If we’re lucky, learning continues for our entire lives, and doesn’t stop after those tweed-wearing, coke-bottle spec-faced, 80s haircut-ed teachers stopped telling you to ‘face front!’ and ‘get that chewing gum out of your mouth, you derelict!’.

We've got much more effective - and time-saving - ways to learn!

However, we all learn in different ways, and if you’ve ever tried to force information into your brain in a way that doesn’t suit, you’ll know how long it can take. Whether you have a work training course coming up, an exam on the calendar, or just love that new-textbook smell for your own, private reasons (!), we have some time saving tips to study smarter, not harder or longer.

Of course, when it comes to learning, the quickest way is not necessarily the best. In fact, nor is it always the way that will save you the most time in the long run – skim over a page, and see how many times you can re-read the same thing quickly, without it ever sinking in. So these tips will sometimes take a bit of time – that old spending-to-save conundrum. Overall, though, you’ll assimilate the new information faster and better. These holistic learning tips are from the Stepcase Lifehack guys – thanks!

Use Metaphors

Metaphors are a great learning tool. Don’t try to memorize your textbook’s definition of a neuron, or Adobe’s Help menu text on how to adjust colors in Photoshop. Atoms can become tiny solar systems, or a game of totem tennis with several balls. Computer networks become like city road networks. And you become, like, a genius!

Sony, the metaphor kings - you sure get the message!

Use different senses to remember information

Some people learn best through seeing pictures, some through hearing, and some through doing. You can either imagine yourself ‘doing’ a task related to what you’re trying to learn, draw a picture of it, or find an audiobook or lecture about it.

Teach what you are trying to learn

Teach what you are trying to learn - it doesn't matter if your subject understands it as well as you do

It sounds counter intuitive, but it is a great way to cement information in your brain. The teaching doesn’t have to be formal – ask your husband if you can explain the theory of quantum physics to him, or ask your room mate if they mind you teaching them about cell division and reproduction. Just remind them it will be an auditory lesson only!

Connect ideas

Ideas should all connect to another idea, if you want to be able to remember them. If something seems like just another fact you have to cram into the packed closet of your brain, find something that’s already inside to hook it on to. (There you go – I’ve taken the metaphor learning tip to heart already!).

Build from a large foundation

Every different book, article or story you read on a subject adds to your understanding of it in a different way. You never know what is going to click with you – build your house of knowledge from the largest possible foundation.

Don’t Force It!

Just like Mom said – forcing it will only break something inside your precious, precious brain! (Mmm … must eat brains!). Studying something should be a slow process – even those who do well on exams cramming the night before actually need to learn slowly. If you want proof, just ask them how much of the test material they remember the next week … and then imagine how much time they’ll have to spend going over more basic concepts when they want to move on in their learning.

Organization is the key, not memorization. You can really make your memory work for you … if you just give it a frame to build on. Especially if your memory really likes to work as a builder’s assistant, with you as the framer! Non-carpenters, sorry – you’re out of luck ;-D !