Life is learning and learning is life. All of us have been students at least for a short time (whether at secondary school or university) or have needed to learn something for our work or business. And everyone has tried to find the right way to learn effectively. Some people have a talent and a natural tendency to learn effectively, but many of us belong to the group that only worked out how to learn quickly and effectively later on. Because you do not yet know how to learn as effectively as possible, you are needlessly falling short of your potential. Let’s look at how to learn better.
Some people try to improve their learning with habits such as cold showers. Others try effective dietary supplements↗️. And for some, the Pomodoro technique boosts their efficiency. However, the path to learning quickly and effectively is different for each individual. We believe that by combining our tips you will learn better and faster, and the knowledge will not just pass straight through your head. A guaranteed guide to the best way to learn is different for everyone, but if you stick to the 15 tips and pieces of advice in this article, you will certainly be heading in the right direction.
In this article, I would like to introduce you to methods that demonstrably improve learning performance and help people remember considerably more. I regret not using more of them during my own studies. I would certainly have managed some of my university exams better, faster and more efficiently!
Tip: Some people are better with numbers, while others are good at languages. Take a look here at tips on how to learn English effectively. Do what you are good at and you will be happier and more successful. Do not try to be at least average at everything. Also try reading our tips on the best books on personal growth.
Table of contents
The 5P method, or how to learn effectively
Many of us will know the so-called 5P method. However, I do not want to cover it in this article. If anyone is interested in this method, nothing could be simpler than typing the term into a search engine, where you will find more detailed information and exact instructions. Now let’s dive into the individual tips on how to learn better and more effectively!
How to learn quickly, properly and effectively
Our natural intelligence or our previous education does not matter all that much. Truly anyone can learn to learn effectively. What does “effective learning” mean? It is a set of skills, for example how we deal with procrastination, the art of time management, coping with stress and so on. In this article, I bring you the 15 best tips on how to learn quickly and effectively.
It partly matters whether we have a growth mindset or a more fixed one. People with a growth mindset are able to learn better and absorb a lot of information, but only in fields that interest them. So one answer to the question of how to learn quickly might be: learn what you enjoy. Of course, this cannot always be applied at school, but it is more of a general rule for life.
💡 Tip: If you also want to improve your memory, read our tried-and-tested tips for improving memory!
1. Do not let yourself be disturbed
When studying, you really need to concentrate on learning and not on your Facebook account or replying to messages. Our brain produces different types of waves. One of them is alpha waves, and these are exactly the waves on which we learn best. However, reaching alpha waves takes at least 10 minutes of full concentration. Once you reach alpha waves, learning will come easily.
Before you start learning, you should also let the people around you know that you are going to study and therefore do not want to be disturbed. And yes, washing the dishes or vacuuming the room can certainly wait a while. Our eyes tend to wander, so we should remove anything that could distract us from our field of vision, including the mobile phone itself.
Some people notice surrounding noise and movement more than others, but it has been shown that more calm and quiet improves learning results. A large number of us cannot learn in noise at all, while others seek out cafés. Everyone is different. We recommend trying out different places, alternating between them and eventually spending most of your time in the place that suits you best.
💡Tip: When learning, try changing places depending on the time of day as well. I recommend spending most of your time wherever you feel best.
2. The right study music versus silence
It has been scientifically proven that students who studied while listening to classical or jazz music were more successful in their learning than those who studied in complete silence. So it is ideal to learn while listening to music. But you need to choose carefully. The music should not have lyrics; it should be purely instrumental (ideally classical music, soundtracks and so on).
The volume of the music also matters. Hardly anyone will manage to learn anything with music blaring at full blast. A lower volume is best. There is even music designed specifically to support alpha waves in the brain (see above). Here is a small taste of such recordings.
💡Tip: On Spotify or YouTube, you can find music created specifically for studying that should deepen your concentration.
3. Learn in different places
Most of us have a favourite place where we do most of our learning. And that is exactly the mistake! It is important to learn in several places: at home, in the library, in the park, in the halls of residence. Each different environment gives us a different context in which we learn the material. This helps us remember it better. So vary your learning environment.
4. Exercise and you will learn better
It is not when solving crosswords or working through maths problems, but during physical exercise that we produce the most new brain cells. That is why you should include exercise in your regular routine. It can be any sport, ideally one you enjoy. But you can also choose ordinary cardio exercise.
You can use apps such as Workout, for example. This can help if you do not particularly enjoy any sport but still want to support your brain cells and, in turn, effective learning. These exercises can be done from the comfort of your home without any equipment.
