Learning how to learn – were you taught this in school or college? We didn’t think so! Schools and colleges typically teach us many things from a specific curriculum, but a lot of life skills are not prioritized in these educational institutions.
Learning is a skill. Different individuals have different ways of learning. Today, we’ll take you through some of the ways you could fine-tune your learning skills and learn more effectively.

Try out different learning methods:
Most people are accustomed to the traditional way of learning – memorization, otherwise known as Rote Learning! This way, you actually learn nothing. Memorization is just the constant repetition of words on your lips that sticks to your brain temporarily. However, when you truly understand and learn something, it has a lasting impression.
Today, you can find several learning methods – online, study groups, books, mobile apps, wikis, podcasts, mentoring, visuals, etc. Your learning method could be any of the three basic concepts – verbal, auditory/visuals, and physical.
Many learners believe that learning methods play a huge role in performance. However, some studies suggest that there is little to no evidence to back this claim.
Nevertheless, different individuals learn in different ways. Maybe you’ve been learning through books alone and that’s quite not helping you. Therefore, you should try other learning methods to see what’s more effective.
Learning improves learning:
If there is a skill you want to master, the only way to do that is through constant practice. Practice makes perfect, right? Hence if you want to learn how to learn, just keep learning and never stop, just tweak the methods along the way to fine-tune and experiment. Learning something in minutes is easy, but retaining that information needs constant practice.
Nobody is born with the skill of writing. It is only because of continuous practice that you’ve mastered this skill. Therefore, if you want to learn something new and master the information, you need to practice constantly.
Take notes:
This learning method is especially beneficial for students. You should learn the art of taking notes for effective learning. However, any kind of notes won’t do the job! Make sure you learn effective and organized note-taking skills such as the Cornell Method.
Taking notes will help you break information into digestible summaries, gain a deeper and systematic understanding of the topic and help you remember concepts.
Check out a nifty method developed by Tim Ferriss in the video below:
Understanding how your brain learns:
As mentioned earlier, different people follow different learning methods. Hence, our brain works differently, too. You can even find a course titled “Learning How to Learn,” by Dr. Terrence Sejnowski and Dr. Barbara Oakley on Coursera. The course talks about the science of learning and how you can optimize the way you learn and understand things.
Sleep and learning go hand in hand:
Did you know that sleep has a lot to do with learning? Several studies and research show a strong connection between learning and sleep. When you’re trying to master a new skill or want to learn some new information, sleeping is vital. It can strengthen your memory, get rid of built-up toxins from the day, and prepare you for your next study period.
Summing it up:
Learning is an art. And you need to learn ‘how to learn’ first. Then you can apply your preferred learning methods on subjects and topics you want to learn. This way, you can digest information more effectively and efficiently. Learning doesn’t always have to be difficult. By understanding how your brain works and which learning method is best suited for you, you can better your learning experience one day at a time!