What To Do When You Get Stuck In Your Studies?
When starting a new interactive training course, it’s tempting to become a complete social outcast and immerse ourselves in our studies at every available opportunity. It’s an exciting time, with lots of new, interesting subjects to get our teeth into. But apart from that being a rather strange thing to do, it’s also not the best way to learn and retain information.
Firstly we need to set up a sustainable study habit. This should be the number of hours each week that we can commit to and stick to, and doesn’t swamp every other area of our lives! It’s better not to attempt an unrealistic amount, and much easier to take in information in bite-sized pieces.
Consistently learning a smaller amount well is more useful and maintainable than learning a larger amount not so well. But however savvy we are with our learning diary, there are inevitably going to be times when the brain just glazes over, and nothing will go in.
When this happens, it’s important not to get demoralised. There can be all sorts of reasons why we’ve had a mental block, and there are lots of ways to overcome the stalemate. Taking a break, going outside into the garden and breathing deeply can all help. It’s amazing how a nice cup of tea and a piece of cake can fire up the reserves again.
Anything new can test our mental agility, and it’s not unusual to grapple with understanding the first time we look at something. Sometimes we just have to accept that this is part of learning – it happens from time to time and it’s uncomfortable, but with application we can push through until penny drops! To accomplish anything worthwhile takes a few failed attempts along the way – remember that awkward feeling on your early driving lessons?
Our sub-conscious mind has a habit of solving problems when we’re not consciously aware it was working on them, so it can help to leave something over-night and come back the next day with a fresh pair of eyes. Suddenly the answer pops into our head when we’re least expecting it.
Covering a section again, and then having a go at explaining it to someone else helps to clarify the point. Writing it down helps to organise thoughts – if we state our assumptions and the evidence for them, we can usually analyse out the problem areas.
With so many different online facilities out there we can frequently stumble upon something that puts it all into context. Researching on Google or technical forums for other explanations and descriptions can sometimes hit the spot.
Finally, the best learning programmes offer excellent tutor support. There’s nothing like an on-screen demonstration and one-to-one explanation to help really drive the point home.
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