Learning How to Learn: my notes

The following are my notes for the "Learning How to Learn" Coursera course:

• pomodoro: to counter procrastination, do something, at least for some time, discomfort will then disappear ; then reward yourself
• if you’re stuck: take a break, take a walk, daydream (i.e. alternate between focused and diffuse mode)
• spaced repetitions (i.e. avoid cramming)

• sleep/dreams: helps learning
• physical exercise: helps the brain (helps new neurons to be used/created)
• we can hold only 4 pieces of information in our conscious mind at the same time
• link between anxiety/depression and procrastination, perfectionism, fear of failure, habit, pain avoidance, etc.
• creativity/problems: it helps to zoom in and zoom out to have different perspectives (i.e. look at details but also wonder “Why am I doing this?”, etc.) ; zooming out = consciously do what sleeping/walking/daydreaming does unconsciously
• writing tips
• do not edit (i.e. re-read) while writing ⇒ hide what’s before what you’re writing
• do not outline (really ?)
• try to be in diffuse mode (rather than focused mode) while writing the core of the text, then re-read (i.e. edit) yourself
• practice + repetition ⇒ chunks of knowledge (me: “Chunks are little networks of information that gradually become units of knowledge through practice and repetition”)
• chunks = easy-to-access items
• forming chunks: bits by bits, steps by steps, repetition

• example of big picture process: look at the chapters of a book/course
• chunking: focused attention, understanding, practice
• practice and recall (i.e. actively recalling what you just learnt) leads to better learning
• recall = mental retrieving of the key ideas
• summing up ideas (in margins) instead of highlighting (which gives the illusion of understanding/competence)
• tip: change the environment (i.e. physical place where you are learning)
• chunks can be applied in different context (transfer)
• an initial idea of how to do something can prevent better ideas (i.e. intuitions can be misleading)
• mistakes are good (help fight the illusion of competence)
• interleaving (e.g. skipping around exercices, etc.): helps learning more deeply
• 4 parts of habits
• the cue (e.g. seeing the first item on your to-do list)
• location
• time
• how you feel
• reactions
• the routine (= zombie mode)
• plan (e.g. ritual like having a favorite chair)
• the reward
• find a more rewarding reward than procrastination
• mini-deadlines usually work well
• the belief (we need to change our underlying beliefs to develop habits)
• gain trust in your new system
• tackling procrastination: process bit by bit, day after day
• tip: focus on process, not product (e.g. aim for spending 20 minutes working, instead of finishing something) ⇒ it’s important to “just start” something (hence the effectiveness of pomodoro)
• tip: quiet space (or noise-cancelling headphones)
• willpower: only needed to change your reaction to the cue
• weekly/daily to-do lists
• choosing tasks for a day the day before is good (night ⇒ put you in zombie mode)
• mix tasks with walks or chores ⇒ gives the brain the space it needs (diffuse mode)
• important to have break times
• having a quitting time (e.g. 5 PM) is good
• don’t be too unsettled by unexpected events, meetings, obligations, etc. (they’re part of life)
• starting by what you least want to do (at least for a while) might be a good idea
• tip to learn: visualize things, use sounds as well (i.e. say things out loud)
• tip to learn: use flash cards ⇒ interleave + spaced repetition (e.g. repeat something just going to bed)
• learning “hacks” such as visualizing list items in a familiar place actually help “real learning” (i.e. it’s not only a quick hack to memorize lists)
• tip: funny visualizations are more efficient
• memory = long term memory + working memory
• use groups/associations (between numbers and familiar dates, for example)
• metaphors/analogies
• Einstellung is “the development of a mechanized state of mind. Often called a problem solving set, Einstellung refers to a person's predisposition to solve a given problem in a specific manner even though better or more appropriate methods of solving the problem exist.” = “being blocked by thinking about a problem in the wrong way”
• being smart/intelligent might mean being able to hold more things in your working memory (e.g. 9 instead of 4), but it also makes being creative more difficult, because you are more likely to get stuck by Einstellung
• imposter syndrome is very common
• perseverance = the virtue of the less brilliant (actually a good thing to go further than what your intelligence alone allows you to go)
• studying with others: allows to check if you really understood something or not
• tests: revisit your answers (take a “big picture” perspective)
• tests: begin with hard problems first, quickly switch to easy problems if stuck (to trigger the diffuse mode) = hard start - jump to easy
• calm yourself by deep breathing (belly must move, not the chest)
• procrastination tip: set appointments with yourself