Learn Like a Pro: Science-Based Tools to Become Better at Anything

Ultimately, your first read, followed by sleep time to help with consolidation, can give a sense of the big-picture concepts, while your second read can allow you to focus more on the details.

But just keep in mind that what seems like a really big deal at a given moment probably isn’t in the greater scheme of things.

Passive learning, on the other hand, such as effortless listening or reading, isn’t very effective. Your neurons just sit still instead of sprouting new connections that form new links.

Whatever you’re reading, if you’re struggling with difficult explanations, see if you can find simpler ones. Ask a friend or tutor to explain the material to you. Watch a YouTube video. Or take a break to allow the diffuse mode to kick in.

If you instead wait to do the hardest problems toward the end of the test or study session, you may be more mentally fatigued and unable to do your best.

procedural system learns by developing a feel for patterns.

To avoid running short on time, it can be wise to have a mental time plan to follow, and to check the clock several times throughout the test to know if you’re on track. One approach is to divide the total test time by the number of questions on the test, adjusting for any questions that are weighted more. That will give you a rough benchmark of ho

If your words don’t form a neat acronym, you can create a quirky sentence in which each word corresponds to a word on your list. The sentence “My Very Elderly Mother Just Served Us Noodles” could represent the planets in order: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. Sentences can also help you memorize numbers.

If you’re a college student, we recommend that you study between 2 and 8 hours per weekday (in addition to classes), depending on your ambition and the rigor of your study program. The gold standard of study time is set by medical students with A grades. Above and beyond the hours they spend in classes, medical students generally study an average o