The hardest thing about learning is understanding the material. Learning mathematical equations and even literary works of art are like trying to learn a new language, and in the end, new information is much like another language. But, because we have learned the English language, we can learn anything we put our minds to. To learn something requires your time and your full attention. Putting your attention into something you could care less about is definitely a struggle, but one way to do this is to shut off your brain and listen. Become an audience to whatever you are studying. If you are studying one of the many SAT books, try reading the SAT book as if it were you who wrote the book. The words you read in this book, take them as your own, kind of like as if you were talking to yourself. There are many ways to learn how to learn and here are a few effective methods to learning.
- Paying attention: The only way you can learn is to pay attention. Paying attention requires your full attention. In order to pay full attention, you must train your mind. When you watch the television, you are more than likely giving your full attention to it and this is because you cannot converse with the television. Watching television puts you in a passive state of mind. When you pay full attention to something, you are putting your mind into a passive state. Imagine not talking for one day – Ghandi did this to train his mind to listen to others. When you are reading, learning, or even having a conversation with people, imagine that you are unable to speak. The only time you should speak while learning is to ask questions for clarification.
- Spending time on a subject: An effective way to study is to create a routine. Studying every once in a while will never help you understand a subject. When you are studying something like SAT books, you want to make time in your day and dedicate it to reading and understanding. Also, you want to make sure you are not just wasting time.
- Using your time: If you spend an hour in front of a book, but thinking about what you have to do in the future, you are wasting your time. So, you can do things like setting a certain number of chapters, pages or even important points to hit before leaving your book.
In the end, you know the best way for you to learn and you should apply it to your daily life. We all learn differently: auditory, visually or hands on. When you figure out your best way to learn, revolve everything you want to or need to learn around that strategy. If you are studying SAT books, find a way to force yourself to reading and understanding the SAT examination. Laziness is difficult to overcome, but remember that all it takes is that first step, after that you can achieve anything you wish.