How to learn to learn

Choose your favorite profession

I know from myself that if you learn what you don't like, nothing good will come of it. The first time I felt it at university, and the second time - when I tried to force myself to learn to program. I will not give up even now, but it is difficult to do it. And the reason is only one and very simple: I do not like this occupation.

If you can find a profession that you like, the new knowledge will be a bit like a little celebration and you will really want to learn.

Make a plan

Chaotic movement is not always a bad thing. If you are a genius or a creative person, then you can skip reading this article any further. The only problem is that if you consider yourself a genius or a creative person, then you are neither one nor the other.

Without a plan, it is almost impossible to properly structure the learning process. What should be included in the plan? First, the time you are willing to spend every day learning. Needless to say, there is practically no point in studying for 5 minutes a day? I am inclined to believe that the training should take at least an hour, and you will have to determine the more exact terms yourself.

Second, the curriculum. If you are studying online, make a list of sources, books, sites, blogs that you will be studying. The main thing is to follow the plan. Do not miss a day, and when study becomes a habit, you will understand why it was necessary.

Take notes

I had no idea that taking notes can be enjoyable. If you are listening to lectures, then write down a summary of the main concepts in it. If you read books, write out the quotes, sayings and definitions that you see fit.

It is not necessary to write your notes by hand. I use Evernote, and it suits me absolutely everything. You will have to decide on the choice of the tool yourself. My advice: try both ways. Take notes by hand for several days, and then enter it in some application. Which method allows you to better remember the material, more convenient, more practical and faster? By answering these questions, you can make a choice.

Add practice

Do you want to learn to program? Program.

Whatever profession you choose to study, you can find a way to practice it, even if you don't have the opportunity to get a job. For example, in marketing - study marketing cases, strategies of well-known companies, think about how you could improve the marketing of a particular company. In design - draw sites, logos, redesign the appearance of well-known services and sites. If you know how you can do better, do it!

I used IT professions as an example, but I think whatever you do, you can find a way to practice in this area.

Find professionals

Finding someone who knows the profession better than you can significantly speed up your learning curve. Moreover, you have the Internet, which means that you don't even have to leave your home to search.

Write emails to famous and eminent professionals and ask them questions. Don't be too intrusive, as most of these people are very busy. But often they are open to dialogue and will be happy to help you with advice.

Set goals

Become a designer.

But not those goals. Your goal should help you want to achieve it. Don't set global goals, start small. As you achieve them, you will become more and more willing to engage and achieve new goals.

Do not overdo it

This is quite a contradictory advice, but I could not help but mention it. I know many stories of outstanding personalities who studied 8 hours a day. I don’t know how they did it, because after all this time it’s easy to develop an aversion to learning and what you’re learning.

Try to find a fine line that allows you to exercise just enough so that it is productive and does not cause boredom.

What advice would you give someone who wants to learn how to learn? Share them in the comments!