
Ask HN: What are your best learning methods/hacks/tips? - justaguyhere
Say you&#x27;re learning something that is totally new to you and totally out of your comfort zone (Something like learning Chinese when the only language you can speak is English and you&#x27;re a westerner, learning archery when you have been a couch potato for years etc).<p>What would be your learning methods? Do you have any tips&#x2F;hacks etc that works for you? Lets assume you are learning on your own, from books&#x2F;videos etc, and not learning from a teacher
======
otras
I just commented this in another thread, but I highly, highly recommend the
free Coursera course _Learning How To Learn_.

In particular, I found that the following worked especially well for me:

* Emphasis on balance between focus and diffuse mode: taking a walk or exercising after a focused study session.

* Spaced repetition: Anki works wonders. Reviewing notes multiple times is also tremendous.

* Sleep: ignored the importance of this for so long, but it helps so much.

I made it through undergrad without these, but applying these and the other
lessons from the course in my post-graduate classes felt like magic. The
results (both in understanding gained and grades) were completely different.

~~~
raphaelb
I have tried a few times to get on the anki/supermemo bandwagon but have
always struggled a bit figuring out how to structure the cards. Maybe I just
have some hangups with it but would love to see a good workflow or best
practices for incorporating it into my study.

I think specifically I would second guess myself for the syntax of the cards I
was creating - and if there was another better way to do it. I always wanted
to find almost like a guided walkthrough that would take me through the whole
process or something and help me build the skills associated with it.

~~~
emilga
> I think specifically I would second guess myself for the syntax of the cards
> I was creating - and if there was another better way to do it.

This kind of perfectionism has also been bothering me. ("I need to write the
card perfectly, or else it's not even worth doing or even actively harmful.")
But there's a couple of points worth remembering to change this belief:

1) If a card is bad, you will notice it when reviewing. It will be difficult
to remember (i.e. you will fail the card often compared to other cards); it
will be annoying to review (there's a general sense of "ugh" and/or confusion
when you see the card); it will be unexpectedly time consuming to review, etc.

2) Bad cards can always be refactored. You can suspend the card (where the
card is still in the database, but removed from the learning queue); reword;
or split into multiple cards.

Michael Nielsen [0] gives an example of a card which asked for the syntax for
creating a symbolic link in Linux. He always messed up the order of the
filname/linkname, so he created an additional card that explicitly asked for
the order of the filname/linkename in the ln-command.

3) The only way of learning how to make good cards is by just starting making
cards, and then noticing which ones don't work.

When a card doesn't stick, it's useful to ask yourself what doesn't work and
why. Is the back side surprising when you reveal it? If so, maybe rewrite the
card to add more context to the front to make it clearer what you're asking
for. Do you always miss one or two pieces of the answer? If so, maybe split
the card into multiple cards, each of which asks for one part of the answer.
(Or add an additional card to direct your attention specifically towards what
you struggle with, ala Nielsen.) Etc.

4) There's diminishing returns on card improvement. Time spent on perfecting
an already OK card is time taken away from creating new cards to remember new
information. If your goal is to remember as much as possible in a given time,
spending time on perfecting already existing cards is trade-off not always
worth making. (The quote: "a poem's never finished, only abandoned" comes to
mind to highlight this.)

[0]
[http://augmentingcognition.com/ltm.html](http://augmentingcognition.com/ltm.html)

~~~
raphaelb
Thanks for your detailed reply. These are all good points. I need constant
reminders about perfectionism and I like that quote.

------
alexpetralia
I often make an explicit effort to convert frequent actions from "System 2" to
"System 1" (in the language of Daniel Kahneman) as soon as I can. For example,
if I'm learning a foreign language, I commit common expressions (not words) to
memory as soon as possible. If I'm learning a new software (say Adobe
Illustrator or emacs), I commit the common shortcuts to memory as well. It's
often one of the first things I do.

Then, when I actually learn the more complicated stuff, I don't ever think
about the basic stuff (and I get that out of the way very early in the
learning process). I think it frees up my brain to focus on the complexities
of any domain a bit sooner than I would otherwise.

I'm not sure this method generalizes to other people, but it seems to work for
me across various domains. I think the use of rote memorization is a bit
underappreciated (given how useless it seems in high school or university),
but I've continually found it useful in my professional life.

[Edit] It's also useful to identify what the "common action" are, and in
general that's only from "learning by doing" and realizing what's
important/what's not - then saving the important stuff to the "hot path" of
processing.

