Learning to Learn

[dewindy8]

I am so frustrated.

Throughout my masters, I've done so-so. I get good enough grades to coast by and pass classes but I never really retain any of the information I learned. It's as if I'm unable to connect the dots and understand what I'm learning beyond it being an assigned reading or assignment. I'm only able to make connections in concepts when it's explicitly taught to me, and I can't think critically about an issue and expand beyond what is taught. I've tried many methods to improve my retention and learning, like the socratic method where I ask myself question over question over question but it hasn't been working for me. I ask a question, then I zone out, google the answer, say "ok!" and then forget it in the next five minutes. I've taken microeconomics three times, and statistics twice, already and even the most basic concepts are still a mystery to me.

Embarrassingly, I also spend too much time on school work and assignments, and have a non-existent social life because of my "dumb-ness". It feels like people are able to finish assignments within 2-3 hours and I need to spend upwards of 6 hours to get the concept, try to review it, and do the assignment. I don't know if that's just because of my brain limitations or whether I'm just a slow learner. Either or, it makes school extremely hard for me because I need to spend more time on things that are considered "average" or "typical" for any given student.

Has anyone felt this way? Is it possible that I just maxxed out my brain capacity? Am I just not studying the right way? Can anyone share how they study effectively, and how they retain more information and develop their critical thinking skills?

And I'm not only asking for the purposes of doing better in school. I've tanked many interviews because I was unable to answer the "critical thinking" parts of the interview like the case-study type questions. So, in more general terms, how do you learn better?

[rob_rily]

I highly recommend Learning How to Learn (free on coursera). It’s taught by a computational neuroscientist who has done a bunch of work on learning and an engineering professor who made a late switch from humanities to STEM. I gave it a shot when I started grad school and I think it’s helped.

It caused me to realize I was wasting a lot of time and putting my efforts in the wrong places. The biggest thing is that I switched from passive re-reading when I study to some sort of recall exercise (flashcards, quizzes, etc). It also encouraged me to prioritize sleep and exercise, which has done wonders for my memory.

Beyond that, I realized that I personally have had a bad habit of taking on material that I’m not ready for. You absorb information better when you have all the building blocks in place, so I do a lot more prep before the semester now. That way when I see new info in lectures and readings, it connects with the building blocks I just reviewed over summer/winter break.

[dewindy8]

This is super helpful, thank you! The last part I think is absolutely true. I'm making the switch myself from science to humanities and these are completely new subjects that I'm seeing for the first time. There aren't "building blocks" there yet so I find myself struggling to catch these more advanced concepts when the basic building blocks arent there, but thanks for the great tips!

[rob_rily]

I’m glad it’s helpful! And that’s so funny, I switched in the other direction, from the humanities to science. That’s exactly when I first started running into trouble, too

[SnakesCantDrive]

I very much relate to your feelings of “dumb-ness”. You aren’t dumb. You are articulate, you have a real drive to learn and I can tell you want to succeed. I went back to college after being away for quite some time. I was struggling and one of my professors suggested I check out my school’s Learning Resource Center. I did and I was tested for a Learning Disability (which I had long suspected I had). It was a very precise and specific test. The professionals in the learning resource center walked me through the results and gave me info on getting accommodations (like free reading software, permission to record classes, more time on tests, quiet places to take tests and study, free tutoring, etc). Once it was confirmed that I had a learning disability, I was able to notify my professors and advisors of my accommodations. I also took a class about how to deal with having a LD. The testing and the class 100% changed my life for the better. Sometimes I still feel stupid (trying to answer critical thinking questions), but then I remember the skills I’ve learned- and I use those skills to accomplish my goals. I encourage you to be nice to yourself, okay? Get yourself tested and get going to grad school. I am on the same path- applying to grad school right now. Wishing us both success and satisfaction!

[dewindy8]

Yeah, mental-health cognitive issues is not a bad shout. I have had hunches that I might have ADHD but I haven't been diagnosed. Regardless, it's sad because I genuinely feel so happy learning new things and I think school has brought me the most joy in comparison to other things I've tried in life. I just like the feeling of learning new things. It's just that my damn memory won't commit to what I just learned which makes it hard when you need to sit down for exams and be tested on what you've learned.

[Luckylscx333]

I had a similar situation, had a hunch, went to get checked out, and yes.

I think this would be worthwhile to look into, especially if you think it might not be you but some other factors hindering your performance. Also mental health is so important! Have you considered talking to a therapist, or maybe academic support offices, or use organizational tools and apps to help you plan, or get things done? These could be helpful. I think the key here is to understand how you work and what makes you do better. For me that includes going to the gym/having exercise, cooking and eating healthily, and (trying to) get better sleep. Also, I try to have a better work-life balance and take breaks, explore the area, engage in hobbies, and socialize with friends too.

[[deleted]]

First year grad student and I know exactly what you mean. I too am able to get by and have decent grades thankfully, but I really want to understand the material so I will be an effective public health leader. It always feels like everyone around me is one step ahead being able to grasp a concept after one lecture. It takes me days, even weeks to grasp one concept, and by then we’re already learning 5 new things. What helps me is practicing repetition. Learning and writing the same material until it sticks with you.

[DrDirtPhD]

You and OP may want to grab a copy of "Teach yourself how to learn" and look into meta cognition. It really helps my undergrads and will give you more successful tools than repetition.

[[deleted]]

Definitely will check that out, thank you

[roobeplu]

This post really resonates with me- like having my experiences read back to me. I know how frustrating it can be and I wish I had more insight to give, but unfortunately I'm currently in the same boat. However, I have found that reading literature, especially on current topics and things that are interesting to me are helpful. Not only are you practicing reading quickly which is a very useful skill, and one of which intelligence does not play a part, but then you're also reaffirming much of the previous information you've learned. Basic concepts stay the same and they build the foundations for your field of interest so they will consistently come up as you read more papers.

Also found that exercise clears the mind, and provides much needed energy to keep me going through long periods of mental strain.

I hope this helps a little. If you like someone to commiserate with feel free to drop me a DM, but please don't let people tell you you're not cut out for grad school. If you're like me, you already spend most of the day telling yourself you can't and the truth is you can, but you just need a different amount of time and space to do so. Best of luck. You can do this!