, you’re more relaxed when tunes are playing in the background, making optimal learning more likely. And hey, it’s more fun to study with a soundtrack.
Experiment with different kinds of music to see what works best. A study showed that Baroque music is particularly effective but crank up the playlist that inspires you most.
Divide and conquer
Your brain isn't designed to store massive volumes of information in one sitting. Learning in chunks of time works better.
So, instead of spending a whole day going through all your notes, start by setting aside an hour to deeply study two or three pages. Once you’re done with that session, clear your mind by focusing on another task like walking the dog or washing the dishes.
The next time you sit down to study, review a few more pages, take a break, and so on. By concentrating on small chunks of information at a time, you’ll ultimately retain a whole lot more.
Harder is smarter
Handwriting your notes stimulates information retention and processing way more effectively than typing the information. While it seems more efficient to type your notes, you’d actually have to type your notes ten times to get the same learning benefits achieved by handwriting the same notes once. And instead of staying glued to your computer, do something that taxes you physically. Getting your sweat on in a spin class (or any another exercise) boosts memory and increases your brain size.
Got a new topic to conquer? Or need to master a new skill to get that promotion you’ve always wanted? Try one of these hacks and tell us how your learning journey improves. We can’t wait to hear about your success.
Have you recently done any learning on your own? What did you find most helpful? Share your tips, questions, and thoughts below in the comments section to kick off the conversation!