Recommendations for books on how to learn?
February 26, 2023 10:28 AM Subscribe
When I was in high school I learnt effortlessly, the structure and organisation was all done for me and I just flew through all my subjects.
I crashed at 17, for many reasons, but one of them being I had never learnt how to learn.
I had relied on external structures of organisation of the syllabus and my time, by the education system and my parents. Since I found everything so easy, I never had to really deeply consider techniques or more efficient ways of doing things.
Can anyone recommend any books or resources for learning more efficiently and effectively?
I had relied on external structures of organisation of the syllabus and my time, by the education system and my parents. Since I found everything so easy, I never had to really deeply consider techniques or more efficient ways of doing things.
Can anyone recommend any books or resources for learning more efficiently and effectively?
It's not a book, but the online course Learning How to Learn is the world's most-taken MOOC for a reason. It's free, and full of good, research-backed info about how we learn, and how to put that into practice for effective studying. It's enjoyable and straightforward to participate in.
posted by penguin pie at 10:49 AM on February 26, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by penguin pie at 10:49 AM on February 26, 2023 [4 favorites]
The Crash Course series on study skills seems like it'd be exactly what you're looking for.
On a bit more of the writing and life side of things, the book "Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life" by Anne Lamott came up frequently in my grad program. Here's the key point (with the rest of the book being excellent too):
“Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he’d had three months to write. It was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, ‘Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.’”
posted by past unusual at 10:52 AM on February 26, 2023 [6 favorites]
On a bit more of the writing and life side of things, the book "Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life" by Anne Lamott came up frequently in my grad program. Here's the key point (with the rest of the book being excellent too):
“Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he’d had three months to write. It was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, ‘Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.’”
posted by past unusual at 10:52 AM on February 26, 2023 [6 favorites]
I highly recommend that you investigate practices involving metacognition.
"Metacognition is, put simply, thinking about one’s thinking. More precisely, it refers to the processes used to plan, monitor, and assess one’s understanding and performance. Metacognition includes a critical awareness of a) one’s thinking and learning and b) oneself as a thinker and learner."
posted by skye.dancer at 11:02 AM on February 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
"Metacognition is, put simply, thinking about one’s thinking. More precisely, it refers to the processes used to plan, monitor, and assess one’s understanding and performance. Metacognition includes a critical awareness of a) one’s thinking and learning and b) oneself as a thinker and learner."
posted by skye.dancer at 11:02 AM on February 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
Coursera has a free course on Learning How to Learn. Of of the most popular MOOCs ever if I am not mistaken, and very well reviewed.
posted by jcworth at 11:05 AM on February 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by jcworth at 11:05 AM on February 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
As heatherlogan says above - with all kindness, please properly investigate autism or ADHD screening. I have answered several of your previous questions along similar lines, but your posting history - and the compulsive nature of the posts themselves - very clearly display the hallmarks of executive dysfunction associated with these conditions.
posted by mani at 11:47 AM on February 26, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by mani at 11:47 AM on February 26, 2023 [5 favorites]
Just to throw one more resource out there, the Cornell Note Taking System is an approach to taking notes that may assist in learning and organization of topic material. I am not saying it will solve your problems (above advice is probably more valuable there), but you do mention a lack of structure at this stage in your educational development. FWIW.
posted by forthright at 11:57 AM on February 26, 2023
posted by forthright at 11:57 AM on February 26, 2023
Humans are always learning. You may have gotten habituated to short snippets of Web-based content - news, tweets, fb posts, mefi comments, as well as games and short videos. Practice reading longer articles, non-fiction books, more in-depth content. The Atlantic, The New Yorker, etc. I find that reading an article posted to MeFii, reading comments, and maybe commenting, is good exercise for my brain. Do crosswords or other word puzzles. Your brain will strengthen and create neural pathways for the tasks you do; give your brain workouts.
The suggestions for learning how to learn are great, but practice is going to be key.
posted by theora55 at 12:42 PM on February 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
The suggestions for learning how to learn are great, but practice is going to be key.
posted by theora55 at 12:42 PM on February 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
Mindset by Carol Dweck is a good one. You can probably get the gist by finding it as a podcast or Ted Talk.
Also look up “growth mindset vs fixed mindset”
posted by nouvelle-personne at 1:58 PM on February 26, 2023
Also look up “growth mindset vs fixed mindset”
posted by nouvelle-personne at 1:58 PM on February 26, 2023
Response by poster: Just a quick comment.
For those who have commented that I likely have ADHD/autism - I am investigating ADHD, however it is complicated by the fact that I believe I may be suffering from complex post traumatic stress disorder. It is difficult for me to ascertain how much of my executive dyfunction, rejection sensitivity, social anxiety & lack of focus is due to that.
