Many people see learning as an active engagement, with homework and tests done in a classroom with a teacher. This deliberate form of education is just one of her methods of acquiring knowledge. In fact, we absorb new information every day, often unintentionally, such as how to best store tomatoes, how to get to work faster, or our dog’s favorite chew toy. “It’s very important to admit to yourself the vast amount of information you’re learning without even realizing it,” say cognitive scientists. Pooja AgarwalAssistant Professor at Berklee College of Music.
remembering facts and learn. Memory refers to the retention of information, while learning is the long-term acquisition of knowledge and skills through experience. Hadley Bergstrom, Associate Professor of Psychological Science, Vassar University. We can learn vocabulary, but we also learn how to speak a language.
Learning Changes the Brain: Existing Bonds neuron — Strengthens nerve cells that send messages for everything from your breath to your thoughts. new road development between neurons. Repeated exposure to activities such as knitting or driving a car can Strengthen these connections, in this way we learn. Over time, it becomes easier to recall these skills and memories.
Acquisition of fresh knowledge becomes valuable as we age and become less exposed to organized classroom environments. Research suggests that learning occurs later in life. Cognitive function may be preserved — This refers to ability to acquire knowledgereason and manipulate information — and college graduates higher levels of cognitive function than in the 50’s who did not. “I would say that new learning over time is more likely to improve cognition as we age,” says Bergstrom.
Says learning new life skills in a tech-based world helps people stay independent Rachel Wu, associate professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside. “Online she doesn’t know how to use banking and if she doesn’t live near a bank, she has to rely on someone to manage her money,” she says. If you don’t know how to use your smartphone, many options, such as ride-sharing apps, will be closed to you. “
Learning has great benefits, but the thought of learning a new skill one day can be intimidating. What’s the best way to learn? How much will it cost? What if I’m bad at it? There are low-cost, no-expense ways to facilitate learning in everyday life without the need for a classroom.
Learning does not have to take place in an organized environment
Look for learning opportunities outside the classroom or auditorium. Education can and does take place in these regions, but learning can take place anywhere. Whether you’re reading a Wikipedia page on your phone, reading a beginner guitar book, then watching a YouTube video on how to make a table. Be sure to do your due diligence on the authors of the resources you use. Does the author have subject matter expertise? Is the YouTuber trying to get viewers to pay for classes where they can learn how to make thousands of dollars in passive income? Many people call themselves , but make sure you have the credentials to back up that reputation.
By adulthood, people usually have an idea of where and how best to study, says Wu. Think about your previous school education and hobbies. Do you grasp the concept through trial and error? When you were able to explain it to others, did you feel that you learned the topic? Maybe you prefer to learn at your own pace with lots of practice along the way. Think about what motivates you more, says Agarwal, “to learn on your own or with an instructor.” Some prefer that he self-paced and self-directed. Some are inspired by being surrounded by other students.
Look to family and community members for low-cost, low-effort educational opportunities. Your neighbor may be a master gardener. Instead, you can teach them how to make dumplings. If you don’t have time to attend a pottery class, give it a try. learn with your child In their various activities, they say: Allison McKee, associate professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Traveling to places with different cultures is another way to learn outside the classroom, McKee says, although it can be expensive and time-consuming.
always keep challenging yourself
As you get used to the routines of life, “you build a perfect brain for the environment and the kind of tasks you do,” says McKee. You are skilled and efficient in the tasks and hobbies you do every day. Acquiring new skills and knowledge requires challenges. That’s not to say you can’t enjoy what you’re learning, but you need to continually level up. For example, once you understand a particular song on the piano, you may want to move on to another song or practice more complex chord progressions.
For this reason, researchers tend to liken learning to exercise. “The key to building muscle is not doing the same thing every day,” says Bergstrom. Learning a new skill or hobby, or making a current hobby more difficult, “as opposed to doing something else may slow cognitive aging,” Bergstrom continues. [something] Repetition like a crossword puzzle. It’s the same thing every day. “
One way to make sure we’re making progress is through feedback. Your instructor will correct your pronunciation. A tutor will tell you what is wrong with math problems. Self-directed learning also incorporates feedback, says Wu. If you start beekeeping with the help of YouTube and no honey is produced, it’s a clear sign that something has gone wrong. “Even if you go it alone, you can still get feedback,” says Wu. It’s just from the environment and a little slower than the feedback from the instructor. Struggles, mistakes, and “failures” are an important part of the learning process, says Wu. These failures are valuable feedback you can learn from. As a result, subsequent performance is improved. That’s learning. “In general, learning happens when you make mistakes, and you change your behavior to adapt,” says Wu.
Leverage the Skills You Already Have
Learning as an adult means relying on previously acquired skills. For example, if you’re teaching yourself a new language, you don’t have to relearn words, sentences, and grammatical concepts like a toddler would say their first phrase as they speak. “If you already know how to play the violin, playing the piano might be a little easier because you can convert from one instrument to another,” says Wu.
Every job or hobby has its complexities, and when old skills don’t translate well to new technology, it stumbles. Again, if you use your knowledge of the violin to learn how to play the piano, you might get confused by reading his two lines of sheet music instead of one. It’s never going to be easy, says Wu, but try to stay flexible and learn new skills.
get information out of one’s head
Focus on verbalizing what you learn rather than cramming it in, says Agarwal.known as collection practice, just remembering and reflecting on information helps you retain those details. Recalling what you read in a book yesterday, telling a friend something funny you heard on a podcast, or mentioning what you had for breakfast are good recall exercises. An easy way to put the recall exercise into practice is for him to write down or share with his partner or roommate one thing he learned at the end of each day. “It improves memory and long-term learning,” says Agarwal. “It takes less than 30 seconds and costs nothing.”
Even if you don’t think you learned anything that day, you likely did, Agarwal says. How to get from your apartment to work without GPS, which aisle in the grocery store to find olive oil, how to set up a projector.
Teaching others what you’ve just learned is another effective way to learn, McKee says. Organizing related thoughts into narratives that are meaningful to you will help you remember them better.
“Sometimes I focus on getting information in my head, like watching a video or attending a lecture,” says Agarwal. “What the magic happens in learning is getting information out of your head.”
