Last night, I stayed up until 2 am and I find the irony that staying up late makes me feel like hard-working students. However, spending too much time studying does not make me a great learner. So I want to find ways to study more effectively.
What is the system for learning?
Process data like a factory line, not a warehouse - Tiago Forte
I like the above quote in the Tiago Forte podcast about information processing (Link). I think learning is like a factory line with three parts as follows:
The output defines the value of the system. For example, when I learned to be a chef, I can have the best ingredients, I can spend a lot of time learning recipes, but I won't be a chef until I make food for others to enjoy. Similarly, I think that learning is only valuable when learners truly understand what they are learning.
The problem in my learning system
Problem 1 - Not prioritized output: I spend too much time reading and studying, as well as doing the homework, I have a lot of thing to input and process. However, when the factory continuously has a lot of things coming into the system without spending time processing and generating results, the whole system slows down, gets stuck.
I think reading and doing homework, taking notes helps me produce some output (for example I have a vague knowledge concept), but it may not be good enough. For me, a good output is a knowledge that I understand clearly when I can easily explain knowledge to others or apply knowledge to a different context.
My current learning process
I believe that the knowledge that I learn has more value than what is in my notes or what grade in my final exams. Such knowledge can be of more value when it comes to understanding it deeply and applying it in everyday life. Spending extra time processing the output can bring a lot of value to the system.
Problem 2 - Diminishing Returns: After some optimal level of capacity is reached, adding an additional factor of production will actually result in smaller increases in output. (wiki)
So if I spend too much time studying in one material, it makes me less productive. Also, staying up at night can help me finish my homework, but affects my ability to concentrate for the next day. So the question I need to find out is the balance between the time I spend and the results I get.
What will I do next to become a better learner?
Experiment 1: Limit study time
For example, for a subject I spend 8 hours per week studying that subject, this week I will only let myself study for 6 hours. I think limiting the time to study to an appropriate level will be an interesting challenge for more effective learning.
Also, I will try to commit to never working more than 10pm, by the way, I have to distribute my study time more efficiently during the day.
Experiment 2: Take 30 minutes after each session to systematize knowledge
So I will spend more time synthesizing knowledge after each class, as well as systematizing it into a knowledge map.