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Knowledge is a powerful tool that lives in the mind. It’s “information in context to produce an actionable understanding”. Being knowledgeable helps us excel in our studies, at work and in life in general. People use their knowledge to add value, take on competition and stand out from the crowd.
Knowledge can be accessed in so many ways: The internet, social media, books, conversations, YouTube, podcasts – the list goes on. These days we are overexposed to information. Never has there been so much information available in such an accessible form. We are now exposed to as much data in one day as someone in the 15th century would encounter in their entire life.
Being knowledgeable is admired and appreciated. It’s something that people work hard to become. We all want to be experts, but retaining information can be tricky. There is so much information thrown at us each day, but how do we turn this information into knowledge and how can we retain it in our brains? Here are three simple learning strategies to help you soak up knowledge.
Learn In Multiple Ways
Learning in more than one way helps to cement knowledge in the mind. Try to find multiple ways to take in the information, such as listening to a podcast, which involves auditory learning as well as reading. Try rehearsing the information both verbally and visually by describing what you learned to a friend, taking notes or drawing a mind map. There are many ways to access knowledge, and using them in conjunction can help to secure it firmly in the brain.
Link What You Learn To Previous Knowledge
Another great way to become a more effective learner is to use relational learning, which involves relating new information to things you have learnt previously. You will grasp new information faster if you link new concepts with existing knowledge. By aligning new information with things you already know, you will be able to understand and retain it better. This method, used and recommended by tech-genius Elon Musk, will help you learn faster and more effectively.
Teach What You’ve Learnt To Another Person
Teaching what you have learnt to someone else helps you to solidify new knowledge in the brain and discover your weak points. Firstly, translate the information into your own words and then find a way to share what you’ve learned. This could be through giving a presentation, writing a blog post, or participating in a group discussion. Studies have found that the average individual retains 90% of what was learned only when they teach others or practice the idea immediately.
If your brain is still struggling, useful tools like myReach can help to not only store knowledge but also build upon it. MyReach is a handy app that acts as a knowledge network, enabling you to easily save and share ideas. It allows you to save multiple information sources, from websites to podcasts, and find connections, helping you to solidify knowledge and understand it better.
There are three things that give us a competitive edge:
- What we know
- How well we use it
- How quickly we can learn new things