~~~
lupin3ken
I think rote learning is only not applicable when you are learning disparate
facts with no relation to the whole.

For example, learning all of the HTTP status codes before you know anything
about HTTP could seem like a waste of time.

However, when you are writing a server that makes api calls to a third-party
service, when you receive a 400, if you know the codes by rote you won't have
to research / reason why you are receiving that code.

I think "learning by doing" usually ends with more self-directed, problem
solving learning. This type of learning can show your weaknesses and provide
you with holes in your knowledge that you can use rote memorizing to fill.

------
Arun2009
In my experience, it's vagueness of learning goals that actually kills my
attempts at learning.

In an effort to overcome this, I now try to commit to a formal learning
program with examinations and tests for things I want to learn. This gives me
a definite body of knowledge to master and a criteria to judge my progress. I
have used this successfully with learning the rudiments of Sanskrit. I
enrolled in a correspondence course program and had online sessions with a
Sanskrit tutor for some time.

Where such a program doesn't exist or isn't feasible, it still helps to stick
to a definite text. For example, if you want to learn classical mechanics, it
helps to stick to just one book rather than refer to books and videos from
here and there and losing track of your learning program in the process.

------
hodder
Anything I am good at, the common theme for why I am good is the interest (or
force) to keep at it for years, reading, and tons of practice. There really is
no way around practice. Practice is what separates most people who are good at
things from those who aren't.

Music, math, programming, writing, learning languages, painting, drawing,
physics, finance, etc. Find good books and good teachers/videos/other
instruction, and practice relentlessly.

~~~
justaguyhere
_Practice is what separates most people who are good things from those who
aren 't._

Yes, but mindless practice doesn't help, isn't it? Is there a deliberate
method to your practice? How do you keep track of your weak areas, and how do
you specifically practice those weak areas?

~~~
barry-cotter
Mindless practice will get you substantially further than not doing anything.
Even when you have only the vaguest idea what you’re doing doing something
beats doing nothing almost universally. Deliberate practice is great but with
a tight feedback loop just doing things works wonders.

If you spend 1000 hours doing mindless practice you won’t get as far as
someone who spends 500 hours practicing deliberately but you are unlikely to
do worse than the person who did 100 hours.

~~~
foolinaround
More than "practice makes perfect", it really is "practice makes permanent"

At least in martial arts, I have learnt the hard way that if you had practiced
a particular form wrong, then it takes that much more time to undo the
learning, especially if it is the basics.

~~~
afarrell
Amen.

Growing up, I asked so often for guidance for how to learn to write essays. I
got told “just do it” and “just write the damned essay” and “just buckle down”
so much I concluded that there wasn’t a way to learn a better writing process.
So, I practiced writing via my having an emotional breakdown, procrastinating
heavily and doing something at the last minute. As a 29-year-old, I’m trying
to unlearn this and figure out how to write a technical blog post in a calm
this-is-merely-work sort of way. Its really hard.

------
synthmeat
1\. Produce learning artefacts. Scribbles, notes, flash cards, mind-maps,
drawings, projects, whatever. Don't let that overtake you or break your
ingestion flow, and don't worry about that being usable in the future. Act of
structuring that information is the key here.

2\. Avoid learning what you won't put in practice immediately after. This is
also useful to cull effectively infinite space of what you may want to learn
next.

3\. Learn the basics. Do not worry about this being marketable skill or
knowledge - it'll pay dividends later on. "Basics" is not quantum physics,
it's whatever's layer below the layer you're comfortable with.

4\. Keep using what you learned, even if it's a toy project. Don't worry about
making it public or useful to others.

~~~
larrydag
I can't stress how important 2. is to learning. I don't think I learned
anything well unless I used what I learned in practice. Reciprocal don't add
anything to your learning if you won't use it on a regular basis.

~~~
convolvatron
i cant claim fantastic success, but I tend to flip this around. rather than
say ' i want to learn to do x', i just start trying to do x and figure it out.
obviously thats not very effective.

but when I do start to read the canon, everything makes so much more sense.
pleased at having extracted some useful hints I go back to screwing everything
up, but a little better this time..and repeat.

that means that i've wasted alot of time doing things the wrong way, but after
that*, insight happens in a flash.

