We have to take in new information all the time, both at work and with our family and friends.
When we want to learn new things we will often read material, or listen such as to a lecturer or our boss. However, one size does not fit all, and the way you have been trying to learn may not be the best one for you.
There are a number of different ways we can learn through reading, through listening, visually and through movement.
Some people learn best through reading. They read their notes or a book and retain much of the information. Other people find this less easy, they find acquiring and retaining information to be difficult. How they can help themselves is to read aloud, take notes, highlight or underline important sections and also, use one of the other ways of learning. It can also be helpful to use mnemonics to help remember.
Some people prefer to learn through listening. They have a good recall for what they hear. Their best way to take in information is either through listening to someone in person, or through audio books. Other people can find that their retention is low, and find it very difficult to remember what they hear. It can be very difficult when we dont remember what a colleague or friend has said. What will help is to take notes on what you hear, so you can refer back to it.
Another way we can learn is though recalling what we see. Those of us who have strengths in this should look to turn any information we have to absorb into a picture, like a mind map. Those of us who do not have strengths in this area should ensure that when we are faced with taking in information in graphs or tables, that we turn it into notes.
There is another group of people who learn best through acting out something, such as walking through a talk. These people tend to be restless and need to be active. They need to involve some movement as they take in information; if this is your strength it is great to tap your pen or your feet as you read, or actually to walk about.
If you have a question, please make a comment and I’ll take the time to reply.
