Building an Understanding

Learning is a process similar to building a house. You aren’t fed the complete picture. Limitations on
communication prevent the instantaneous transmission of knowledge. Instead you listen to lectures, read
textbooks and take painstaking notes to try and comprehend a subject.

You are fed building supplies, bricks, mortar and glass. It is up to you to assemble the building. Unfortunately,
most learning strategies fall into two basic types:

1. Memorization – Instead of building anything you simply stare at each brick for several minutes trying to
record its position.
2. Formulas – This is the equivalent to being blind, fumbling around a new house. You can’t see the building
itself but you learn to come up with simple rules to avoid walking into walls.

There is nothing particularly wrong with either of these strategies, assuming they aren’t your entire strategy. The
human brain isn’t a computer so it can’t memorize infinite sums of knowledge without some form of structure.
And formulas no longer work if the questions they are designed to solve change scope.

Learning Holistically

The alternative strategy is to focus on actually using the information you have to build something. This involves
linking concepts together and compressing information so it fits in the bigger picture. Here are some ideas to get
started:

1. Metaphor – Metaphors can allow you to quickly organize information by comparing a complex idea to a
simple one. When you find relationships between information, come up with analogies to increase your
understanding. Compare neurons with waves on a string. Make metaphors comparing parts of a brain with
sections of your computer.
2. Use All Your Senses – Abstract ideas are difficult to memorize because they are far removed from our senses.
Shift them closer by coming up with vivid pictures, feelings and images that relate information together. When
I learned how to do a determinant of a matrix, I remembered the pattern by visualizing my hands moving
through the numbers, one adding and one subtracting.
3. Teach It – Find someone who doesn’t understand the topic and teach it to them. This exercise forces you to
organize. Spending five minutes explaining a concept can save you an hour of combined studying for the same
effect.
4. Leave No Islands – When you read through a textbook, every piece of information should connect with
something else you have learned. Fast learners do this automatically, but if you leave islands of information,
you won’t be able to reach them during a test.
5. Test Your Mobility – A good way to know you haven’t linked enough is that you can’t move between
concepts. Open up a word document and start explaining the subject you are working with. If you can’t jump
between sections, referencing one idea to help explain another, you won’t be able to think through the
connections during a test.
6. Find Patterns – Look for patterns in information. Information becomes easier to organize if you can identify
broader patterns that are similar across different topics. The way a neuron fires has similarities to “if”
statements in programming languages.
7. Build a Large Foundation – Reading lots and having a general understanding of many topics gives you a lot
more flexibility in finding patterns and metaphors in new topics. The more you already know, the easier it is to
learn.
8. Don’t Force – I don’t spend much time studying before exams. Forcing information during the last few days is
incredibly inefficient. Instead try to slowly interlink ideas as they come to you so studying becomes a quick
recap rather than a first attempt at learning.
9. Build Models – Models are simple concepts that aren’t true by themselves, but are useful for describing
abstract ideas. Crystallizing one particular mental image or experience can create a model you can reference
when trying to understand. When I was trying to tackle the concept of subspaces, I visualized a blue
background with a red plane going through it. This isn’t an entirely accurate representation of what a subspace
is, but it created a workable image for future ideas.
10. Learning is in Your Head – Having beautiful notes and a perfectly highlighted textbook doesn’t matter if you
don’t understand the information in it. Your only goal is to understand the information so it will stick with you
for assignments, tests and life. Don’t be afraid to get messy when scrawling out ideas on paper and connecting
them in your head. Use notes and books as a medium for learning rather than an end result.

11. Note Making

12. In order to study, a person is required to understand what he or she is learning. A great way of
understanding/learning is by making notes of the content you are reading. Note making comprises of
linear notes, diagrams, charts, and so forth. The key to any note making is that you make points of the
work you understand and not simply rewriting everything you read. An exceptional note making style
is using summaries. Summaries are a written record of all the important points in a short and concise
version. They’re excellent for using when an exam is fast approaching.

13. Practice
14. Studying is meant to enable you to apply your learned knowledge to real life situations. If you’re in the
accounting field, the best way to study is by practicing with examples and questions. Answering
questions and past year exam papers equips you with knowledge on what to expect from an exam. It’s
important that you have all the necessary tools at your disposal, such as a calculator so you don’t waste
time on simple equations.

