So, for instance, if you're practicing a new golf swing or perfecting your tennis game, try adjusting the size or weight of your club or racket. This only works if the modifications are small - making big changes in how the skill is performed won't help. In one study of people who learned a computer-based motor skill, those who learned a skill and then had a modified practice session where they practiced the skill in a slightly different way performed better than those who repeated the original task over and over. Making slight changes during repeated and deliberate practice sessions will help you master a skill faster than doing it the same way every time. If you're learning a skill, don't do the same thing over and over. Related: Study Finds the Less You Sleep the Less People Like You 5. And students who both study and get plenty of sleep not only perform better academically they're also happier. Deep sleep (non-rapid-eye-movement sleep) can strengthen our long-term memory if the sleep occurs within 12 hours of learning the new information. It seems that getting some shut-eye and taking short breaks are important elements in bolstering how our brains remember something. Research shows a strong connection between sleep and learning. right? However, that's not the most efficient way for our brains to process information.

Surely your hard work will be rewarded, even if you're exhausted the next day. If you're like many of us, you stay up too late trying to cram beforehand. You have a big project or a major presentation tomorrow and you're not prepared. Related: 3 Ways to Become a More Effective Learner 4. Spacing out practice over a longer period of time is highly effective because it's easier to do a small study session and you'll stay motivated to keep learning. Over time, you can begin to spread the sessions out, starting with once per day and eventually moving to three times a week. Afterward, take a few minutes to look over your notes, making any additions or changes to add detail and ensure accuracy.ĭo this quickly, once or twice following each class or period of instruction. The first step is to take thorough notes while the topic is being discussed. Using short, spaced-out study sessions will encourage meaningful learning, as opposed to long 'cram sessions,' which promote rote learning. This method involves distributing multiple practices (or study sessions) on a topic over a period of time.

Learn to pull out important information and ignore trivial information.

Write in phrases, not complete sentences.

Develop a consistent system of abbreviations and symbols to save time.

Leave spaces and lines between main ideas so you can revisit them later and add information.

Listen and take notes in your own words.

Whatever method you use, some basic tips for note-taking include: Reframing the information in your own words helps you retain the information longer, meaning you'll have better recall and will perform better on tests. While taking notes by hand is slower and more cumbersome than typing, the act of writing out the information fosters comprehension and retention through muscle memory. Those who take notes by hand actually learn more. Research has shown that those who type in their lecture notes process and retain the information at a lower level. To speed up your learning, skip the laptop and take notes the old-fashioned way, with pen and paper. Though it might seem that typing your notes on a laptop during a conference or lecture will be more thorough, thus helping you learn faster, it doesn't work that way. If you want to get a jump start on expanding your knowledge, here are 10 proven ways you can start being a quick learner. Science Photo Library | SCIEPRO | Getty Images So how can you make the most of your time by speeding up the learning process? Thanks to neuroscience, we now have a better understanding of how we learn and the most effective ways our brains process and hold on to information. Whether you're learning Spanish or want to do math fast, it takes time to learn each lesson, and time is precious. Learning new things is a huge part of life - we should always be striving to grow and learn a new skill.

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