How I Learn How to Learn

Who want to make this year as fantastic learning journey?
Definitely me. I’ve already made every year as a year of learning and I think I will keep doing that. Everyday is new learning journey.You brain gets better and better everyday. But, how to make it even better?
This year, I am gonna making the growth of my learning journey even better by taking this inspiring course: Learning to Learn: Powerful Mental Tools to help you master tough subjects at Coursera from University of California San Diego, taught by Dr. Barbara Oakley & Dr. Terrence Sejnowski.
This course will tell you tips on how to learn effectively day by day by learning how to learn.  With interesting image, clear illustration, an practical examples, this course is recommended for all lifelong learners for all ages.
There are a lot of tips & insights to learn effectively from this course. So to attract you to sign up at this course, I’ll give you teaser for this course by sharing TEDx Talk video by the lecturer of this course:

So if you want to make more effective growth of your brain, this course is all you need! 
1st week of this course have already impressed me with a lot of breakthrough skills that you can gain from watching the video lectures, doing quizzes and doing your assignment.
In this post, I will share how I learn “how to learn” by relating it to my life and goals and helping other people in their progression through a life of learning.

From what I have learned in this course, I simplify all tips and insight into 3 tips:

1. Balance your Focus & Diffused Mode of Thinking

Everyone has two modes of thinking. Focus mode of thinking is when you set your brain to focus and concentrate on what you want to learn. Meanwhile, Diffused mode of thinking is mode that refresh and relax your mind so that you can keep learning effectively. You can’t have two modes at the same time but you need to balance your focus and diffuse mode of thinking to make meaningful progress for your learning.

(Stojova, 2012)

You can use Pomodoro technique to help you manage these two modes of thinking.

– Set 25 minutes for Focus Mode Thinking

– Work your best till 25 minutes & note your progress on learning checklist (What you’ve succesfully learned)

– Get yourself short break (5 minutes) and have short Diffused mindset for a while.

– Back to focus and repeat the pomodoro technique over and over again.

2. Sleep 

Being awake produce toxin for your brain that block your mind. Sleep is not waste time for learning. Dr.Barbara Oakley (2014)states that sleep is part of learning process that help your brain to flush toxin or zombie that want to steal your memory & thinking that you’ve done. During sleep, your brain tidy your memory and learning process. Your brain will rehearse what you’ve learned and the most important memories for you. So arrange enough portion for your sleeping time to learn effectively.

3.Cultivate Growth Mindset

Learning process is not easy. To repeat balance process using focus & diffuse mode of thinking and some sleep require mindset that let your mind open and growing. To have this kind of mindset, you need to open yourself for embracing new challenges by keep practicing even if you fail. Learn from failure and make this as part of learning process. Find lesson from every moments you face in learning process by listening and sharing your experiences with others. That’s how you cultivate growth mindset.

So, these are how I  learn how to learn. Managing focus & diffused mode of thinking, sleep, and cultivate growth mindset. Finally, I have designed a simple info-graphic to present quick tips how you can learn effectively to make how I learn How to learn stick into our mind better! 

Happy Learning!

Resources:

Andrews-Hanna, J. R. “The brain’s default network and its adaptive role in internal mentation.” Neuroscientist 18, no. 3 (2012): 251-70.

Athena Coaching (2013). Do you have fixed or growth mindset. Retrieved from http://www.athenacoaching.com.au/do-you-have-a-fixed-or-growth-mindset/

Elias, S. (2013). 7 Ways to Boost Concentration. Retrieved from http://hellogiggles.com/ways-boost-concentration/2

Stojova, N. (2012). The Pomodoro Technique: An Easy Way to Do More in Less Time. Retrieved from http://www.levo.com/articles/careerexpert/the-pomodoro-technique-easy-way-to-do-more-less-time

Tsugai, T. (2014). Sleep: Flushing Brain from Toxin. Reterieved from https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/110068193252322485456