------
stirfrykitty
If I get a notion to do something, I first research what it is I want to
achieve and how others have solved it. Once I decide on an approach (tools,
time, etc.) I then read as much as I can before starting. I then prototype,
make mistakes, get it right. I then document while implementing. Lather,
rinse, repeat.

The Marines teach a concept know as BAMCIS (Bam-sys), which I still use
loosely.

BAMCIS is an acronym: Begin planning, Arrange for reconnaissance, Make
reconnaissance, Complete the plan, Issue the order, and Supervise.

This, in a nutshell, is how Marines plan and execute, and explains much of how
they get stuff done, save lives, be successful with missions.

------
supersrdjan
This will come up in any Hackernews thread that mentions spaced repetition, so
I might as well mention it to get it over with.

Supermemo [1].

SuperMemo is the king of spaced repetition software.

Anki uses the algorithm from an earlier version of SuperMemo - SM2. The
current version of the algorithm used in SuperMemo is SM17.

The benchmark for the algorithm's performance is the repetition workload. I
don't have the numbers close hand. But the point is that the repetition
intervals in SuperMemo will increase much faster than in Anki, but you will
have the same, if not better, retention rate.

Also, it has Incremental reading.

To be honest, I used Anki on and off for more than five years. SuperMemo
scared me, with its ugly non-conventional interface. But in the end, I
succumbed, and now for the first time, I actually do my repetitions every day
for 4 months now.

This despite the fact that I have to boot into Windows from Mac OS every time
I need it.

It helped me learn Python and a bunch of other less practical things.

Of course, spaced repetition is not all you need for better learning. Most of
what you need to know is covered in the Coursera Learning How To Learn course.

Jim Kwik is also good.

[1]:
[https://supermemo.guru/wiki/Main_Page](https://supermemo.guru/wiki/Main_Page)

------
kadabra9
Make a routine and commit to it, like going to the gym, or brushing your
teeth. You just find time to carve out in the day to practice/learn, even if
its like twenty minutes. Typically I would use this time to actually DO
something - work through a tutorial, write a scraper to scrape NBA data, try
some new library, etc. If you have a particularly helpful book on your topic,
then use the time to read that (and preferably practice the material in the
book).

I always found the Jerry Seinfeld method helpful - he would commit to writing
material every single night, and mark his calendar with an X when he was done.
Over time, he built up such a streak that it became almost second nature - he
had come so far he did not want to break his streak, and break up that
marvelous chain of 'X's on his calendar.

------
Hernanpm
Learning how to learn course in coursera is by far the best resource, I
compiled some other resources in my wiki
[https://github.com/hrnn/wiki/wiki/Lifelong-
Learning](https://github.com/hrnn/wiki/wiki/Lifelong-Learning) hope it helps.

------
logicallee
I don't know if it's really scientific or not but I was convinced (or maybe
the right word is duped) by this BBC article:

>An effortless way to improve your memory

>A surprisingly potent technique can boost your short and long-term recall –
and it appears to help everyone from students to Alzheimer’s patients.

Link:

[http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180208-an-effortless-
way-t...](http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180208-an-effortless-way-to-
strengthen-your-memory)

I found it so compelling that I consciously follow this effortless method.

------
stronglikedan
For me personally, I tend to remember things better if I write them down.

If I'm at a lecture, I take notes. If I'm reading a textbook (e.g., studying),
I take notes. If I'm in a meeting, I take notes. And once I'm done taking
notes, I transcribe those notes into more structured notes, since they were
taken hastily, and I probably wouldn't be able to decode them later if I
didn't do it right away.

Anyway, that's my process. Hope it helps.

------
thinkersilver
What you're learning will fall into different categories, physical, mental or
a combination of both. They will employ their on strategies to help them
stick. I put language learning in the third category. Anki + srs for
memorising vocab, When recalling vocab and phrases, mnemonics etc there's
tonnes information online nowadays.

Something you won't hear often is this tip: Try and action/gesture what you're
trying to say before you say it. I have no explanation why this works so well
when learning but it's a technique actors use when embodying a character.

Then the obvious tip is to practice with native speakers,

If you have something purely physical, you have * Mental rehearsal of the
action (anki) * Execution of the action in practice. For this to be helpful
you need feedback, you could use a coach or record yourself * performance -
like in a sport.

