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This padlet is intended to help my sister -and anyone who is interested in reading this- with the shock that is entering higher education. Many people struggle with learning, not because they are incapable of understanding, but because they don't know where to start or how to continue. My aim here is to provide tips and insights to survive university --and enjoy it in the process.

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OVERVIEW: if you don't read anything else, read this.

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OVERVIEW: if you don't read anything else, read this.

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The best way to learn is to employ both focused and diffused modes of thinking. This allows you to create solid foundations (through chunking and practice) and creative connections to better understand and learn the material.
Sleeping and exercise are important, not just for your physical health, but they are key components of learning. Setting a time to work is just as important as setting a time to stop working. Over-learning can be useful ONLY if you do it strategically.
Recall is the most effective learning strategy, above mind-maps and re-reading. Avoid procrastination and illusions of competence.
Deliberately learn what you find the hardest. The right kind of team work is a good tool to improve your learning.

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-Plan learning sessions that are short but plenty throughout the semester, not just days or hours before the exam. This allows you to incorporate spaced repetition in your learning.
-Schedule time for work, but also time for exercise and relaxation. They are all equally important in creating lasting knowledge.
-Write a "master" to-do list (for the week, for the subject, or however you find it most useful) and break it down into smaller, easier-to-do, sections for a day. Do this the night before. Start with the most unpleasant task first. Reward yourself once you've finished an item. The harder the item, the greater the reward.
-Recall is the best technique to learn. Changing your surroundings can help you break unwanted associations and focus better on what you are trying to learn.

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How does your mind work? (A brief simplification)

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How does your mind work? (A brief simplification)

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Very broadly speaking, your mind has two ways of thinking: the focused and the diffused mode. The focused mode can be understood as when your mind is actively engaging a topic, while the diffused mode is more of a relaxed way of thinking. During the focused mode, you are using your working memory to create (or retrace) neural pathways. It is more often involved in a topic you are already familiar with. The diffused mode allows you to interconnect different concepts in a more creative way, it helps you to reach a solution from a different perspective. Effective learning combines both types of thinking.

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The focused mode engages your working memory. It happens when you are completely focused on a topic. It is important to note that the focused mode can also prevent you from reaching a solution that is a bit more creative, or is outside the neural pathway you have already developed.

You can enter the focused mode by turning off distractions, setting a timer, and diving deep into what you are trying to grasp.

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The diffused mode engages more parts of your knowledge. It allows you to make broader connections between seemingly unrelated topics, or allows you to engage in more abstract thinking.
The diffused mode is more useful once you have the bases of knowledge you need to connect different areas.

You can enter the diffused mode by relaxing and not thinking as hard on the problem at hand. Different activities like exercise or cleaning can help you think more diffusely.

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It is useful to imagine the working memory as the part of your mind that is your immediate attention. What you can truly retain and pay attention to at any given moment. There are limited "slots" in your working memory (ie. why multitasking is a bad idea).
At first, while getting familiar with a new, complex, subject, all your working memory is engaged. As you begin familiarizing yourself with the material and making connections, less of your working memory is used up and it is easier to link the complex subject with other complex subjects, deepening your understanding of the material.

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This is the advice we have all heard time and time again --for good reason.
Practice strengthens the neural connections you make while learning something for the first time.
Spaced repetition is key. By spacing out your learning sessions over several weeks instead of cramming it all into one, you allow your brain to learn mor effectively. It is as if you allow the paint to dry before adding a new coat. The result is better, and lasts longer, than if you just dumped the paint all at once.

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Procrastination is an easy habit to get into. After all, it is easier to avoid something than it is doing it. However, procrastination is a nasty habit to form, and one that will cost you greatly. We all struggle with it, but there are some ways to flip it around and use it to your advantage.

There are four parts to procrastination:
The cue, the routine, the reward and the belief.

First, try to identify why is it that you don't want to do something. Sometimes, you are not avoiding the task you think you are avoiding, and your brain is stuck on something else. For example, sometimes I say I'm going yo shower, but I can't until I find the right music, or I can't start the assignment until I have selected the color scheme for the homework. Try to identify these blockers and have solutions at hand: create a playlist or assign colors to each subject.

Once you have the "petty procrastination" out of the way, understand what triggers your procrastination. It is helpful to focus on the process rather than the product. This mean rebranding your task as something that helps you get to the final result, but not the final result itself. For example, try "I will read for 20 minutes" instead of "I will finish a chapter". This helps you to avoid the pain that made you procrastinate in the first place.

Identify what helps you fight procrastination:
-The pomodoro technique
-Taking a walk to create a "clean-slate" in your mind and clear distractions
-Set a reward system

Remember, believing you can change your habits is the first step towards changing them.

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In simple terms, chunking is creating a neural pathway that connects ideas. Think of chunking as compressing ideas so that they take up less working memory when you bring them to mind.

To chunk:
-It is best to focus on the concept while first trying to grasp it.
-Don't neglect the context: this is what will allow you to connect chunks together to broaden and deepen your understanding.
-Repetition is key: repeat the material so that the neural pathway is retraced.

The best chunks are those that you don't consciously string together, they are deeply embedded in your brain and come naturally.

A large "chunk library" is a powerful tool that can help you learn different subjects by building new chunks on top of existing chunks.

Combining chunks from different subjects can be a good way to make learning and understanding easier.

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Exercise is key for a healthy body, but also a healthy brain.

New neurons benefit from physical activity.
A workout can also be the perfect opportunity to enter diffused thinking.
The number one tip to learn better is to work out more.

