Beyond Lazy Learning: The Keys to Gaining and Retaining Knowledge

Ever wondered why, after hours of reading and highlighting, you still feel unprepared for that big test? Or why, shortly after a work training, you can’t remember much of what was said and how to apply it? Or why you have trouble comprehending a difficult book?

Whether you’re a student studying for exams, an employee trying to learn the ropes at a new job, or someone who’s into personal study, learning effectively is hugely important in increasing your capacity and knowledge. Unfortunately, most of what people do to learn simply doesn’t work.

Here to unlock the superior, research-backed strategies that will help you harness the potential of your brain is Daniel Willingham, a professor of psychology and the author of Outsmart Your Brain. Today on the show, Daniel explains why the default way that our brains want to learn doesn’t work, and how to approach learning by both reading and listening more effectively. We discuss how to get more out of your reading, including whether you should highlight, whether speed reading is effective, the optimal method for taking notes during a lecture, the best way to cement things into memory, and much more.

• AoM Article: How and Why to Become a Lifelong Learner
• AoM Article: How to Read a Book
• AoM Article: How to Read Long and Difficult Books
• AoM Podcast #677: The Value of Learning New Skills in Adulthood
• AoM Article: Ace Your Exams — Study Tactics of the Successful Gentleman Scholar
• AoM Article: Write This Down: Note-Taking Strategies for Academic Success

• Daniel’s website
• Daniel on X
• Daniel on TikTok

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