In the previous article, we started discussing things you have to keep in mind for successful studying after a break. Get to know more insights about the effective learning process with Jooble.
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An aspiration to achieve all goals in the world within a week will ruin the whole studying process. There is a fine line between healthy efforts to perform as good as possible and destructive perfectionism. People who try to do everything flawless are never satisfied with results. They are disappointed with things and feel despondent. Instead of focusing on achievements, these people concentrate on failures. Yes, anything has room for improvement. Having the courage to admit it helps professionally. However, people overwhelmed with details and doubts don’t see the forest for the trees.
Cutting big tasks in smaller chunks gives you a sense of victory when you accomplish each part step by step. When the learner does things gradually, it helps track the progress and boosts motivation. Smaller tasks seem to be more doable. However, we often fall into a trap that easy problems can be solved the night before the deadline. To avoid this illusion, plan to practice at least 30 minutes a day and make sure your task is no longer than 1 hour to complete. This amount of time is more substantial, so you have to reschedule your day a bit. On the other hand, it’s not very tiring, especially for studying after a break.
While studying something new, you’ll often hear a piece of advice to go beyond the textbook. Getting information from diverse resources is a way to take a fresh look. However, by overwhelming ourselves with many materials, we can get completely lost in information flow. For example, authors can contradict each other and use different data sources to represent their ideas. Some courses on seemingly identical topics can focus on aspects you don’t have to know deeply. Not to put the carriage before the horse, take time to do the pre-research and figure out the core resource for your studies. Now you know where to start.
Although the Internet is full of treasures, such as free courses or tutorials, paying for educational services could be an effective way to treat more seriously things you have taken up. If an activity requires both, time and money, you will subconsciously consider it to be more essential than free options.
To make the process even more exciting, up the ante. Bet against friends or colleagues that you will finish the chosen course on time. If you want to be known as a man of his word, sharing plans with other people will bring extra responsibility and stop you from quitting too early.
An experienced and inspiring supervisor is an indispensable part of the learning process at any age. The importance of the role model in professional spheres is hard to overestimate. Although you’ll have to do many things on your own, a possibility to ask for advice and opinion eases the struggles of learning. Since education, especially informal one, became flexible, students get more freedom to choose who they want to work with. If the lecturer doesn’t provide you with the necessary knowledge, looking for more suitable options is not a crime.
It would be perfect to start studying with your friends or colleagues. You’ll have a person who understands your struggles and knows the subtleties of the process. Being accountable to someone also works well when you start doubting the necessity of studying. It’s not just a matter of support but also hooks your self-confidence and stubbornness. If others don’t give up, why should you? Studying after a break can be a bit hard. If you want to get in shape faster, don’t be afraid to ask for help and support.
Now let’s talk about the studying flow itself. To make it smooth and productive, be honest with yourself. Remember how wholeheartedly you hated the lectures starting at 8 a.m.? If nothing has changed since your student years, what is the point of taking the morning courses again? While studying after a long break, you will try new approaches, but your old habits are unlikely to change. If there is an opportunity to pick up a better time for the training, use it. The strong connection between your new activity and convenient time of the day turns the new activity into the long-awaited moment. Although using every free moment for studying is a well-known and effective strategy, let’s not limit ourselves to it. Find the time in your schedule, prepare the working place, and plunge into learning. There is no point in trying to cram something the night before the deadline or reading serious professional literature while staying in bed. Clear signals for your brain that you’re going to process new information increases productivity.
Theoretically, nothing could be easier than finding an hour per day for the things you need to do. However, the reality is slightly different. Make plan B. Try to do at least something relevant to your field of study every day. No time to do the tasks? Switch on the lecture. On your way to work without the Internet? Read the book from the recommendation list. Can’t listen or read the material? It’s time for your family to learn what you’re studying now. Permanent efforts are surprisingly effective.
Be creative. There is a good saying that doing the same things and expecting different results is insane. If lectures and note-taking bored you to tears, try something that will work the best for you. There are many techniques how to process information more effectively during a shorter period of time. Use applications, listen to podcasts, learn new words using memory cards. There is also plenty of mnemonic and fast writing techniques. Reading huge paragraphs just for the sake of passing the test should be in the distant past. Finding new creative ways to keep information in mind and use it when necessary is the ultimate goal. It’s up to us how it will be achieved.
As we see, coming back to studying after a long break needs a little preparation and research. We have less time and more other responsibilities. Therefore, the key to success is being honest with yourself, admitting your own laziness, and visualizing the results. People subconsciously oppose unfamiliarity and avoid feeling uncomfortable. On the other hand, small but permanent steps can ease such struggles. Perceiving studying as something obligatory and resource-consuming makes you treat the whole idea more seriously. On the other hand, pleasant emotions and a supportive environment can turn this new challenge into an enriching experience. With the rapid development of technologies, professionals will need to update their knowledge and skillsets constantly. Working on how to learn will pay off in the long-term perspective. And last but not the least, don’t expect old strategies to bring brand new results.