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Sleeping well is essential.
While sleeping, cells in your brain shrink, so more fluid can pass through, effectively cleaning out waste products that can literally cloud your thinking.
Sleep is also a very active time for your brain, and it can help solidify concepts and neural networks.
A good tip is to review the material lightly before you go to sleep, and sleep with the intention of thinking about what you learned. This can improve retention of the material.

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The dangers (and benefits) of overlearning

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The dangers (and benefits) of overlearning

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Overlearning is, generally, not the best strategy to employ if you want to retain what you learn.
This happens when you keep trying to learn after you have already mastered what you can in a single session (hence why spaced repetition is important).
Overlearning tires you out more while not producing the results you want.

On the other hand, overlearning can be a tool you chose to employ in certain occasions. Overlearning can help you enter "auto pilot" and help to calm you down. For example, overlearning can be useful if you are a chef chopping (autopilot frees up your mind) or if you are nervous about a presentation (autopilot gives you reassurance).

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How:
Set a timer for 20-25 minutes and focus during that time.
After, relax for five minutes and give yourself a small reward (social media, a treat, light stretching). After four pomodoros, (four 25-minutes intense focused sessions) reward yourself with a longer 30 minute break.

Why:
This allows you yo focus on the process, not the product. This helps you prevent over-learning. This helps you get over procrastination.

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The memory palace and the princess of knowledge

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The memory palace and the princess of knowledge

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This is a strategy that can help with memorization. You can learn more about it here: https://litemind.com/memory-palace/

Another technique that can help are mnemonics, it is better to create your own!

Creating lively visual, auditory, olfactory representations of the concepts will help you remember more. The crazier the metaphor, the easier it will be to remember the concept.

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Learning is not a logical step ladder that takes you bit by bit to enlightenment.
There are days when nothing makes sense and you can't seem to remember anything. This knowledge collapse usually occurs when your brain is rearranging itself to understand something better, it is building a more solid foundation.
THIS HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF CARE AND REST.

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Studying hard is not the same as learning

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Studying hard is not the same as learning

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Despite what we all wish, we are not able to learn through osmosis. It is easy to fall into the trap of fooling yourself that you are learning, but this is dangerous.

Simply reading passively, or glancing through the answers on the back of the book, can give you the false sense that you understand the material and that you are able to do it yourself.

What to avoid:
-Passive reading and re-reading
-Highlighting everything
-Mind maps
-Only looking at worked-out solutions and focusing too much on the individual steps
-Cramming before an exam

What to do instead:
-Read the material and try to recall as much as you can without looking at the text.
-Highlight only key terms or concepts (try to avoid highlighting on your first read). Scribble notes in the margins or on a notebook that are your own words.
-Recall and space repetition work better than other methods. Testing yourself is a powerful tool.
-Understand why the steps in the worked-out solutions are there, and try to solve problems on your own without looking at the answer.
-Spaced repetition and sleep are your friends. Taking a test without sleep can undo all your hard work.

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Don't sub-estimate or fall victim to teamwork. 

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Don't sub-estimate or fall victim to teamwork. 

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Teamwork can help you wonders. A good team works like a mega-diffuse mode of thinking, where new ideas can arise thanks to several brains working together. Teamwork can also be useful to help you fill your gaps in knowledge and can help you solidify what you learned by teaching others.
However, beware of unproductive groups. If the group meets late, there is too much small talk, and not much work gets done, you are better off finding a new group.
Try looking up other resources (teacher assistants, your professors, study guides, etc) to help you learn in different ways (interleaving).

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The test checklist (according to Dr. Felder):
- Did you make a serious effort to understand the text? Just hunting for relevant worked-out examples doesn't count.

- Did you work with classmates on

homework problems or at least check your solutions with others?

- Did you attempt to outline

every homework problem solution before working with classmates?

- Did you participate actively in homework group discussions,

contributing ideas and asking questions?

- Did you consult with the instructor or

teaching assistants when you were having trouble with something?

- Did you understand all your homework problem solutions when they were handed in?

- Did you ask in class for

explanations of homework problem solutions that weren't clear to you?

- If you had a study guide,

did you carefully go through it before

the test and convince yourself you could do everything on it?

- Did you attempt to outline lots of problem solutions

quickly without spending time on the algebra and calculations?

- Did you go for the study guide and problems with classmates and quiz one another?

- If there was a review session before the test,

did you attended and asked questions about anything you weren't sure about?

- Lastly, did you get a reasonable night's sleep before the test?

Other tips:
Do a quick review of the whole test and decide what are the hardest questions. Start there first and attempt to do all you can. When you get stuck, go to an easier question, then go back to the hard one. This will help your brain to work on the hard question "in the background".

Revise your answers from the last page to the first. This can help you find mistakes that you made "without thinking".

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Take it easy. Enjoy what you are learning. Relax and have a plan B. It will all work out in the end :)

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as learned from this course, I have learned many different ways to start learning. and different modes that your brain is engaged in while you are learning.

one mode is the focused mode, this is when your brain is focused on 1 set mode of learning. The focused mode engages your working memory. It happens when you are completely focused on a topic. I strongly advise for your freshmen sister to make a plan on how she will study then strictly adhere to this plan, and cross items off when they are finished, as this will help with staying more organized, because i have learned from being in a university for half a year so far, is that the moment you aren't organized, is when you start falling behind and become too confused.

Also, I wouldn't say to avoid the diffuse mode but for most people, the diffuse mode isn't probably for everyone because it involves many distractions, and I believe that there are many distractions that cause us to not learn when we are trying to learn.