Are you still learning or are you already stressing?
After the New Year’s Eve hangover, the stress increases exponentially for most people, because the exams are just around the corner again. But no reason to hang your head. We have put together the best learning tips so that nothing goes wrong with you.
- Get an overview
In order to be able to store knowledge, the brain must be able to connect to already existing knowledge.
The more knowledge we have acquired about a topic, the more points of contact there are in our memory and the easier it is for us to remember new things.
Instead of learning a new topic in turn, it is advisable to first look for points of contact.
By cross-reading the new material, the previous knowledge can be activated and some content is even linked to your memory, which in turn can be used in the second run. You can see how you can optimize the process even further under point 5.
- Schedule breaks
Admittedly, learning is not necessarily a fun affair where you like to spend a lot of time. But instead of just getting IT over with it very quickly, small breaks should be built in more often. Erroneously, breaks seem to prolong learning unnecessarily and are therefore only taken when they are very exhausted. You shouldn’t spend more than 5-6 hours of effective learning time a day anyway – quality over quantity.
It’s better to plan your recovery periods in advance and stick to them.
Interestingly, mental exhaustion often manifests itself precisely because you don’t think an upcoming break is necessary. But it is precisely then that it is particularly important.
AND: Relax the concentration muscle and switch off your computer and smartphone!
- Nothing is more important than sleep!
Who wouldn’t agree with that?! Nevertheless, we tend to skimp on sleep when we are stressed. But if you save on sleep during a learning phase, you are not only shooting yourself in the foot, but in the head!
Because it is only during sleep that what we have learned is transferred to our long-term memory.
The shorter and worse we sleep, the less reaches the long-term memory.
So off to the springs, the bunk or the trap…
- If only it weren’t for the weaker self…
Whenever it comes to unpleasant tasks, the weaker self comes into play. Even if the motivation or even the pressure is there, the fear of the big mountain of learning prevails. The
- The learning plan
Plans can be very disappointing, especially if you only manage to do a fraction of what you set out to do. We don’t plan for any reserves, then have a guilty conscience because we don’t reach our goals on time and then quickly get him overboard. However, a good study plan can work well if it meets the following six criteria:
- Overview: All tasks are recognizable at a glance
- Milestones: Set short-term goals.
- Time limit: Intermediate steps with deadlines.
- Flexibility: Plan changes must be possible
- Motivating: What brings additional fun? How about study groups, creative work with mind maps, learning posters, etc.
- Control: Enable easy control, because feedback is one of the most important motivating factors
With this in mind, we wish you all good luck with your studies and exams!
Guest article by: Julia Rother