It's natural to feel we have a deep understanding of the world. Unfortunately, we most often don't. On the whole, we tend to think we understand how things work in much more detail than we actually do. Scientists continue to show us just how complex the world really is. And the devices we … [Read more...] about Want a Deep Understanding? First, Know How Little You Know
How to Study Efficiently and Remember What You Study
School is unreal. Imagine you’re suffering through an algebra class. Graph this weird function. Can you solve for Y? You move on to physics. The teacher discusses electrons spinning around neutrons and protons. You shake your head. None of this is real. Pure fantasy land. What can you … [Read more...] about How to Study Efficiently and Remember What You Study
21 Study Tips: Learn the Strategies that Set Top Students Apart
It’s annoying, isn’t it? You see them in every class. The students who seem to breeze on through. Coolly killing one test after another. How do they do it? Is it something you can master? Yep, it is. You see, scientists have been snooping on these top students for decades. It’s not … [Read more...] about 21 Study Tips: Learn the Strategies that Set Top Students Apart
Self-Explanation: A Good Reading Strategy for Bad Texts (& Good)
One of the important study skills we need in our increasingly technology driven world is the ability to learn from hard-to-understand text. Maybe you’re trying to grasp a biology textbook chapter on sexual reproduction. Or perhaps you’re reading articles on the web to figure out how to extend … [Read more...] about Self-Explanation: A Good Reading Strategy for Bad Texts (& Good)
3 Ways Concept Maps Help You Learn
Concept maps are pictures that that show how ideas relate to each other. In a concept map, ideas are represented as nodes, and the relationships between them as links with descriptive labels. Concept maps can be very large and complex—and they can be very small and simple. You can use … [Read more...] about 3 Ways Concept Maps Help You Learn
Asking Questions Improves Your Learning if You Ask the Right Questions
It's 2AM and you’re cramming for a test tomorrow. The Doritos are all gone and yours is the only light still on. You stare at a richly detailed diagram of the reproductive system and think, “Looks pretty straightforward. I’ll remember this tomorrow.” At show time, that detailed diagram is … [Read more...] about Asking Questions Improves Your Learning if You Ask the Right Questions