Are you behind schedule with your studies? Do you have too much material to absorb in too little time? So, what to do? Is there a way to learn faster?
Well, there are some best practices that can help you retain information better and accelerate your learning process.
We've gathered 8 suggestions for you in this article. Check them out!
8 tips on how to learn faster
Teaching someone, recording videos, and writing are some strategies for retaining information. Below, see all 8 tips for learning faster!
1. Teach someone
Teaching the material to a classmate has a great effect on learning, as does presenting a project.
If you don't have anyone to do this exercise with, you can pretend you are presenting a project or explaining the subject matter to someone.
How do you do that? By speaking aloud, imagining you are teaching. This can help you a lot!
The process of reading and organizing information before presenting it helps you retain the content more quickly.
2. Record audio.
Don't have time to review the material and need to absorb the content faster? A good tip is to record audio while you study!
You can use a dedicated mobile app for this.
This way, you can listen to the audio on your way to school, work, or anywhere else while walking, in the car, or on the bus, for example. This will help you optimize your time.
Remember to speak with intonation and as if you were explaining the subject matter (in this case, to yourself).
3. Write
Taking notes and making summaries can greatly help you retain the studied content. There are already studies showing that writing by hand strengthens the learning process.
The attention we dedicate when we come into contact with a pencil and paper and coordinate our writing is much greater than when we are typing, for example.
A good study technique is to read the content and then write down what you understood, without consulting the material.
So if you want to memorize more content quickly, put it on paper and see the difference in your learning!
4. Watch videos
A good tip for those who want to learn faster is to watch videos with explanations from teachers or experts.
On YouTube, for example, you'll find video lessons on a wide variety of subjects. Generally, in this format, the content is summarized, making it easier to learn quickly.
5. Take breaks
Breaks are necessary for you to be productive while studying. But first, it's important to analyze how long you can stay focused on a subject. After all, there's no point in reading for an hour and then realizing you haven't absorbed anything, right?
If you can focus on a subject for 1 hour, take a 5 to 15-minute break and then return to your studies.
However, many people struggle to concentrate on a single subject for an hour. If this is your case, there's a technique called Pomodoro that will definitely help you.
It works like this:
- Study for 25 minutes;
- Take a 5-minute break;
- Repeat this cycle 4 times, then take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.
- Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3 during the designated study period.
You can even use this timer here to keep track of your time. ?
Furthermore, you can alternate the subjects you need to study. This way, you don't get tired of one subject and you also renew your attention.
This is the opportunity your mind needs to absorb information and avoid the stress of focusing on just one thing for too long!
6. Plan ahead.
Organization is key when we have little time, a lot of content, and need to know how to learn faster.
You can:
- Establish a study routine with set times for studying (don't forget the breaks!).
- Select your priorities, the topics to focus on, which ones you find most difficult, or those with the most content;
- Organize your materials and physical space! Keep everything separate, have everything you need at hand to optimize your time, and be in a quiet place with adequate lighting.
- Make lists of the content you still need to learn. This way, you can set daily and weekly goals.
7. Study in a calm and conducive environment.
If you want to learn faster, the place where you study is extremely important! This is because the more stimuli there are around you, the worse it will be for your focus and concentration.
People calling you, noises in the street, among other things, can distract you!
A good solution is to listen to music (preferably instrumental, such as classical music, for example) that helps you focus and block out external sounds.
8. Have study tricks
Finally, you can also adopt some study tricks into your routine to learn faster. Here are some suggestions:
Mind maps
A mind map is a different way of noting the most important information from a subject. It replaces more traditional methods, such as written summaries.
Use drawings, icons, symbols, and images. Here, anything that facilitates our ability to assimilate information will be interesting
Playful
You can use jokes, phrases, or rhymes to remember something. For example: "If I return from there, there's a crisis; if I return from, why a crisis?". There are also many jokes involving physics and math formulas!
With this type of game, you create mental structures that make the memorization process easier.
Associations
Associating a new idea with something that already exists in our lives is a good tactic for remembering the information!
It could be a movie, someone you know, or a familiar situation.
Have you ever noticed that when a teacher tells a story in class related to the subject matter, you end up remembering it more easily? You think: "ah, that's from that story so-and-so told."
Then you can do this with other content and relate it to situations in your life or in the life of someone you know.
You can also associate the new knowledge with funny, exaggerated, or fantastical things.
When you associate humor or a feeling with content, it helps you retain the information.
Post-it notes
Write down keywords on pieces of paper or sticky notes. Having them always in sight will help you memorize the information faster!