Had to rewrite my response because I went to heavy on the language learning
tips

This is what I've used to date

------
davidivadavid
My method to learn most things (mostly applies to technical subjects learned
as a hobbyist in my case):

1\. Grab all the textbooks I can find on Libgen on the topic.

2\. Read tables of contents to get a high level view of the main components of
the subject and the scope of what you want to learn.

3\. Start reading (I usually skip introductions too) from the textbook that
looks most appealing/authoritative (cross check on Amazon, or curricula from
well known universities, but sometimes even the design of the textbook can
make it more motivating/easy to consume, e.g. I hate most "modern" textbooks
that have 25 random boxes of text per page — very confusing reading
experience).

4\. Keep going until you get confused/tired.

5\. If still motivated/have enough energy, see how other books cover the same
topic to see if it's clearer.

6\. If you're too tired to read, try Youtube videos covering the topic.

7\. Sleep.

8\. Repeat, start over from where you feel you have good command of the topic.

------
kartickv
Throw yourself into it, such as by speaking Chinese, in this example. I've
learnt much more that way than theoretical reading, videos, etc.

I learnt 100x more about running a startup after starting one, and initially
doing a bad job, than by reading thousands of blog posts.

~~~
afarrell
What should you do if before throwing yourself into a situation, you think, “I
can’t imagine how I would handle this well.” And then during the situation you
think “aaaahhhhh! I don’t know what is going on or how to usefully focus my
attention or get anything done!” And then after the situation you think “well,
I failed pretty badly there”?

I’ve found in that sort of situation, it is tremendously useful to find a good
book or other form of guidance so that I have a mental framework to organize
information and a way to imagine myself succeeding. You know the OODA loop? I
think theoretical knowledge really helps with the ‘Orient’ step.

~~~
kartickv
There may be some people for which my advice is bad.

But otherwise, these are lessons. If you don't focus, and so get nothing done,
you'll learn to focus, by saying no to some things, even if everyone tells you
they're critical.

Conversely, if you focus too much on one thing, do it excellently, and fail at
other things, which I've done, I've learnt to do things to the extent needed,
not more, as opposed to building a car with the world's best engine but no
steering wheel.

This has just been my experience. I respect that it may not work for you.

------
caseyscottmckay
Best way to learn is to read the necessary information once or twice, then
just do it.

If you're taking an exam, learn it by taking practice exams and looking up
what you get wrong.

If you're building an application, build it, mess up, then rebuild it.

If you're learning a language, memorize the basic nouns and verbs, then jump
in and start writing and speaking in that language. Look up what you don't
know, then jump back in and keep on keeping on.

Use mental maps and word associations for memorizing.

Reading while walking helps me a lot surprisingly.

Learn stuff right before you sleep and you're brain will process the
information while you sleep.

Exercise to keep your mind right. It's another way to meditate, but you also
get a healthy body.

~~~
barry-cotter
> If you're taking an exam, learn it by taking practice exams and looking up
> what you get wrong.

Nothing exposes the fact that you don’t know a damned thing like attempting
past or specimen exam papers, or answering the questions in a textbook.

~~~
caseyscottmckay
Ha yeah, but after the first run at least you know what you don't know.

------
mouzogu
What I would like to know is how to retain what I learn in the long-term. It's
not too difficult to memorise things, either by rote memorisation or using
some of the techniques described here. But, how can I remember something banal
that I learn today in 10 or 20 years - without using spaced repetition, as I
find that is not always maintainable in the long term.

Why is my brain so efficient at erasing things I went through so much trouble
at one point, and for a specific purpose, to memorise. It seems to decide for
itself that this piece of information is irrelevant at some point and just
wipes it away. Like a overly pro-active personal assistant.

~~~
lupin3ken
There are a bunch of evolutionary reasons that your brain forgets things that
aren't used. Check this article for some related to sleep:
[https://www.supermemo.com/en/archives1990-2015/articles/slee...](https://www.supermemo.com/en/archives1990-2015/articles/sleep)

But based on the current models of memory, you seem to be correct, your brain
has a couple of criteria that it uses to determine whether or not it should
retain memories. Frequency (spacing) is one, novelty could be another.

Even memories learned through mnemonics can ultimately be forgotten if not
reviewed.

And I think the brain keeps itself plastic by optimizing "unnecessary"
information out. Unfortunately, without help we can't choose which information
is removed.

------
6gvONxR4sf7o
Persistence. Set a low goal of 10 pages per day or 20 minutes or something
really really achievable. Make sure you do at least that much per day. All the
clever tricks in the world are worthless if you aren't putting in the time.

