Learning to Learn
How are memories stored?
What’s the point of reading hundreds of books if you're just going to forget what’s in them? You’re just wasting your time.
But having an understanding, even a very basic one, of how we learn, how memories are stored and processed by our brains, and what to do to better retain that information will greatly help.
There are four things you can do, which will get into later.
First, let’s talk about the brain. Information is taken in, it is then thrown to the back of the brain, the focal of attention and bounces back, hitting the Phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad then back to the front.
This is happening at an exceptional rate, it’s how we talk in visual and auditory information. This is Working Memory.
Then comes the part where that information is passed on to Short Term Memory or the Hippocampus. It’s stored, like an index, waiting to be passed on to the next stage. But if it’s not passed on soon, it’ll be forgotten.
An example given was cramming for a test, the information you want is stored in your Hippocampus for the test the next day, but because you didn’t sleep very well, it wasn’t retained, and after the test, you pretty much forget everything.
The next phase or last stop is the Neocortex. This is your long-term memory. This is where all of your memories lie.
And we can help that along by getting a good night’s sleep, or even just a good 15 minutes of rest. Andrew Huberman calls it NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Rest).
We remember better after a good rest. We’re taught as children that everything we learn in a given day is remembered and replayed while we sleep. This is also true if you just get a quick 15-minute rest break within about 2 to 4 hours of learning.
That afternoon Kip (nap), is looking better and better. You're not lazy, you’re just storing memories, skills you just learnt.
Okay, so now we have a (very) basic idea of what new information does in your brain and how to better remember it. What’s the best way to get it in there in the first place?
We’re taught to highlight underline and write in the margins. But why?
This just gives us the illusion that we’re learning. We go back and reread our highlights and underlined passages. Then what? We know the words and what order they go in, but do we truly understand it?
We can learn what the author of the book wrote, but can we then use that information in context to illustrate it for someone else? To pass that information on, correctly, to another person?
Regurgitating information from a book is not a deep understanding.
What are the best ways according to science, to learn better. (not faster, better. Infact the practices below take a little long than re-reading and high lighting; but as they don’t really work, this is the better way to learn for longer retention).
Six methods.
Retrievel Practice
Spaced Practice
Interleaving
Elabration
Reflection
The Pomodoro Technique.
What are they?
I’ll be using the book Make It Stick for the Definitions of the first five methods.
1. Retrievel Practice: This means self-quizzing. Asking yourself questions on the subject you just studied. Retrieveing knowledge and skill from memory (not your notes) should become your primary study stragegy in place of re-reading. I actually interview myself, as if I’m on a talk show. Interviewer (Me), asks me questions and I answer.
2. Spaced Practice: means studying information more than once but leaving considerable time between practice sessions. The more time between sessions, th elonger you will retain the knowledge. First leave it a week, then a month then a few months etc
3. Interleaving: If you’re trying to study mathmatical formulas, try studying more than one at a time, so that you are alternating between different problems that call for different solutions. This is like giving your memory a crossfit work out. It takes a little longer to retain it all, but it’ll stick and be stronger than learning one problem at a time. You’ll also be better able to switch between problem better.
4. Elabration: Is th eprocess of finding additional layers of meraning in new material. LIke relating the new information to something you already know. Explaining to someone else in your own words. Or how it could relate to your life outside of class/work.
5. Relection: A combination of retrievel and elabration. It’s the act of taking a minute or so to review what you have just learnt, and then ask yourself questions.
6. The Pomodoro Technique: It’s a study technique, developed in the 80’s by Francesco Cirillo, named after the tomato shaped timer he used. Pomodoro is Italian for tomato. You spend 25 minutes in deep focused study, than, you take a 5 minute mental break. This gives your hippocampus (short term memory) time to send that infomation to you Neocortex (long term memory). This technique will give you better retention.
Using Pomodoro along with the other methods should help you learn better. It’ll take a little longer for sure. But whats the point in studying something if you’re just going to forget it a a week or so. Study to retain information for life rather than to impress a friend.
I highly recommend you watch this video. And frankly subscribe to Giles if you’re interested in the sicence of learning.
I’m a Professional Photographer who dabbles in Writing and Documentary Film Making.
I’ve recently quit my job of three and a half years as a Bartender/Manager. Photography began as a hobby and quickly became a passion.
I’m a Professional Photographer, Filmmaker, Writer/Author and this website is where I’m going to document all of it. The good, the bad and the ugly.
Event Portfolio
Street Portfolio
Other