
Ask HN: I feel incapable of learning - lethologica
I&#x27;m currently in my second year of University and I feel like I&#x27;m not actually absorbing any of the information that is being taught. I&#x27;m only just passing. I have difficulty recalling information and putting it into context. I&#x27;ll hear numbers and terms and phrases and it kind of feels like they all just &quot;bounce off&quot; of my brain. I&#x27;ve tried using flash cards, creating a zettelkasten (a kind of personal wiki note taking system), I&#x27;ve completed the course &quot;Learning How to Learn&quot;, I take extensive notes, I&#x27;ve tried improving my diet, exercising, and making sure I get enough sleep. All to no real benefit. Am I just dumb? It&#x27;s really demotivating! Is there anything else that I could try? Have you experienced something similar?
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godelski
It is hard to say what is really going on, but I can tell you the best way
I've found to remember things. It isn't really easy and I too fall out of the
habit, but it should be a goal.

1) Read the chapter before your professor lectures on it.

2) During lecture stay engaged. Ask questions. Expand on things that you were
confused about. You're there to learn. The professor is there to teach. You
aren't taking up any one else's time. And HAND WRITE NOTES. Don't just copy
either, explain, reword. Make it YOURS. This is much easier to do if you
aren't seeing the material for the first time.

3) Before you go to bed, reread that chapter/section.

4) A week later reread it again.

5) A month later, again.

By this time it should be in your long term memory (if not before). It is
extremely important to be engaged. If you aren't engaged then nothing will
stick. You're telling your brain it isn't important. And if you don't have
repetition then you're reinforcing this behavior. Studying is a skill, and not
an easy one. I've seen a lot of dumb people get high quality degrees and be
very successful. The difference is that they have to work a little harder. And
don't forget that people frequently under play (and over play) how much
studying they do. No one is really honest about it.

~~~
kwhitefoot
It's not enough to merely read the material, what makes it really stick is
using it.

~~~
godelski
This is very true. It is part why I say "engaged" so much. But I think it
depends on the material you are studying. In HOW you are engaged. In math,
engaged can be doing problems and finding out what the equations mean in a
meaningful way. If you're trying to memorize words, engaged can mean
concentrating on the image or trying to make mnemonics.

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jklein11
This is completely anecdotal, however, I find I don't feel like I absorb any
information unless I can apply it to something. With more mathematical topics,
I need to work through problem sets. With literature/history I need to draw
parallels to other events. Figuring out how to put information in context is
what helps me retain information. It is a struggle because this requires a lot
more time and attention than wrote memorization but as with anything there is
trade offs.

~~~
appleiigs
I couldn't find the quote, but there is one where Richard Feynman takes what
he reads/hears and visualizes it in his head, then compares any new
information to that visualization. This maybe helpful if you can't find a
practical application. The mental visualization can be the application...
build the thing in your head, watch the data, molecules, money, etc flow
around in your visualization.

Edit: Original poster mentioned notes, flash cards, wiki... which seem like
more of the same - memorization. Without more context, I really think lack of
visualization could be an issue here.

~~~
emilga
Do you remember roughly where you read that Feynman quote? (Or was it a
video?)

