Top Learning Tips

Learning is a great way to enhance your life and to increase your confidence and self-esteem.

Don’t think of the school rooms of your childhood, but think of an exciting journey, where you meet new ideas and interesting challenges on the way. Where the journey is just as interesting as the destination and where the first destination is a starting point for your next destination.

Here are some top learning tips to help make your learning more effective.

 

Learning should be enjoyable

Your learning should be enjoyable, if it isn’t stop!
It really is no good trying to do something that you are not enjoying, and in any case you won’t learn anything effectively.

Be sure of your big picture

How does this new learning fit it into your life?
What are you trying to achieve?
Be realistic and sure of your aims and objectives.

I'm using the Rocket Piano course at the moment
 My aim is to play the piano
 My objectives are:
  learn to play using both hands
  play 20 of my favourite tunes
  play "Happy Birthday"
  play at least five Christmas carols

The objectives are realistic in terms of my previous skills,  I have a clear idea of what I want to achieve and I will easily know when I get there. I will have the feeling of success and be able to do something I couldn’t do before!

Manage your learning environment

The better your learning environment, the easier it is for you to learn.
You need to consider; time, space and support.

Manage your Time
Create a weekly plan to identify free time and time you can 'chunk' together.
Rearrange your activities to free up time.
Use the time you take to travel back and forth from work.
Always carry some notes/books/audio to use in odd moments.
Beware of 'sharpening your pencils', ...
   ...in other words, distracting yourself to avoid starting your learning!

Manage your Space
Create a space to layout your learning materials.
Ensure everything you need is close at hand.
If possible, have a desk and chair, and ensure both are correctly adjusted.

Manage your Support
Ensure those around you understand your desire to complete a learning program.
Encourage them not to interrupt you when learning.
Balance your life and learning with those around you.
Share your success.

Vary your Learning Styles

We learn and memorise using a varying combination of three different ways.

Visual learning style
Writing down key facts.
Making mind maps.
Drawing pictures, charts, diagrams and time-lines.

Auditory learning style
Listening to talks, lectures and presentations.
Listening to pre-recorded material:  cds, tapes, mp3s, etc.
Explaining the topic to someone else.
Reading aloud to yourself.

Kinaesthetic learning style
Making Models.
Completing practical tasks.
Putting key points onto record cards.
Getting physically and actively involved.

Varying your learning style will make your learning more effective and more enjoyable.

Use ‘Kipling’ Questions

Rudyard Kipling wrote a short poem outlining a powerful set of questions:

I keep six honest serving men
They taught me all I knew;
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.

These can be a useful way to analyse some new learning or to draw a mind-map

Use Technology

Technology does not make you a better learner, but if used wisely, technology can help make your learning easier.
Almost all courses offered over the internet have  technology advantages.

Easy to download and use immediately.
Video resources.
Audio resources.
Digital Documents.
Computer based learning games.

Use these technologies to your advantage. Transfer video and audio content to your personal players and take them with you  to use in odd moments or on journeys back and forth to work.
Only print those parts of  digital documents you need.
Use the games to make learning more fun.

Get the Challenge Right

Learning new stuff is a balance!
If the challenge is too easy,  it soon becomes boring.
If it is too hard, it is easy to become discouraged.
Getting the balance right is the best way to make significant progress and at the same time eel good about your progress.

Review and Revise your Learning

At regular intervals (perhaps each week for example), stop and look back on what you have learned and on what progress you have made. What may have seemed hard before may now seem relatively easy. That’s progress for you!

Write some new memory cards, move some new audio files onto your player, move forward! Check out these top learning tips again!

Celebrate your progress, enjoy the achievements, however small or large!

 

If you have any top learning tips, please add a comment!