You have been studying for years, but have you ever been taught how to learn?It’s time to stop using flawed, outdated study techniques and develop a set of science-based study approaches instead.How to Learn includes a set of practical solutions for use when learning any subject:How memory works – and why this mattersWhat to do in classes or lecturesThe importance of the right study … the right study schedule Boosting attention and concentrationExam planning – including exactly what to do if you’ve left studying to the last minute
This is the guide that you need to take information in effectively, get better results, and ensure that learning lasts.
Jonathan Firth is a teacher, researcher and chartered psychologist in the U.K. He has written several educational books and textbooks. After over twenty years in the classroom, he now combines his research and writing with teacher training.
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This little book first explains where many people go wrong and that there are many misconceptions about a good way of learning. Sadly not many teachers take the time to teach how to learn, and parents, who went to the same kind of school system usually do not know how to learn either.
As a teacher who tries to teach her students how to learn, this book comes in quite handy, as it summarizes the techniques that I have come across in several cultures and learning systems. I have taught many of them and use them myself.
Having some of the most successful strategies spelled out for people to have easy access to makes this book a great guide in an easy to follow language.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I have read a lot of nonfiction books lately where the author just seems to be attempting to cash in on the quick reads the categories on Amazon, producing a book that is light on content or perhaps even just cobbled together from a variety of websites. (I can’t tell you how many of those in particular I’ve seen lately.) So it was an absolute delight to see a nonfiction book, particularly one on learning, that has more steak than sizzle. This book is actually written by an instructor at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland who is also a researcher. So he’s got some bona fides. The book actually does deliver solid information on how to best learn while in university/college courses, much of it backed up by actual scientific studies.
The book follows a logical structure, first looking at flawed learning strategies and exploring what learning is. He even goes into some brain science throughout the book. Then he talks about study habits and ways to make learning last. Surprisingly, one of the chapters is called Focus and Passion, the latter being about emotionally engaging with the subject. Who would ever associate learning with passion? Final chapters look at exam preparation and examining your own learning.
I found one thing highly amusing, as a person who reads a lot of nonfiction aimed at the general public, especially in the self-help field. I’m used to seeing nonfiction book chapters end in a series of questions or tasks to do. But you can tell this guy is a university professor because his questions at the end of the chapter more test your knowledge about what you just read rather than have you act on it! For instance, his review question on the Pomodoro Technique didn’t ask you to use it but rather asked you what it is, how long the study sessions are, and how long the breaks are.
I don’t think the book is accurately titled, though the subtitle is accurate. This really isn’t a book about how to learn. Rather, it is a book about how to study for high school or college/university courses. I think there was one rather large omission. Since this book was so well done, I would have loved to have seen a little discussion about learning and the older student. Having been one who went to college for the first time at the age of 17 and then returned for more education at the age of 42, I know that learning is very different depending on your age, and your study habits have to change in order to accommodate an aging brain (though it appalls me to have to admit that!). All in all, this is a well-written and researched book from which, if you have a need to learn how to study for advanced high school classes, college, or university, you might glean some very beneficial insights.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.