I'd be really interested to read it.

~~~
appleiigs
I couldn't find it because from memory I was googling 'feynman furry'. The
keywords are 'feynman "grow hairs"'. From his book called "Surely You’re
Joking, Mr Feynman":

"I can't understand anything in general unless I'm carrying along in my mind a
specific example and watching it go. Some people think in the beginning that
I'm kind of slow and I don't understand the problem, because I ask a lot of
these "dumb" questions: "Is a cathode plus or minus? Is an an-ion this way, or
that way?" But later, when the guy's in the middle of a bunch of equations,
he'll say something and I'll say, "Wait a minute! There’s an error! That can't
be right!" The guy looks at his equations, and sure enough, after a while, he
finds the mistake and wonders, "How the hell did this guy, who hardly
understood at the beginning, find that mistake in the mess of all these
equations?" He thinks I'm following the steps mathematically, but that's not
what I'm doing. I have the specific, physical example of what he's trying to
analyze, and I know from instinct and experience the properties of the thing.
So when the equation says it should behave so-and-so, and I know that's the
wrong way around, I jump up and say, "Wait! There’s a mistake!"

Also from the same book:

"I had a scheme, which I still use today when somebody is explaining something
that I'm trying to understand: I keep making up examples. For instance, the
mathematicians would come in with a terrific theorem, and they're all excited.
As they're telling me the conditions of the theorem, I construct something
which fits all the conditions. You know, you have a set (one ball) – disjoint
(two balls). Then the balls turn colors, grow hairs, or whatever, in my head
as they put more conditions on. Finally they state the theorem, which is some
dumb thing about the ball which isn't true for my hairy green ball thing, so I
say, 'False!'"

~~~
emilga
Thanks for digging it up! :)

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andrei_says_
No you’re not Dumb.

One of the big harmful failures of mainstream education lies in its framing
learning as being successful at said education. Learning as memorizing
information which can be tested and measured to meet the needs of the
institution. The fact that students need to be forced and threatened in order
to go through the process, and that this process kills interest and intrinsic
motivation don’t seem to alarm the institutions about their approach, and are
accepted as a fact of life.

Similarly, academia seems to try to prepare people for ... academia.

The best advice I’ve heard about college is to focus on creating connections
and lasting relationships so you end up having a lot of connections in the
industry of your choice. This can be tremendously helpful in highly
collaborative professions like filmmaking or software.

As for learning, I invite you to see it as a process of becoming and adapting,
not as a process of memorization. Adapting to school and academia (grades,
tests, reciting back information) is helpful to the institution but not
necessarily for you.

Often the real learning happens on the job, in an apprenticeship context,
where you adapt to the job itself. Some career paths, like medicine and law,
require unusual amounts of memorization but people who are not this type of
learners get weeded out early in the process.

Lastly, I recommend Sir Ken Robibson’s Ted talk on schools and creativity. An
eye opener.

~~~
dakman
I want to add my voice to the chorus. NO, you are not dumb! I was very
impressed with the strategies you've tried. You simply haven't identified the
right solution, yet. I also applaud your bravery in asking for help and advice
and am grateful you've gotten some really helpful suggestions.

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nyokodo
So distractions, learning disorders, depression, note taking techniques have
all been covered already but not interest.

Does the subject matter just bore you? Do you not know why it matters? Do you
have only a vague handle on how it fits into the big picture? Does it seem
like the subject 'doesn't affect anything?' Perhaps you just need to get
excited about learning the subject or have a concrete application of it before
you can learn it effectively. I know that subjects in physics which I love
(e.g. astronomy and optics) I would just plow through and test well in, but
subjects which seemed less interesting to me were a struggle. In some subjects
I just needed to know why they mattered, like economics seemed totally boring
and irrelevant until right around the 2008 housing crunch and then suddenly I
couldn't stop reading and learning about it!

Even if one of the other problems discussed is your primary obstacle it may
still help to talk with your Professors and Tutors and see why they are
passionate about the subject. Ask them, why does the subject matter? How does
it fit into the big picture? What are interesting applications you can
inspect, measure, mess around with etc?

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aecs99
Some good points by others on this post. I want to focus on something more
latent. Are you sure there are no other distractions in your life?

Try to find out if there is something deeper than surface level that is
bothering you. Such distractions can be of any type: lack of interest in what
you do (or rather, the constant desire of doing something else), homesickness,
heartbreak, financial hardship, issues with family or friends, etc. If there
are any such reasons, you should try addressing them first. Either solve them,
or get some help in coping with factors you cannot solve.