~~~
zwkrt
This is the real key for me. Every day I play an instrument for at least 10
minutes, sing for at least 10 minutes, and exercise for at least 10 minutes.
Sometimes guided practice, sometimes noodling, but always something.

A great mentor of mine told me that if you want people to code quickly and
without so much bureaucracy, convince them they are just making V1, a toy
implementation, a prototype, etc. As opposed to The Solution. I think the same
thing applies with picking up new skills. Approach it as fun and it _will_ be
fun.

------
poppysan
One of my tried and true learning habits that help tremendously is
reading/watching the content VERY QUICKLY -- and not for full comprehension. I
watch all educational videos at 2x speed as well as audio books first. With
prose I speed through large chunks of pages at a time. Then going through it
again at a normal pace. Helps a ton for retention and also boosts confidence
on completely unknown subjects.

------
kawfey
Learn by doing.

I taught myself morse code by actually using morse code on ham radio, not by
drilling myself silly with code practice tools (which is imperative to learn
the alphabet, but after that it's less practical).

There's no number of videos or essays or books etc that will make you
magically get better. You must take what you discover from those sources and
put muscle (and/or brainpower) into the activity yourself.

~~~
afarrell
Its important not to misread this advice as “don’t seek out
books/videos/guidence”. The value of those things is they point out where to
direct your focus and thereby help you stay focused.

------
nikivi
I track things I am learning now & want to learn in a Trello board
([https://trello.com/b/cu32qF3q](https://trello.com/b/cu32qF3q)).

And I try to learn things by building projects I care about ideally.
([https://trello.com/b/alB1ryRP](https://trello.com/b/alB1ryRP)).

------
egypturnash
Keep throwing yourself into the deep end. Like, when I was learning pole
dance, at one point my teacher told me that I was a _lot_ more willing to keep
trying new moves that I didn’t have the hang of yet than most students. Most
of them would try it a couple timesheet, then go back to refining something
they already had. (Also don’t try learning pole dance without a teacher, you
could very quickly get in way over your head and break something.)

Keep a diary. A physical diary. Specifically for this thing you’re learning,
it’s a second diary if you’re already keeping one. Maybe in a nice notebook
with a nice pen clipped to it, maybe in a cheap dollar store notebook,
whatever. Every day, write down what you did with regards to this thing you’re
learning - did you read/watch new stuff, did you actually try practicing this
new skill you’re learning? If you didn’t do anything, then _write down that
you did nothing_. This will help push you to actually try _using_ these
developing skills on a regular basis.

------
kareninoverseas
I think learning how to build habits is underrated. I'm naturally very curious
but I also tend to be impatient and easily discouraged, so in the past I've
hopped from project to project without really ever finishing anything.

Recently I've been taking to heart the idea that 'if something is worth doing,
it's worth doing half-assed', which basically means picking up a new body of
knowledge during my downtime and letting myself slowly progress. I have a lot
more fun when I'm not pressuring myself for instant results and I've seen
moderate gains for the things I've been picking up (going to the gym, learning
Japanese).

Taking things more slowly also helps my brain digest ideas. Sometimes I'll go
faster when I feel like it's a good day; it all depends on how my brain feels.
Sometimes I think people forget the brain is a muscle; it also needs rest to
recover from strenuous use and to make tangible gains.

------
erikbye
If I were to learn a new language, I would try to immerse myself in it as soon
as possible. Ideas: change your OS display language, select a VPN server in a
country where it's the primary language so you occasionally get localized
pages, partake in online forums, read children's stories, speak the language
with a friend (I usually have at least one friend whose native language is the
one I'm learning) or get a pen pal, watch movies and listen to music, write
poems.

As for the actual learning methodology, I would use the one I always use:
study, use/experiment, rest. I call that one learning block, of which I can do
one to three in a day. A study phase of tops an hour focused on few concepts
followed by a use/experimentation phase, and then a rest phase of twenty
minutes to an hour (I prefer walking, no earphones, just the quiet--I don't
want any new inputs during this phase).

The resting phase is critical for me, you can also call it a timeout, and it's
something I do many times in the course of a week. It's not actually resting,
it's a period of time I set aside where I "disconnect" and block all inputs. I
don't listen to music or any other audio, I won't allow anything to disturb
me, the phone's on silent and won't be touched or looked at, no screens at
all. During this time my brain is processing new information and relating it
to old--making connections. My only job is to think about nothing in
particular while I walk or just sit/lay on the couch. This is when most ideas,