15. Study Environment and Room temperature

16. Often enough, we study in a place that we feel comfortable in, but this has both pros and cons. Make
sure that the room you’re studying in is not too cold or too warm. A cold room will make you feel
uneasy whereas an overly warm room will make you feel lethargic and lazy. Be sure to have a proper
ventilation system or simply open up a window. Choose a room/place that you’re well accustomed to, a
place you feel comfortable in with good lighting.

17. Distractions and Interruptions

18. You may need to decipher between a distraction and an interruption. A distraction is something like
your computer or Facebook whereas an interruption is something like a phone ringing or a noisy person.
Keep all distractions away from yourself while you’re studying, and choose a time when you’re alone
or it’s quiet enough for you to study. It takes a lot of concentration to study properly, and there’s no
guarantee that you can focus again once your train of thought is disturbed.

19. Goal Setting

20. In order to make progress with your studies, it’s great if you set mini goals or objectives for yourself.
Set out an allocated amount of work you want to complete for a day and make sure you do it. Every
 time you accomplish a mini goal, reward yourself with some free time. This will assure that you’re
properly motivated and certainly won’t suffer from a burn out from over-studying.

21. Sleep, Diet and Supplements

13.22. To end this post, I’d like to emphasize that a healthy routine is important to your success with
studying. Your body needs to brace itself for intense studying, which is why you should get at least 7
hours of sleep, keeping in mind that the time you get to bed before 12 counts the most. Have a proper
diet, including not living off energy drinks or takeout. A proper diet consists of 3 to 5 meals a day with
average portions and food that is lean and clean. In order to keep up your strength and mental vitality,
you could try out a multi-vitamin, provided that you check with your GP first. The greatest obstacle to
face is having a balanced lifestyle, as studying is very time and energy consuming, which is why an
overall healthy lifestyle is highly recommended.

14.23. How To Remember 90% Of Everything You Learn

15.24. The development of the Learning Pyramid in the 1960’s — widely attributed to the NTL
Institute in Bethel, Maine— outlined how humans learn.
16.25. As research shows, it turns out that humans remember:
17.26. 5% of what they learn when they’ve learned from a lecture (i.e. university/college lectures)
10% of what they learn when they’ve learned from reading (i.e. books, articles)
20% of what they learn from audio-visual (i.e. apps, videos)
30% of what they learn when they see a demonstration
50% of what they learn when engaged in a group discussion.
75% of what they learn when they practice what they learned.
90% of what they learn when they use immediately (or teach others)

Yet how do most of us learn?

Books, classroom lectures, videos — non-interactive learning methods that results in 80-95% of information
going in one ear and leaking out the other.

The point here is that instead of forcing our brains on how to remember more information with “passive”
methods, we should focus our time, energy, and resources on “participatory” methods that have proven to
deliver more effective results, in less time.

This means that:

 If you want to learn how to speak a foreign language, you should focus on speaking with native speakers and
gain immediate feedback (instead of mobile apps)
 If you want to get in shape, you should work with a personal fitness trainer (instead of watching Youtube
workout videos)
 If you want to learn a new instrument, hire a local music teacher in your city
 Exercise

Skip the crunches. Abdominal crunches and sit-ups should build strong muscles, but you might not see them
under belly fat. In fact, crunches might actually make your stomach look bigger as you build up thicker
abdominal muscles. Instead, if you strengthen your back muscles, your posture will improve and pull in your
belly.

Alternative core exercises:

 Side stretches

Stand up straight, with your feet hip-width apart. Put your right hand on your right hip, and lift your left arm
straight up, with the palm facing right. Keeping your legs centered, lean to the right and “reach” over with your
left arm, stretching your left side. Repeat 3-5 times on each side.

Squats

Stand with your feet about 8 inches (20 cm) apart. Extend your arms in front of you and do four sets of 15-20
squats.

Planks

Get in the push-up position, but rest on your elbows and forearms. Pull your stomach muscles in tight, keeping
your back, neck, and bottom in a straight line. Hold this position for 30 seconds or as long as possible. Rest and
repeat 3-5 times.

Check Your Progress and Remain Persistent

Calculate your waist-to-hip ratio on a regular basis. Your waist-to-hip ratio (the circumference of your waist
divided by the circumference of your hips) can be a good indicator of whether you need to lose belly fat in the
first place and how successful your interventions are.

 Wrap a soft tape measure around the thinnest part of your waist at the level of your navel. Note the
measurement.
 Wrap the tape measure around the widest part of your hips, where you can feel a bony protrusion about 1/3 of
the way from the top of the hipbone. Note the measurement.
 Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement.
 Know what’s healthy. Women should have a ratio of 0.8 or below; men should be at 0.9 or lower.