~~~
appleiigs
I didn't know it in my 20s, but I was completely distracted by chasing girls
to find one that I thought is perfect. Once I found my wife in my 30s, my
ability to focus and learn went through the roof. Wish I had this focus when I
was in school.

My suggestion is to only have 1 or 2 goals and viciously cut everything else
out. I've learnt to say no to other distractions. In fact, I only have a 2nd
goal around because there is waiting involved in 1st goal.

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hackermailman
I'm extremely out of my depth and have only survived thus far using the 'Quiz
and Recall' method of learning, where I take Cornell style notes of everything
assigned to us and then go through my notes trying to explain (out loud, to
nobody) each concept they're trying to teach us that week, such as 'give two
equivalent definitions for expander graphs' and if I can't explain it without
repeating myself or stumbling words I then read material and work examples
until I can. I also search Google Scholar for survey papers on the subject and
often just a well explained introduction will click some understanding.

At first this was a miserably slow process where after each lecture I noticed
I couldn't explain anything properly and thought I was doomed but after a few
weeks it gets easier. You also have access to TAs and office hours you should
use them as you're paying for them.

Something else I try is active reading, as I'll just turn to autopilot through
a long chapter not retaining anything and need to stop and ask questions to
myself about it or try and model whatever it is in emacs using any language.

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dadoola
Based on the problem solving skills demonstrated in your attempt to help
yourself learn better, you're definitely not dumb.

I second the note about getting tested for ADHD. Another reason could simply
be performance anxiety or imposter syndrome.

Have you tried joining a study group ? If you can find a _positive_ group of
people to study with, you might feel less anxious about it.

Perhaps also consider talking to your professors. It sounds like you're trying
and they always want to help.

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dabockster
> I'll hear numbers and terms and phrases and it kind of feels like they all
> just "bounce off" of my brain.

I'm not a doctor, but this sounds like ADHD. I have the condition and will
barely retain anything if I don't have the treatments for it. You should seek
out someone who can test you for this.

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tmaly
I was going to suggest the new Learning How to Learn book, but I am not sure
how different it is from the online course.

One other book I would suggest is The Evelyn Wood Seven-Day Speed Reading and
Learning Program.

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gcheong
It might be good to get a neurological checkup if your uni has a clinic that
could do that or refer you out for one just to rule out anything obvious. On
the practical side of things, Cal Newport (calnewport.com) has written
extensively on study strategies. Unfortunately he was just a toddler by the
time I was in college so I can't directly attest to whether they work but his
writing on deep work did resonate well with me.

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cimmanom
Are you taking notes digitally or on paper? Handwriting notes has been shown
to improve recall.

Also, are you getting enough sleep? That can have a major impact on memory.

~~~
dakman
+1 on this. This is accurate for a couple of reasons: 1.) You simply cannot
write as fast as you hear information, so you have to process it immediately,
summarizing the information in your head, before you write it. 2.) Your
learning modalities (aural, visual, tactile, kinesthetic) might be more
visually or movement-oriented, so handwriting engages you in a different way
than just hearing the information. Typing notes does not have the same
benefit, since the operation is automatic. Here's a link to a related study:
[http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797614524581](http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797614524581)

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dakman
One other comment: Is it possible that you have a learning disability? This is
completely unrelated to intelligence--you can be VERY smart, but still have a
learning disability. Some people just don't learn in the standard way. Perhaps
you could consult the education professors(specifically those specializing in
area of learning disabilities) to see if they'd be willing to evaluate you?

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gnode
Are you interested in this information (I don't mean whether you "want" to
learn; rather, is the information itself enticing)? Do you have difficulty
maintaining your attention, or do you simply feel unable to commit the facts
from short-term to long-term memory?

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osipov
Have you ever had any trauma to your head?

~~~
lethologica
I have had a minor concussion once about a decade ago, but it wasn't really
that bad.

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stealthcat
Recall whether you hurt anyone recently. Apologize asap.

~~~
throwaway180118
Please elaborate on how this could be the cause of a mental blockage

