Hi, I’m Dr. Stephen Chew. I’m a professor of psychology here at Samford
University in Birmingham, Alabama. The purpose of this video is to help you develop
the proper mindset for becoming an effective learner. Most people have serious misconceptions about
how people learn that actually hurt them as they try to study for school or for their
jobs. A few years ago I created a series of videos
to help students get the most out of their studying. I’ll be referring to the content of the
video series, but you can watch this video before or after viewing the series. There is no set recipe that you can follow
for successful learning. It depends on a lot of variables. What works for one person may not work for
another, and what works for one topic might not work for others. What I can give you are 10 general principles
to guide you as you develop study strategies that work for you. Principle 1: Your level understanding is a
direct result of how hard you prepare. The first principle is that your level of
understanding is a direct result of how hard you prepare. Learning is a matter of study and practice,
not luck. In my first study video, I list the belief
that learning is a matter of inborn talent as one of the “beliefs that make you stupid.” Sure, some topics will come faster or slower
for you, but you always have to put in sufficient time and effort to accomplish your academic
goals. Furthermore, if what you are learning is important
for mastering more advanced concepts, you need to study it beyond the point of just
knowing it, you’ve got to learn it to the point where thinking about and using that
information is easy and effortless. Principle 2: There are effective and ineffective
ways to prepare. Time and effort are necessary for learning,
but they aren’t a guarantee of learning. Principle 2 says that there are effective
and ineffective ways to learn. If you use an ineffective strategy, you won’t
learn no matter how much time you study. The key here is that the strategies that most
people use to learn are some of the least effective, causing people to waste time and
effort. I discuss effective learning strategies in
videos 2, 3, and 4 of the series. You have to do the right kind of mental work
to learn. There are no shortcuts and no one else can
do it for you. Principle 3: You have to master the basics
before moving on to more complex skills. All new learning builds on prior knowledge. The more you know about a subject, the easier
it is to learn that subject. If you have little or no background knowledge
about a topic, like taking an introductory course in a topic you know nothing about,
that is when learning is slowest and hardest. If you plan to major or specialize in a topic
area, then fundamental knowledge has to be more than just known, it has to be so well
practiced you can recall and use the information automatically. Principle 4: Overconfidence should be avoided
at all costs Principle 4 has to do with our awareness of
how well we really understand a concept. This is called metacognition, and I discuss
it in the first study video. One of the hallmarks of struggling students
is poor metacognition. They are grossly overconfident. They think they understand when they really
do not. A big reason is that poor study strategies
increase confidence without increasing actual learning. Overconfidence is common in college freshmen. As a result of poor metacognition, students
wait too late to start studying and stop studying before they have mastered the material. So, they perform poorly. You always need to check your level of understanding
to avoid overconfidence. Take advantage of chapter quizzes, get with
a classmate and question each other, write down everything you can recall about a topic
and compare it to the textbook. Make sure your level of confidence is justified. If you can’t find a way to check your level
of understanding, practice strategic pessimism, and study even more than you think necessary. Principle 5. Effective preparation requires your total
focus; no distractions Principle 5 has to do with multi-tasking. Simply put, our brains are not built for multi-tasking. Trying to do multiple tasks at once is virtually
always slower and less effective than focusing on one task at a time. In my study videos, I classify the notion
that we are good at multi-tasking as one of those beliefs that make people stupid. When you study, you must pay full attention
and eliminate all distractions. The best way is to remove them so they won’t
be a temptation, because temptations themselves are distractions. Every distraction costs you in terms of learning. There is no such thing as a momentary distraction. I’m often told by students that they need
background music to block out other noises while studying. If you do listen to music while studying,
make sure it is familiar, unobtrusive, and does not have lyrics. Principle 6. Successful learning requires planning ahead. Principle 6 says that effective learning requires
good planning. You should have long-term goals, such as how
many days before the exam you will have completed all the required reading and when you will
begin reviewing. This prevents you from cramming at the last
minute. You should have short-term goals, such as
what you plan to accomplish during your study time for a particular session. Good preparation is comprehensive, it covers
all aspects of the material. You don’t skip one topic and hope for the
best. Plan to take advantage of all learning opportunities
and complete all assignments. If you have to miss classes, find ways and
resources to compensate for what you missed as best you can. Principle 7. Feedback helps you get better
Feedback is a powerful source of learning. Good students welcome feedback and know how
to use it to improve their understanding. Too often struggling students ignore sources
of feedback such as scores on exams and assignments, when it is one of the most effective ways
to improve learning. Failure is feedback. It helps you identify and correct weaknesses
in your study skills and your knowledge so you will be better prepared on the next exam. I discuss how to do this in the fifth study
video. Seek out feedback from your teachers. Create your own feedback using class resources,
and make the most of it. Principle 8. Recognize and take advantage of prime learning
opportunities Successful learners know how to take advantage
of prime learning opportunities and when needed, create them. A prime learning opportunity is when you have
all the relevant information available to you in order to develop a coherent and comprehensive
understanding of a concept. For long-term learning, you need at least
three prime learning opportunities and you need to take full advantage of them. If you have a good teacher, then going to
class is a prime learning opportunity. Good students pay attention in class. They learn to take effective notes that capture
the critical elements of concepts. They don’t just complete assignments, they
learn from them. I discuss effective note taking in video 4. Successful students learn to create their
own learning opportunities. They do that through their notes, textbook,
class resources, and discussions with peers and teachers. One way of creating learning opportunities
is to become part of an effective study group. I discuss effective group study in video 4. Principle 9. Improvement involves dealing with challenges,
difficulty, and uncertainty Effective learning is difficult. It involves being open to new ideas, exposing
yourself to uncertainty, taking risks, and likely failing on occasion. Effective learning isn’t always exciting
and it isn’t always comfortable. Effective learning requires perseverance through
challenges and setbacks. Principle 10. Find the pleasure or value in what you are
studying in order to do your best Successful learners develop ways to do their
best in all their courses, even ones that do not initially appeal to them. They find a way to take pleasure or find value
in what they are learning. I hear students complain about how a subject
isn’t really relevant to what they want to do. But the fact is that many students become
interested in fields they never considered before learning about it. A good curriculum forces you to take courses
beyond what you imagine is necessary. You never know if a course may spark your
interest or become critically important in your future. Try to see beyond just earning a passing grade. Try to discover why people like your teacher
find the subject matter so interesting, and try to develop an interest yourself, at least
for the time that you are in the class. If you think that is asking too much, keep
this in mind. No matter what career you choose, there will
be times when it is critical for you to learn information that you do not find inherently
interesting. Everyone faces this situation. It is the person who has the will and self-discipline
to do their best in this situation who will get ahead and succeed. If you can put these 10 principles into action,
you are on your way to becoming a successful learner in school or work. Please see my video series on how to study
for more information about them. Thank you for watching.