A very good break while studying can be a cold shower, which can kick-start the body in no time, help it unwind and calm the nerves a little. Many experts recommend including cold showers in stressful days full of studying and preparation. You can read more about the benefits of cold showers via the link at the beginning of this paragraph.
If you have the opportunity, you can relax completely in a sauna once or twice a week, which will also do your body and mind a lot of good.
It is important to learn with at least a little enthusiasm, so you must not be tired. Exercise, sleep and a pleasant environment help with this. You can also read our article on how to overcome tiredness.
Of course, a good-quality, balanced diet will also help. There are also several dietary supplements on the market. Of the three we tried, we noticed some results with supplements from this Czech manufacturer. Do not forget to top up your omega-3 fatty acids either. Before exercising, you can also take so-called pre-workouts, which will also help you study after training.
5. Revise before bed
If you study early in the morning (often without enough sleep), your brain cannot process the information and store it properly. Our brain processes information best during sleep. That is why many experts recommend spending, for example, 10 minutes before bed revising what you learnt that day.
💡Tip: Since the 19th century, scientists have been studying the so-called forgetting curve. What is it and why is it worth knowing about? If you want to be truly effective, read through and revise your lectures, or whatever you came across that day, every evening. If you revise the material within 24 hours, you dramatically increase the chance that you will remember the information better and for longer.
Sleep itself is also important for transferring information from short-term to long-term memory. However, it is not a good idea to learn only in the evening, partly because of tiredness; you should also learn during the day, when the brain is most active. Just before sleep, simply run through what you have learnt quickly.
Each person learns better at a different time of day. Put simply, we can divide people into night owls and early birds. Some are more efficient at work and study in the evening, while others are more efficient in the morning. Try to think more about which type you are and then adapt your routine accordingly.
For your brain to work properly, it is of course good to get enough rest, sleep and relaxation.
💡Tip: Repetition is the mother of learning. Just before bed or in the morning is a great time to revise the material you have taken in over the past 24 hours. In fact, you can remember up to 75% of all information really well if you revise the material within 24 hours of learning it.
6. Motivate yourself with a reward
Did you know that simply planning a reward for after studying makes us learn better and more effectively? Ideally, write down each day’s reward in your diary in advance.
In general, it should be something you really enjoy. It could be good food, a favourite series, a film or anything else that gives you pleasant feelings. Pleasant feelings release dopamine in our brain, which helps transmit impulses from one neuron to the next. This helps pass information between individual brain cells, which leads to more effective learning.
Motivation also works if you are motivated by the result. I want to be an excellent doctor, so I must pass all my exams with top marks and push my abilities. In this case, stories of famous people in your field or even motivational films can help you.
💡Tip: If you are interested in a slightly different view of learning, we can also recommend this article on how to study effectively.
7. Speed reading
Our brain is programmed for fast reading, yet most of us cannot use this capacity. The brain gets bored with slow reading. As a result, we also get bored when studying. How can you read faster? Here are a few tips.
- Our eyes are used to darting between different things. To keep our eyes in check, it is best to point along the text. You can do this with a pencil or another thin object. That way you guide your eyes and read faster.
- When reading, we are often slowed down by regression (going back in the text). You should never make this mistake. It is the “bad habit” that slows you down most when studying, and in the end it can even lead to not understanding the text.
- Most of us can only read one word in the blink of an eye. But in speed reading, it is important to read several words at once. You can start with two words at first and work up to as many words as possible.
- Another tip is a technique called “driving on the motorway”. The idea is to take a pointer and “read” very fast for about 2 minutes (without really managing to read). Then go back to your normal speed, but your reading speed will still be faster.
You can use this method for very long texts that you need to get through. If you have a shorter, important text in front of you, this technique is not suitable for learning it. With important texts, understanding is what matters most, whereas with long texts the aim is to get familiar with them.
8. Study in small chunks
Many of us make the mistake of thinking we have plenty of time, and then we end up studying just before the exam or test. Nobody says you will not pass the exam or the test because of this. But it will certainly cause you quite a lot of stress. It is better to study continuously, in small chunks. It is one of the most effective learning methods.
When you study just before an exam or test, you forget the information very quickly. If you study continuously, you can keep building more and more information on top of it, and the material then makes more sense. Ideally, you keep revising the material. First after one day, then after a week, after a month, and finally you make the intervals longer. Thanks to this, the information stays in our heads much longer.