insights and deeper understanding come to me. When I'm done, I jot down
whatever manifested.

To maintain knowledge, you must actively engage. And why would you not? I
would not learn a new language as a project or challenge and then not use it,
I would use it for the rest of my life. By learning a new language, you can
open new doors, alter your perspective, and gain understanding and empathy for
people you previously knew little about.

------
tmbsundar
1 - While learning some subject learn surrounding concepts or related facts as
well. For example, if you are learning Calculus - learn the historical
context, infinitesimal approach. If you are preparing for an exam and your
text book gives one method and a specific topic, try learning related
additional concepts and additional methods. This will help in not forgetting
the core concept of technique. A close approximation scenario(not entirely
true - but gives you an idea): you learn one forget one, learn four and retain
two.

2 - Spaced Repetition - people have covered already.

3 - Active Recall -
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_recall](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_recall)

4 - Active Learning -
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_learning](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_learning)

Edit: Paragraph alignment

------
honkycat
Snarky answer: Getting a college degree in the subject is a really great way
to start.

For any given activity, there is someone better than you at it and you can
save yourself a lot of pain by learning through them.

I optimize a lot around avoiding decision fatigue.

Take a class on the subject taught by an expert. In person is better than a
MOOC. A few words of advice from an expert can be worth YEARS of trying and
failing. Also, having a group of people to learn with can be helpful in
motivating you. Finally, you avoid decision fatigue because you have someone
telling you what to do and learn, and when to do and learn it.

Read a bunch of books on the subject. From history to technical application.
Books are not a perfect way to improve, but they are an easy way to dive in
and get your hands dirty. Also, it is one less decision to make. Tired that
day? Read the book.

------
konradb
I'd use mind maps to make notes, and spaced recognition to remember, and would
try to understand context as much as possible.

With language learning though I'd try to get lessons on italki to speak with
native speakers of that language. Grammar drills. Anki/Memrise for spaced
repitition.

------
anonu
Most of my life I've been self reliant. My thought process is that hard work
pays off and that I can do anything I put my mind to. This often leads to some
form of independence which I've learned is actually closer to isolationism.

I realized this by observing a good friend of mine. Whenever he wanted to
learn something, he sought out an expert in that field and asked them for some
of their time. Sometimes it was a golf lesson he paid for, sometimes it was a
business leader he admired and just reached out to for some advice.

I immediately saw that I should strive to learn more collaboratively, through
and with others.

------
Shanedora
Much of learning is repetition. I don't have the best long term memory so I
solve this by regularly keeping an engineering journal. I designed a Django
app to help me with this at work. Should it be of any help to you feel free to
use it, hack it or build off it. Cheers~S

[https://gitlab.com/shanedora/bornstellar](https://gitlab.com/shanedora/bornstellar)

------
vbsteven
Besides practicing a lot I like reading books on the topic I’m learning.
Usually multiple books and always from start to finish instead of jumping
around in the book.

I apply this mostly when learning programming languages or frameworks or
tools. It’s amazing how much small details you can pick up when reading an in-
depth book on the topic cover to cover. Even for things you’ve been using for
years.

------
bdcs
Cal Newport's Deep Work(0) is a fantastic treatise on exactly this topic, but
extendable to many more.

(0) [https://hackernewsbooks.com/book/deep-work-rules-for-
focused...](https://hackernewsbooks.com/book/deep-work-rules-for-focused-
success-in-a-distracted-world/d1b3b31390821e96e1e8f5a5f8855444)

------
dtujmer
This blog post may be useful, it's a summary of learning strategies:
[https://becomingoverhuman.wordpress.com/2018/11/30/how-i-
lea...](https://becomingoverhuman.wordpress.com/2018/11/30/how-i-learn/)

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mk99
Take a look at this Quora question: how do top students study?
[https://www.quora.com/How-do-top-students-
study/answer/Hooma...](https://www.quora.com/How-do-top-students-
study/answer/Hooman-Katirai-2)

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mk99
Take a look at this Quora post on How do top students study:
[https://www.quora.com/How-do-top-students-
study/answer/Hooma...](https://www.quora.com/How-do-top-students-
study/answer/Hooman-Katirai-2)

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lupin3ken
For a good article on proper language learning, check out the guys from
Antimoon.

They go into detail on how to learn a language and many myths regarding the
topic.

[https://www.antimoon.com/](https://www.antimoon.com/)

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connerza
