How to Become a Better and Faster Learner 

Learning shapes our personality and empowers us into becoming more confident with each passing day. Knowledge imparts wisdom. Learning helps understand our full potential. It is a continuous process and each one of us has a different tempo and style in which we are able to grab and retain information. Some of us are able to comprehend information faster than others. Learning abilities depend on a number of factors such as IQ, physical development, emotional situation, nutrition and motivational levels of the individual. It also depends on the teacher’s teaching style and techniques and the learning conditions. However, it has also been observed that fast learners have a unique and different approach to learning and they also set themselves with learning goals.

Below we encode 5 ways on how to become a better and a faster learner.

1. Breakdown information in byte-sized chunks

Avoid trying to take a lot of information at the same time. Instead, aim at breaking them down into considerable chunks as you approach the learning. Make additional notes, charts, and diagrams wherever necessary. Colour coding and highlighting can also assist in numerous ways.

Approaching the learning matter part by part works excellently for smart but slow learners. The learning matter can also be made concise by including number and bullet points. Also, spacing out the learning process can be useful for some learners. The learning of the subject matter can be spread over a span of time and parts of it can be approached at regular intervals instead of attempting to learn the entire text in one go. The learner can take regular but small intervals between the learning process if he or she finds an issue with concentration.

2. Check for learning disabilities and learning challenges

Learning disabilities widely differ from learning challenges. The former aspect deals with the incapability to process information due to neurological problems. Learning disabilities often interfere with basic writing, reading, addition or subtraction and higher level skills such as attention, time management, reasoning, and organization. Therefore, the first and foremost challenge is to identify them and seek appropriate professional assistance or remedial measures to overcome the learning barriers. Common disabilities include dyslexia, hyperactivity, auditory processing disorder and dysgraphia.

There could be numerous learning challenges which could impede your learning. These include certain environmental factors such as climate, noise, distractions or emotional factors such as stress and anxiety which could interfere with learning. Technological devices such as laptops and phones can be a learning challenge if they are not being used in the learning process. It is imperative to eradicate these learning barriers to promote increased learning efficiency.

3. Identify your learning style

It is imperative for a learner to identify his or her learning style in order to become an efficient learner. For example, auditory learners learn with the help of sound. If learners can relate to information with the help of sound, then they should consider recording lectures and listen to them later instead of learning from textbooks or written matter. The auditory learners could also make use of audio books which have gained much popularity in the world of learning. For a visual learner, charts, graphs, images, flashcards, and diagrams should be generously utilized for efficient learning. If the learning style of an individual is neither auditory nor visual, then the learner might be a physical learner. Application-based learning is the ideal learning style wherein the learning process is comprised of projects and activities.

4. Review the learning

Reviewing the learning and paraphrasing is important for every learning process. When we learn something new, we tend to remember it best immediately after learning it. As time passes, we tend to forget the information little by little. In order to ensure that the information is duly transferred from our short-term memory to our long-term memory, it is important to often review the learning. Revision to ensure comprehension has been made appropriately and checking for mistakes is an exercise which every learner needs to attempt. Rewriting and reorganizing notes can bring about clarity and it is a great way to ensure that the learning process is not impeded with. While the reviewing process is on, you could also ask yourself why five times to dig deeper and probe further into the learning matter.

5. Seek the assistance of Technology

Technology has made learning smarter, easier and more interesting. Computers have made learning matter relatable and interesting. Also, there are a plethora of online tools, websites, and apps which can provide a necessary boost to the learning process.

These days, the apps have provisions with the help of which one can make their own flashcards, eliminate distractions while you study, take notes, make complex subject matter easy among many others. Teachers and facilitators these have a host of technological resources at their disposal in order to make the learning process rewarding and interesting. Numerous educational institutions have made active use of communicative technology such as DVDs, smart class technology, digital radio etc to impart the teaching matter. In order to make the learning process multi-faceted and modern, numerous podcasts and educational programmes are available these days to download.

Apart from the above points, one needs to exercise regularly and constantly remain motivated to ensure that a better and faster learning process.

Courtesy to the proliferation and advancement of the learning process, extensive research is being conducted on how to boost the process and make learning easy for the learners. Also, numerous learning techniques are being implemented by educational institutions and corporations to remove the stigma of perceiving learning as a cumbersome process.

Lastly, finding an effective teacher, lecturer or a facilitator contributes largely on how the learning process is being conducted. Such teachers are able to create a vision and generate interest in the subject matter. They let the learners see the world through their eyes and expose their students to a golden mass of knowledge galore which, otherwise, would take the students much longer to get to.