In terms of autism, this is not something I have looked into - can you provide any links to any useful descriptions of how autism looks in women?
posted by Sunflower88 at 2:55 PM on February 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
For those who have commented that I likely have ADHD/autism - I am investigating ADHD, however it is complicated by the fact that I believe I may be suffering from complex post traumatic stress disorder. It is difficult for me to ascertain how much of my executive dyfunction, rejection sensitivity, social anxiety & lack of focus is due to that.
In terms of autism, this is not something I have looked into - can you provide any links to any useful descriptions of how autism looks in women?
posted by Sunflower88 at 2:55 PM on February 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
Samantha Craft's females with autism checklist
Square Peg Podcast, interviews with autistic women, trans, and nonbinary people (for a deeper dive)
posted by heatherlogan at 5:24 PM on February 26, 2023
Square Peg Podcast, interviews with autistic women, trans, and nonbinary people (for a deeper dive)
posted by heatherlogan at 5:24 PM on February 26, 2023
They may not be able to be disentangled: The Science of Fear: Probing the Brain Circuits That Link ADHD and PTSD
posted by jocelmeow at 5:52 PM on February 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by jocelmeow at 5:52 PM on February 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
I found this book helpful: https://www.amazon.com/What-Smart-Students-Know-Learning/dp/0517880857
posted by Jacqueline at 9:19 PM on February 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Jacqueline at 9:19 PM on February 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
It's possible that, in addition to specific resources relating to learning, you might also find exercises to help develop your executive function to be useful. Here's a set of suggestions in relation to executive function and ADHD.
I think they might be aimed at parents of children with ADHD but they look (potentially) as useful for adults to me. They are a bit left field compared to your question but the components making up executive function are the same regardless of why you have problems with it, and the specific arena in which those problems are arising.
posted by plonkee at 1:49 AM on February 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
I think they might be aimed at parents of children with ADHD but they look (potentially) as useful for adults to me. They are a bit left field compared to your question but the components making up executive function are the same regardless of why you have problems with it, and the specific arena in which those problems are arising.
posted by plonkee at 1:49 AM on February 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
I think you have powerfully identified the difference between studying and learning. Interestingly to me, just now when I tried searching for books about how to learn, google actually changed "learn" to "study." Studying material that's all been laid out for you and to some extent pre-digested is not the same as learning in the sense of internalizing and moving up levels in your mastery. I mean you do learn in the course of sustained study; there is no other way to learn something technical for instance, but there is something else in addition. I would recommend this book and also that you seek out experiences of flow and what you did to achieve them. When do you feel like material is really "clicking" with you? Aim for that kind of experience.
One issue I've had when studying something for a job or a qualification is that my mind keeps getting ahead of me and looking for patterns and conclusions when it's really too early. I want to be efficient and notice stuff that will turn out to be significant. For me it's helpful to do something that's in the moment and not as results-oriented, to get my brain in the habit of slowing down. I try not to worry about missing something and just assume that I will take two or three passes at the material.
posted by BibiRose at 4:13 AM on February 27, 2023
One issue I've had when studying something for a job or a qualification is that my mind keeps getting ahead of me and looking for patterns and conclusions when it's really too early. I want to be efficient and notice stuff that will turn out to be significant. For me it's helpful to do something that's in the moment and not as results-oriented, to get my brain in the habit of slowing down. I try not to worry about missing something and just assume that I will take two or three passes at the material.
posted by BibiRose at 4:13 AM on February 27, 2023
Regarding the autism tangent, you might find some interesting reading in this recent-ish post on the Blue. In particular, there are some links to resources on PTSD and autism there.
A few additional resources on autism in women:
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 5:42 AM on February 27, 2023
A few additional resources on autism in women:
- a talk by Sarah Hendrickx on autism in women and girls
- a brief but (I think) good summary in a blog post on See Her Thrive
- another fairly brief summary, with links and book recommendations if you want to explore further
- How to Recognise Autism in Girls by Dr Michelle Garnett and Professor Tony Attwood; you may recognise your younger self here.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 5:42 AM on February 27, 2023
I found Pragmatic Thinking and Learning quite good, short and accessible. Here you can find a detailed summary of it.
posted by zsoltika at 10:40 AM on February 27, 2023
posted by zsoltika at 10:40 AM on February 27, 2023
Can totally relate and just wanted to add: learning comes from experience so go out there and experience. Try to kick a soccer ball in a net and really try to do it, and when you miss try a different technique. Keep that circle of feedback between action and result and new slightly tweaked action very short. Decide what you want to do. Do it. Pay attention. That’s my best tip.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 4:00 PM on February 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by St. Peepsburg at 4:00 PM on February 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
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posted by heatherlogan at 10:45 AM on February 26, 2023 [14 favorites]