These steps are the general guide to how to learn and study better, but apply specifically to self-learning in your own home or in a quiet place without disturbances. If you come across a situation where some of the steps need to be changed or altered, try bringing the use of these steps back to the home/quiet area environment they were originally intended for. Use your best judgement and try to stick as close to these guidelines as possible. If you do, you will ensure your success while learning!
Once you have your list written up, start at the most important problems and fix them, working your way from your biggest problems to your smallest. This should include ANYTHING that might be bothering you because anything, even the smallest of disturbances will affect how well your brain processes information. Your disturbances should fully be taken care of (as in, if you have to go to the bathroom, DO IT! If you need sleep and can afford to get more rest, SLEEP! If you have bad breath and that bothers you, BRUSH! If you have little pet peeves that are bothering you, FIX THEM. The more that you have to keep your brain from wandering to the better!!!)
Most of the time your brain is spent processing EVERYTHING equally and taking millions of snapshots per second, by closing what is called synapses, of everything consistently at the same rate. What you need to achieve is making your brain focus all, or most, of its snapshots onto your topic of study! If this can be done correctly, you will increase your learning potential by 60%!
If you have a computer on, and it’s not the source of learning, turn it off. Make the room as quiet as possible. Close the shades and windows so as little light as possible enters the room and then turn on lights to a level that allows you to study your material without squinting or straining AT ALL but while still being dimmer than normal. This step is critical to keeping your brain from focusing on your environment. When choosing a room, try a place with a comfortable armchair or bed/coach to lie down on. A good location is your own bedroom, as long as it is empty of any people and completely quiet.
Anything that is slightly active (requires slight concentration) and calming at the same time. Once you have your activity of choice, you will find that doing it over and over will help.
Allow all of your senses to become alert, and listen for everything as you slowly find your muscles to be itching as they relax fully for the first time. Do this for five minutes and then stop, slowly allowing your muscles to begin working again. Now it’s time to drink some water. Your brain may be different but try 32 oz. to begin with. Drink it slowly and calmly and then you will be ready to begin learning.
For instance a tiger escapes from the zoo and chooses to chase you. You will most likely remember that event more than the cereal you ate for breakfast less than a week ago. This tiger attack will cause your brain to snap pictures twice as fast and all at once focusing in on the one event. This, by accident, takes all other information in your brain, and saves it along with the memory of the tiger. Without even meaning to, you will probably find, had you really been attacked by a tiger and survived, that you will probably have noticed EVERY detail. The trick now is to make your brain think learning your dull and boring topic is as important as remembering how you escaped from that tiger! Don’t worry, it’s easier done than said in this case! Allow yourself to think of important events, or listen to music. Both will allow you to associate yourself with the topic when you hear or think of those things. Another good method is to play an action packed video game for 5 minutes. Anything that makes you jumpy, or causes your brain to pick up in speed will cause you to remember better. Also, the more you study, the more streamlined you will find your behavior becomes. You will feel more like a machine than a person as you crunch through your work.
If you follow these steps to the line, and use your best judgement, you will succeed in learning your topic. You will notice immediately that this will become an easy and efficient routine for you and you should also find that your brain remembers far better than you had ever thought it could. So away with you, and happy learning!