You need to put the concepts you are learning into practice. If you just read
and study something, no matter how long you do it, you will never truly digest
the information.

Try things, fail, learn why you failed, do it the right way, succeed, repeat.

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EndXA
Try to make it fun.

If you enjoy the learning process, there is a much higher likelihood that
you'll stick with it in the long-term, and a much higher likelihood that
you'll dedicate a lot of time to the learning process.

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aboutruby
Applying what you are learning to a project you are working on, you get free
"spaced repetition" that way every time you use that bit and/or come back to
re-read/edit it.

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jppope
The single most underestimated tactic to enhance your learning is to improve
your speed and retention in Reading.

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randomacct3847
I’ve been using Piracetam and Noopept

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Volrath89
Science has already looked into this[1] (in the more "academic" aspect of
learning, but I think it can be applied to anything really).

Most effective techniques:

1\. Simulate you are being evaluated and take exams regularly. Your brain
connections seem to strengthen every time you try to fetch information you
already know, and nothing better to force that retrieving than a quiz. What
you can do is create yourself a small exam with what you've learned today and
take the quiz tomorrow. When you are creating the exam you'll think the
questions are so easy (you've just learned them) but at the other day you'll
be surprised by how many you don't remember/get wrong.

2\. Distributed practice: Say you are willing to invest 800 hours learning
something new. Would it be better to do it obsesively and cram them in in 3
months? Or to space them out over the course of a year? Well the more spaced
the practice, the longer the topic will be remembered. Of course you need to
put a lot of continuous hours at the beginning when you know nothing but after
a time it's quite important to revisit the topic from time to time. Even
revisiting learned topics once a year can make them stick long term in your
brain.

3\. Do not apply rule #1 by discrete topics, try to mix them up. There was an
experiment where students were taught how to calculate the volume of four
different solids. In one group they were instructed on how to calculate the
volume of one solid, then they made exercises about that type of solid. After
that they were explained how to calculate the volume of the second, made
exercises about it and so on. In the other group they were given the
instructions on how to calculate all four groups and at the end given
exercises asking about all 4 methods mixed. They not only had to apply the
formula, they had to choose which formula to apply. The results? The first
group got 80% right right after they were instructed, whereas the 2nd got 60%
right. But after one week? The first group got 20% right while the 2nd
maintained the 60%

4\. The why technique. Ask why and why like a little child in a chain until
you get to foundational concepts / axioms. This way you'll get to the "first
principles" or fundamental concepts of whatever you are studying. Building the
"tree" before the "leaves" as Elon Musk says.

Anecdata: I learned german from 0 to 97% score in the B1 official test in ~7
months, while at the same coursing CS in the university and living very far
from any german-speaking country. I tried to apply all the techniques
presented here, for example I made dozens of preparatory test for every level
I was... I tried to be doing something related to german all the time
(chilling time was watching german movies, listening to german radio or
playing german musik at the background hehe) ... I tried to mix up everything
I could, for example anki-style cards are awesome, but you'd be very bored if
you had to repeat them for hours every day. I also went out and tried to meet
as much germans/austrians/swiss living in my city as possible (there are
language events, tandem partner programs and etc in all big cities). But I
think the most important factor to actually put the hours is motivation, I
would earn a 1 year scholarship in Germany if I did learn german in a short
time.

I tried to learn french a couple of years ago without a clear goal and was
very unsuccessful.

[1]
[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233088142_The_cogni...](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233088142_The_cognitive_functions_of_underlining_as_a_study_technique)

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PopeDotNinja
Getting enough sleep.

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viach
Read and listen, practice, fix mistakes, repeat.

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bashwizard
Learn how to learn and deliberate practice.

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scottrbrtsn
Know Yourself: there are many learning styles, most people lean towards one
(e.g. visual, verbal, learning by doing or physical).

[https://www.learning-styles-online.com/overview/](https://www.learning-
styles-online.com/overview/)

Motivation and inspiration play a huge role. So, Why are you learning
something? If there is a profound motivation to learn something, with deep