Lastly, team up with a friend as you chart your progress. Make sure to team up with someone who is just as
motivated as you are. Join a walking club in your area with people around your age and ability. Get your family
on board. Do whatever it takes to get yourself motivated and on track with the new you.

18.27. They are more proactive

19.28. Christoph Randler, a biology professor at the University of Education in Heidelberg, Germany,
reported in a paper published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology that morning people are
more proactive than evening types. He described proactivity as the willingness and ability to take
action to change a situation to one’s advantage.
20.29. Because morning people tend to be more proactive than evening people, they do well in
business, Randler said. In an interview on Harvard Business Review Randler noted:
21.30. “When it comes to business success, morning people hold the important cards. They tend to
get better grades in school, which gets them into better colleges, which then leads to better job
opportunities.”
22.31. This finding makes sense because, in theory, earlier in the morning is when your mind is most
rested, your motivation highest and there is relatively less distractions. The mind is most creative at
night, but most productive in the morning. This might explain why morning people tend to rule the
world – winning the promotions and high level contracts.
32. 2. They are less prone to bad habits and drug abuse.
33. Not that evening types are always ill-mannered and drug dependent. Actually, night owls are smarter
and more creative. But, morning “larks” hit the sack early at a respectable evening hour (typically in
bed before 11 p.m.). That seems to make them a little less vulnerable than night people to bad habits—
namely, drinking, smoking, and even infidelity.
34. A number of studies support this assertion. One study of 537 individuals comprising of professionals
and students with different but regular work schedules found that night types consume more alcohol
than morning larks. Another study of 676 adults from a Finnish Twin Cohort found that night
people were much more likely to be current or lifelong smokers, much less likely to stop smoking, and
at much higher risk for nicotine dependence as per diagnostic criteria compared with morning folks.
35. These findings are not entirely surprising considering that the nightlife is more conducive to drinking
and infidelity.
The tendency to drink and smoke more among night people is associated with a trait that psychologists
call “novelty-seeking” or simply NS.
36. According to PhyscologyToday, NS is “a personality trait associated with exploratory activity where
someone seeks new and exciting stimulation and responds strongly from the surge of dopamine and
adrenaline released when anyone has a novel experience.”
37. Numerous studies have linked night people with this “novelty-seeking” characteristic. Randler and a
colleague also studied the relationship between morningness–eveningness and temperament in
adolescents ages 12 to 18. They found that evening types tend to display an extravagance in approach
to reward cues (showoffs.) Morning people are more conscientious and less showy, and thus more
agreeable. Agreeableness is a positive trait that can help in the pursuit of success, though not always.

38. 4. They procrastinate less

39. A 1997 study led by delay researcher Joseph Ferrari of DePaul looked at college students and found
that trait procrastinators referred to themselves as “night” people. Ferrari discovered there is a link
between procrastinating behaviors and a general preference to do activities in the evenings. This
finding that evening people tend to be worse procrastinators was based on six days of daily task records.
40. In 2008, a team of researchers that included Ferrari did a follow up study on procrastination. This time
they looked at adults with a mean age of 50. The findings of the earlier study held true. Once again
night people were associated more with avoiding tasks that needed to be completed. The 2008 study
was reported in the Journal of General Psychology.
41. Given that putting off impending tasks to a later time, sometimes to the “last minute” before a deadline
can create problems, the researchers also hinted that this general tendency to delay tasks until nighttime
may cost night people career success. That’s particularly true at jobs where strong daytime work ethics
are expected or required.

42. 5. They have better moods and tend to be happier

43. That’s the argument that was put forth in a 2012 paper by Dr. Lynn Hasher and Renee Biss,
psychologists at University of Toronto. The researchers assessed a sample of 297 older adults (59 to 79)
and 435 young adults (17 to 38) on their current moods, as well as their preference to mornings or
nights. They found that morning people were generally happier and more alert than their peers who
sleep in.
44. One reason night people might find it harder to stay alert and feel less happy than morning people is
because of the disconnect between their nighttime preferences and conventional daytime expectations.
Generally, night people are out of sync with the typical day-to-day schedule. They often have to force
 themselves to wake up early and perform at their peak during the day, which leaves them emotionally
drained, and can even cause them sleep loss. Social scientists call this effect “social jetlag.”
45. For morning people, everything is as it should be. Morning people are happy with the typical day’s
schedule.
46. “Waking up early may indeed make one happy as a lark,” wrote the researchers.
47. And who’s to say when you’re happy and alert and proactive you can’t perform better?