This article is written by Udemy instructor Emilie Schrevens-Wester and is part of The Entrepreneur Masterclass.
During your quest to victory, you will have to study things you never thought you’d need. You might even have to learn a language to conduct business. If you struggle to study or haven’t really found the method that works for you, I will share some tips in this article. The whole mindset of the entrepreneur is based on taking feedback, improving your skills and improving yourself, so it is very important that you quickly figure out the studying way that works for you.
Divide your learning in small chunks and keep learning daily
One chapter at a time. You’re not gonna remember the whole book by tonight. Focus on remembering a small chunk of the content (1-5 pages), focus on one subject. Learn consistently, even if you have nothing to work on. Use the Wikipedia “random article” tool to read a random Wikipedia page and learn something new every day. Find a random educational video on YouTube and learn. Learn daily and you’ll have cool smart things to say at family gatherings. And you can sell your knowledge later.
Test yourself by teaching others
That is the best way for me personally. I would study something, then explain it orally (even if no one was there) with different words. If you’re able to explain something with different words, then you likely know what you’re talking about, therefore your studying method worked.
Set goals and keep track of the progress
Have a goal in mind, one on the short term (learn 1 chapter today) and one on the long term (finish all modules and get a certification). Keep track of how you’re doing so you can look back at all you’ve done when you’re lacking motivation.
Figure out your learning style
Maybe you already know it, maybe you didn’t even know you could learn in different ways. Before you try remembering information though, it is vital that you actually understand what you are studying, it will make remembering easier. Here are the main ways to learn:
Normal style: A teacher in a classroom talking and writing on the board. Students take notes, asks questions when needed.
Practical style: Students absorb information and burn it into their brain by doing quizzes, copying the information over and over, drawing graphs, doing a group activity.
Problem solving: There is a problem and the solution requires learning things.
Visual learning: Drawings, arrows, colors everywhere, yeehaw
Repetition: Students copy their notes over and over again
Association: Students associate information with something cool they already know or with other information they need to learn. (eg: Learning a new expression in a new language and learning the history behind it, learning about a French king and also a funny fact about him).
As soon as you figure out what works for you, stick to it.
Don’t stay alone
Even if everything is fine and you master the content, get in touch with other students, share notes, ask questions, and study together.
Eat healthy, sleep enough and drink enough
When your brain lacks resting time, water or food, your ability to learn is dramatically affected. It’s like The Sims, stay hydrated, fed, and rested.
Be patient
You may not understand something on the first try, and you might not remember everything after reading it once. Be patient with yourself and stay persistent.
Language learning tips
Believe it or not, I learned English by myself by watching Pokémon and Harry Potter, then I mastered the language by listening to American, British and Canadian rap music. I even used to translate songs and post content on YouTube, that’s literally how I learned. I got the basics done, then went to the next level with more complex language and wordplay.
If you’re learning a language for work purposes, associate the language with a project you’re working on. If you’re learning for fun, associate the language with an anime, TV show, movie, or singer you like. Study the culture as well. You’ll probably travel to that area of the world if you know the language.
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