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TheserulesformasynthesisofsomeofthemainideasofthecoursetheyareexcerptedfromthebookAMindforNumbers:HowtoExcelinMathandScience(EvenifYouFlunkedAlgebra),byBarbaraOakley,Penguin,July,2014.Feelfreetocopytheserulesandredistributethem,aslongasyoukeeptheoriginalwordingandthiscitation.

10RulesofGoodStudying1. Userecall.Afteryoureadapage,lookawayandrecallthemainideas.Highlightverylittle,andneverhighlightanythingyouhaventputinyourmindfirstby

recalling.Tryrecallingmainideaswhenyouarewalkingtoclassorinadifferentroomfromwhereyouoriginallylearnedit.Anabilitytorecalltogeneratetheideasfrominsideyourselfisoneofthekeyindicatorsofgoodlearning.

2. Testyourself.Oneverything.Allthetime.Flashcardsareyourfriend.

3. Chunkyourproblems.Chunkingisunderstandingandpracticingwithaproblemsolutionsothatitcanallcometomindinaflash.Afteryousolveaproblem,rehearseit.Makesureyoucansolveitcoldeverystep.Pretenditsasongandlearntoplayitoverandoveragaininyourmind,sotheinformationcombinesintoonesmoothchunkyoucanpullupwheneveryouwant.

4. Spaceyourrepetition.Spreadoutyourlearninginanysubjectalittleeveryday,justlikeanathlete.Yourbrainislikeamuscleitcanhandleonlyalimitedamountofexerciseononesubjectatatime.

5. Alternatedifferentproblemsolvingtechniquesduringyourpractice.Neverpracticetoolongatanyonesessionusingonlyoneproblemsolvingtechniqueafterawhile,youarejustmimickingwhatyoudidonthepreviousproblem.Mixitupandworkondifferenttypesofproblems.Thisteachesyoubothhowandwhentouseatechnique.(Booksgenerallyarenotsetupthisway,soyoullneedtodothisonyourown.)Aftereveryassignmentandtest,gooveryourerrors,makesureyouunderstandwhyyoumadethem,andthenreworkyoursolutions.Tostudymosteffectively,handwrite(donttype)aproblemononesideofaflashcardandthesolutionontheother.(Handwritingbuildsstrongerneuralstructuresinmemorythantyping.)Youmightalsophotographthecardifyouwanttoloaditintoastudyapponyoursmartphone.Quizyourselfrandomlyondifferenttypesofproblems.Anotherwaytodothisistorandomlyflipthroughyourbook,pickoutaproblem,andseewhetheryoucansolveitcold.

6. Takebreaks.Itiscommontobeunabletosolveproblemsorfigureoutconceptsinmathorsciencethefirsttimeyouencounterthem.Thisiswhyalittlestudyeverydayismuchbetterthanalotofstudyingallatonce.Whenyougetfrustratedwithamathorscienceproblem,takeabreaksothatanotherpartofyourmindcantakeoverandworkinthebackground.

7. Useexplanatoryquestioningandsimpleanalogies.Wheneveryouarestrugglingwithaconcept,thinktoyourself,HowcanIexplainthissothatatenyearoldcouldunderstandit?Usingananalogyreallyhelps,likesayingthattheflowofelectricityisliketheflowofwater.Dontjustthinkyourexplanationsayitoutloudorputitinwriting.Theadditionaleffortofspeakingandwritingallowsyoutomoredeeplyencode(thatis,convertintoneuralmemorystructures)whatyouarelearning.

8. Focus.Turnoffallinterruptingbeepsandalarmsonyourphoneandcomputer,andthenturnonatimerfortwentyfiveminutes.Focusintentlyforthosetwentyfiveminutesandtrytoworkasdiligentlyasyoucan.Afterthetimergoesoff,giveyourselfasmall,funreward.Afewofthesesessionsinadaycanreallymoveyourstudiesforward.Trytosetuptimesandplaceswherestudyingnotglancingatyourcomputerorphoneisjustsomethingyounaturallydo.

