The internet has created unparalleled possibilities to learn. But, most people aren’t even close to using it to it’s full potential. There’s a relatively overlooked secret in how to learn fast.
I consider myself particularly qualified to comment on this learning as I’m at an institution that, in essence, is working to help me learn as much as possible — including things from the more fluid side of intelligence (how to think, how to be an adult, how to advocate for myself, and how to learn) to the more crystallized intelligence (with math proofs, economics lessons, and reading ancient texts). Of course, these two intelligences feed off of each other, but I want to focus more broadly on an important metaskill — how to learn. Namely, how to learn quickly.
How Not to Learn
This quarter, I’ve become acquainted with the best way to not learn. In one of my computer science courses, I submit my code and then wait for a few weeks as the understaffed team of grades run automated tests on my code and then write feedback (often, I don’t even get comments).
However, one homework, which I submitted before my midterm, led to a particularly important suggestion that would have helped me on my tests. However, it came a week and a half after it needed to.