meaning, then learning becomes exponentially easier. Think of the
neurochemistry involved when comparing an activity which intrinsically always
produces joy, vs. trudging through an activity which only causes suffering.

[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004P1JDJO/ref=dp-kindle-
redirect?...](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004P1JDJO/ref=dp-kindle-
redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1)

So then a hack is convincing yourself of profound meaning within the thing
you're attempting to learn.

[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000W94FE6/ref=dp-kindle-
redirect?...](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000W94FE6/ref=dp-kindle-
redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1)

Study Flow. Someone posted the idea that we want to avoid autopilot. I agree
one must really focus to be mindful of what is contributing or conflicting
with their learning. But I somewhat disagree, as the experience of Flow, when
the challenge is great, is actually ideal, and in my experience is akin to a
form of conscious autopilot. Once a skill is mastered, and flow is harnessed
while competing at a high level, then one can recognize optimal experience as
optimal performance, and thus the goal of learning and mastering a skill. I
know English, and I don't have to think about each word to generate a
sentence. I can think about the central concept and let the words come on
their own. As a software developer I think way less about syntax and language
nuances, and more about the problem I'm trying to solve, then the solution
arrives on its own. Yes raise the bar, and yes pay attention to difficulties
you have, overcome the gaps in knowledge and skill, then experience flow,
enjoy it, iterate on that. I think a key is recognizing how to enjoy it, so
you keep coming back to learn more.

And then speaking of concepts, think of Jungian Archetypes or Mythological
Abstractions. Jung believed the realm of the unconscious was just as real as
the computer you're interacting with. Out of this realm arises abstract
concepts which apply to all of human psychology, across humanity (cue OO
programming, and abstraction layers, for the programmers in the room). So
then, discrete concepts can fit into their parent abstraction. Arts like Jiu
Jitsu, reflections on human nature, leadership in business and studies of
military strategy, can overlap with one another (the Jocko Podcast is a great
illustration of this). So then once you begin to master a skill, you can take
abstract concepts and apply them to something new, only expanding on what you
already know about yourself, rather than what you might consider to be
completely foreign.

Of course, all the suggestions on this page are certainly helpful. When it
comes to learning skills, I have a tendency to look a bit deeper in order to
learn quickly. I believe there is a mindset where 100 hours in a new skill,
leveraging 10000 hours in a previous skill, will be far superior to the 500 or
1000 hours of deliberate learning when the focus of learning is too narrow and
the overlap isn't noticed.

It's like sports or strength training. Steve Nash grew up playing soccer first
and didn't start playing basketball until middle school. Michel Jordan wasn't
great at baseball, but he still played professionally. Anyone remember Bo
Jackson? "Bo Knows" baseball and football.

Just thoughts, hopefully stimulating and helpful.

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volk13
take notes and look at 'em before sleep, Is what work best for me.

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LifeLiverTransp
I had a serious math problem when i started studying at university. Not only
had i not used math in a long time (except the most basic algebra). I had
build a sincere rejection mechanism to it, beeing force fed by my rather
religious parents, and thus having turned on math with the same scorched earth
policy of ignorance i applied to bible studies.

The trick to overcome that almost physical reaction, was to couple it with
something i loved. Which was programming games. So sinus and cosinus was
needed? I would add grenades using sinewaves for bouncing, scaled by a time
factor. It was not always usefull or meaningfull work. But i kept the problems
in my head, until i understood and could solve them with the new tools i got.

So i guess that is my advice, take something you love and glue what you want
to learn to it. Switch frequently so that you have successes and not just non
stop starting frustration. Apply in large doses.

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titanix2
Depends on the domain. For languages, having learnt or being learning a few
(including Japanese & Chinese) my approach is to first learn about the
phonology. Then basic vocabulary and grammar, searching words I don’t know in
the street (not everything) and having input from authentic material. I prefer
learning from books using multiple one at the same time and cherry picking on
what pick my interest. Having a few friends in the target language is a huge
help to understand some concept or learn about cultural point. Also Wikipedia.

For other things, reading accessible research papers, reference books and
searching for unknown concepts when I encounter them, sometimes ask people
about a thing or two.