9. Eatyourfrogsfirst.Dothehardestthingearliestintheday,whenyouarefresh.

10. Makeamentalcontrast.Imaginewhereyouvecomefromandcontrastthatwiththedreamofwhereyourstudieswilltakeyou.Postapictureorwordsinyourworkspacetoremindyouofyourdream.Lookatthatwhenyoufindyourmotivationlagging.Thisworkwillpayoffbothforyouandthoseyoulove!

10RulesofBadStudyingExcerptedfromAMindforNumbers:HowtoExcelinMathandScience(EvenifYouFlunkedAlgebra),byBarbaraOakley,Penguin,July,2014

Avoidthesetechniquestheycanwasteyourtimeevenwhiletheyfoolyouintothinkingyourelearning!

1. Passiverereadingsittingpassivelyandrunningyoureyesbackoverapage.Unlessyoucanprovethatthematerialismovingintoyourbrainbyrecallingthemainideaswithoutlookingatthepage,rereadingisawasteoftime.

2. Lettinghighlightsoverwhelmyou.Highlightingyourtextcanfoolyourmindintothinkingyouareputtingsomethinginyourbrain,whenallyourereallydoingismovingyourhand.Alittlehighlightinghereandthereisokaysometimesitcanbehelpfulinflaggingimportantpoints.Butifyouareusinghighlightingasamemorytool,makesurethatwhatyoumarkisalsogoingintoyourbrain.

3. Merelyglancingataproblemssolutionandthinkingyouknowhowtodoit.Thisisoneoftheworsterrorsstudentsmakewhilestudying.Youneedtobeabletosolveaproblemstepbystep,withoutlookingatthesolution.

4. Waitinguntilthelastminutetostudy.Wouldyoucramatthelastminuteifyouwerepracticingforatrackmeet?Yourbrainislikeamuscleitcanhandleonlyalimitedamountofexerciseononesubjectatatime.

5. Repeatedlysolvingproblemsofthesametypethatyoualreadyknowhowtosolve.Ifyoujustsitaroundsolvingsimilarproblemsduringyourpractice,yourenotactuallypreparingforatestitslikepreparingforabigbasketballgamebyjustpracticingyourdribbling.

6. Lettingstudysessionswithfriendsturnintochatsessions.Checkingyourproblemsolvingwithfriends,andquizzingoneanotheronwhatyouknow,canmakelearningmoreenjoyable,exposeflawsinyourthinking,anddeepenyourlearning.Butifyourjointstudysessionsturntofunbeforetheworkisdone,yourewastingyourtimeandshouldfindanotherstudygroup.

7. Neglectingtoreadthetextbookbeforeyoustartworkingproblems.Wouldyoudiveintoapoolbeforeyouknewhowtoswim?Thetextbookisyourswimminginstructoritguidesyoutowardtheanswers.Youwillflounderandwasteyourtimeifyoudontbothertoreadit.Beforeyoubegintoread,however,takeaquickglanceoverthechapterorsectiontogetasenseofwhatitsabout.

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8. Notcheckingwithyourinstructorsorclassmatestoclearuppointsofconfusion.Professorsareusedtoloststudentscominginforguidanceitsourjobtohelpyou.Thestudentsweworryaboutaretheoneswhodontcomein.Dontbeoneofthosestudents.

9. Thinkingyoucanlearndeeplywhenyouarebeingconstantlydistracted.Everytinypulltowardaninstantmessageorconversationmeansyouhavelessbrainpowertodevotetolearning.Everytugofinterruptedattentionpullsouttinyneuralrootsbeforetheycangrow.

10. Notgettingenoughsleep.Yourbrainpiecestogetherproblemsolvingtechniqueswhenyousleep,anditalsopracticesandrepeatswhateveryouputinmindbeforeyougotosleep.Prolongedfatigueallowstoxinstobuildupinthebrainthatdisrupttheneuralconnectionsyouneedtothinkquicklyandwell.Ifyoudontgetagoodsleepbeforeatest,NOTHINGELSEYOUHAVEDONEWILLMATTER.

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