What learning habits can you suggest?

Hi,

Our profession often requires deep learning; sitting down and reading, and understanding. I'm currently undergoing an exam period, and I'm looking for ways to learn more effectively.

I'm not asking about what to learn, or whether to prefer blogs over books, etc. My question is much more physical than that -

What do you do when need to study, and I mean study hard?

I'm looking for answers such as

• I slice my time to 2.5 hours intervals and make a break between them, but never during.
• I keep a jar of water nearby.
• I wake up at 6 o'clock sharp and start my day with a session at the gym.

What good learning habits did acquire, or wish you had acquired?

(I know this isn't strictly programming related, but it is programmers related)

From stackoverflow

• I set aside time every day or x times per week. Otherwise I never do it.
  I try to have a diff location every once and awhile (home / coffee shop / stay late at the office) keeps the tedium away.
  I am careful about the music I use, try to make sure it is relaxing
  Sometimes I leave headphones on even if music is off that way people don't talk to me.
  I give myself specific goals before each break or for every session.
  I reward myself

• I find the best way to set yourself up for learning is:

  • Get plenty of exercise and rest
  • Eat a balanced diet with little sugar and caffeine
  • Try to find a quiet area conducive to concentration
  • Try to practice what you learn from a book - theory is ok, but practice embeds the knowledge.
  warren : @Galwegian - add to that "teach it"; if you can teach what you learn, you know it - http://electronicdesign.com/Articles/Index.cfm?AD=1&ArticleID=5859; I reprinted it to my website because I thought it was important :)
• • Make sure it's quiet and comfortable around you.
  • enough to drink and eat
  • don't just read but take notes, draw mindmaps and the like
  • don't just read but try
  • make a report, blog entry, presentation out of what you learned
  • learn the same thing from different sources: Don't just believe what person A has to say look for, read and understand the opinion of person B and C as well and understand the differences.
  • take nothing for granted
  • apply the knowledge to an actual project
  Kena : +1 for notes and mindmaps

• "The best way to test whether or not you know something is to try to explain it to someone else from scratch."

  That has to be one of the best ideas I was ever given about knowing whether or not I really know something.

• Read Andy Hunt's "Pragmatic Thinking and Learning" - lots of good suggestions there.

  lindelof : I second that. I'm reading it these days and it's a great book.

• Tony Buzan wrote The Mind Map Book, describing his ideas for note taking. He also has some process ideas that I found very helpful. Foremost was this one: study new material for an hour, then take a short break (5-10 minutes) and then review the new material. Review the new material again an hour later, then two hours after that, then the next day. You need to refresh your exposure to the material multiple times over the course of time to really take it in.

• I find it best to be fully dedicated to the task before I start. If you go into something with low morale, you will not do well. If you go into a task with high morale, you will understand things quicker, be able to apply it to real situations better, and will have a deeper comprehension. If I am not fully dedicated, I don't even bother. I've got better things to do with my time then half ass something, and you probably do too.

• Expanding on a comment I left, see this article from Electronic Design from a few years ago: http://electronicdesign.com/Articles/Index.cfm?AD=1&ArticleID=5859.

  If you can teach what you learned, you know it.

  ---

  by Louis Frenzel

  All learning is self-learning. Professors, trainers, and all teachers just organize and present the material to be learned. They don't teach it to you. You learn it. You're the one who actually absorbs, understands, and assimilates the knowledge by listening to the lectures, reading, thinking, solving problems, and other activities. Self-learning is a natural, human quality. While most of you have used this method in the past, you may want to do it on a more formal basis to speed up and fine-tune your methods. Here's a suggested approach (and trust me on this, you must write it down):

  1. Clearly identify what you want to learn. Write it out.

  2. Write some learning objectives for yourself. These statements clearly identify what you want to know and be able to do. For example, you should write something like "When I complete this learning assignment, I will be able to design and program an FIR DSP filter." The objectives should be expressed in "behavioral" terms, that is, using words that state some measurable outcome.

  3. Identify some initial resources. Start with books at the local bookstore or go to www.Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble at www.barnesandnoble.com. Most cities don't have good technical bookstores, and it's tough to find anything at regular bookstores. Consider yourself lucky if you have a good technical bookstore or a good college bookstore. Plan to get multiple books to give you greater breadth of coverage with multiple explanations, examples, and perspectives. Don't forget to look through your stack of magazine back issues.

  4. Check out online sources. Do one or more Web searches, or go to relevant company Web sites. You may run across an appropriate tutorial, white paper, or application note that will give you what you need. The large semiconductor and equipment manufacturers have tons of stuff on their Web sites, so start digging. Also check out the professional societies and other sources listed in the tables and sidebars.

  5. Watch out for any conferences or seminars on this topic. Usually, such events never occur when you need them, but you might get lucky. If you find one, attend because it will provide a big head start for your own learning.

  6. Organize your materials. Lay them out, mark them up, and then make an outline based on your objectives. See what you have and what you lack, and make an initial list of things to do.

  7. Dig in. Set aside an hour a day or whatever you can to go through the materials. Turn off the radio, CD player, and television. Make a habit of finding some quiet time to read and learn.

  8. Look for a human tutor. You could be working just down the hall from an expert on the very subject you're trying to learn. Pick his or her brain. Ask this person if he/she will help you understand and learn. Take this person to lunch or offer to pay for lessons. Most people will gladly share what they know, if you aren't too proud to ask. The best way to do this is to learn as much as you can on your own. Then, go for the professional, personal help with tough questions or when you get stuck.

  9. Include some hands-on. Is there any hardware you can buy or put together to help you learn it? Maybe there's some software that will help. Buy it or have your employer buy it.

  10. Write a paper or article or teach what you have learned. You have to know it to write it or teach it. There's no better way to learn for yourself than to have to explain it to others.

  ---

• I generally find it useful to build a "cheat sheet" or other form of summary as I go.

  On one hand, it forces me to reinterpret information and figure out what's really important.

  On the other hand, I'm building a useful study tool for last-minute revisions, or future refreshing of knowledge.

  2.5 hours without breaks seems like a lot. Experiment with different time slots to see what works best (personally, a sequence of 3x(20 work - 5 break) works well)

• While reading, I make sure I fully comprehend each section in the text before I continue.

• Set up a time and take away all distractions. At home/dorm can be rough, so I would use the library while in college. Getting started is usually the hardest part, so don't set a specific time limit for when to quit. It is distracting, and you will be looking at your clock to see "how much longer you have." You don't want to be in that mindset. Work until you feel your brain is starting to lose focus, whether that is lack of comprehension or having to reread simple paragraphs repeatedly. Take a minute or two as a break, then refocus your mind. When that stops working, it is time for a real break.

  Are you a night owl or early bird? Each person is different. I am very productive early in the morning, while my wife can barely function. We all have differences, so don't try to fight your nature.

  +1 to what everyone else said. Making cheat sheet/notes were a very important part of my studying habits, whether I could use them on the exam or not.