Ideally, also study in blocks. A person can only concentrate for a certain time. After that, performance drops and the brain needs a rest. You can spend breaks between study sessions in different ways. We can definitely recommend physical activity, a walk or a short sauna session.
💡 Tip: You can also try splitting your time into periods of focus and short breaks. This technique is very popular and is called Pomodoro. Some smartwatches even have a preinstalled Pomodoro app and will teach you to use it well.
9. Active learning
My most common mistake when studying medicine was that I kept reading and rereading my study texts. That is a passive learning method. A bad method.
Active learning is a form of learning in which we should be as active as possible. It is best to make new notes, flashcards and mind maps, and also to test yourself. Using as many of your senses as possible will also help. The effective learning method is based on active learning.
- Mind maps. Their creator is Tony Buzan. Before him, Leonardo da Vinci used this method. Mind maps help us create connections and are easy to remember. A mind map can also help you when you do not quite understand the material. It can show you all the connections within the topic you are studying.
- Testing. Self-testing is the best indicator of how well we know and understand the material. You can do it in many ways. One of them is to read a page or a topic. Then you cover it and try to recall everything you remember, or you ask yourself questions based on the headings and answer them. Self-testing gives you new perspectives on the topic.
10. Switch between different subjects
I remember my school-leaving exams, when I set aside each day for one subject. That is not right. On the contrary, switching between several subjects in one day helps you learn more effectively. If you study only one subject, you use only one particular part of the brain, which gets tired, and you stop enjoying studying.
If you switch between different subjects, you use more parts of your brain, it is activated in different areas, and studying comes more easily to you. Studying several subjects in one day can also bring up new contexts and connections, so you can learn more and understand the material better.
11. Learn from several sources and change the format too
You surely know this: you have your notes and you study from them the whole time. However, it is much better to vary the sources you learn from. One time it can be your notes, another time the textbook, and if you do not understand something or need another source, you can use the internet, for example.
If you learn from several sources, it will help you connect your thoughts better and show you a new perspective on the topic, so you will remember more and your studying will become much more effective.
The same applies to the format in which you take in the material:
- Paper
- Screen
- Listening
Definitely alternate between reading on a screen and on paper. If a computer or tablet does not suit you at all, feel free to print everything, but combining them is a big plus. Also find some material in audio form. Another change can only help you study better in the end.
🎓 Did you know: According to studies, people who read material on a screen need to revise it more times than those who read it printed on paper. Studying from paper is also often more focused, because on a computer you are distracted by various apps and other stimuli.
12. Read aloud
As I wrote above, use as many senses as possible when studying. So not only sight but also hearing. Reading a certain passage of text aloud can help you understand it better, which will make your studying more effective and of higher quality. Again, this cannot be used for long texts, only for important topics in the study text.
13. You must understand what you are learning
It is hard to remember something you do not understand. Everything you understand in a study text, or even enjoy, you will also remember. How can you try to understand the material? Here are a few tips.
- Asking yourself questions such as: Why is it like this and not otherwise? What topic is it connected to? Is there anything else in this material I do not understand? At what exact point do I stop understanding the material?
- Mind maps (see above)
- The Feynman technique: a 4-step technique that helps you understand the material and remember it better. (Imagine you are explaining it to a child; Fill in the gaps; Reorganise your notes; Pass your knowledge on)
14. Where you sit in the classroom or lecture hall
You surely know many swots who sit in the front rows. Perhaps their good marks are not only down to how much they study, but also to the fact that they sit in the front rows. So the advice is: sit as close to the teacher as possible (ideally in the front rows), whether in the classroom or the lecture hall.
There is research showing that students sitting in the front rows had an 80% exam pass rate. Those in the middle rows had 71.6% and those in the back rows 68.1%. If you sit in the front rows, it makes you pay more attention during the lecture, so your studying becomes more effective from your very first contact with the material.
15. The right food and drink
Many of you will surely agree that there are foods that support brain activity and strengthen the body overall. And it is these foods that can help you study more effectively. They include, for example, fruit, nuts, fish and iron (in the form of meat and leafy vegetables, not railway sleepers).
I have given you several tips and pieces of advice on how to study properly, effectively and fairly quickly. Now it is up to you to put this advice into practice. Everyone suits a certain mix, and it is good to try out which habits suit you and improve your results and performance. What works well for one person may not suit another. I believe that thanks to this article you will at least know how to study better and will try new techniques.
