The key to effective learning lies in finding the perfect balance, a concept often referred to as the “learning sweet spot”. This is the point where your brain is sufficiently engaged and finds the learning process enjoyable. The concept, coined by Robert Bjork as “desired difficulties”, suggests that there’s an optimal level of effort that needs to be expended to make studying both enjoyable and productive. If the task is too easy, it leads to boredom, but if it’s overly challenging, it can result in frustration and boredom.
Our brains thrive on challenges but recoil from tasks perceived as futile. If a task feels pointless or overly difficult, it becomes hard to derive enjoyment from it. However, when we hit that challenge sweet spot - a point slightly outside our comfort zone as identified by Bjork - our brains become engaged and even addicted. This is why we can spend hours engrossed in a challenging video game without feeling bored.
However, it’s important to note a subtle nuance: hitting the sweet spot doesn’t necessarily equate to effective learning. Studying involves physical actions and techniques, while learning is about absorbing and understanding information.
To truly benefit from studying, we need to exert the right type of effort. For instance, making flashcard practice more challenging by dimming the room lights or playing a movie in the background might make the task harder but won’t necessarily enhance learning.
When boredom strikes during studying, the question shouldn’t just be “how can I challenge myself more,” but rather “how can I challenge myself to think more deeply about what I’m learning?” For example, instead of reviewing the same flashcards repeatedly - a practice that doesn’t encourage new ways of thinking - try laying out five flashcards on your table and challenge yourself to identify similarities and differences between the concepts they present. Or try explaining the concept on a flashcard using an analogy. By turning studying into a game that requires different ways of thinking, you’re engaging your brain more effectively.
Making Learning Relevant and Enjoyable
The key to effective learning lies in understanding the relevance of what you’re studying. If you find yourself unable to concentrate on a subject because you don’t see its significance, it’s essential to find ways to make it matter and relate to your own experiences.
For instance, during my time in business school, I found certain subjects like financial accounting and operations management challenging to engage with. However, when it came to marketing strategy, I was thoroughly engrossed. This was largely because I had a personal interest in consumer behavior and brand development. This personal connection made the subject matter more relatable and interesting.
Consider a subject like statistics. You might be learning about regression analysis and struggling to see its practical application. But what if you were to understand them in the context of predicting sales trends or analyzing customer behavior? Suddenly, these abstract concepts take on real-world significance and become much more engaging.
So, if what you’re learning seems dull or irrelevant, strive to make it relevant. Ask yourself: How is this concept applied in the real world? Watch documentaries or YouTube videos on the topic. Read case studies or articles. Understanding why a concept is important in solving real-world problems or how it was used to solve other people’s problems—especially those we admire or look up to—can make learning much more interesting and enjoyable.
Changing Your Perspective on Studying
Studying might be boring because you view it as a chore. Not many people get a dopamine rush from doing laundry or washing dishes—these are tasks that we see as obligations, not necessarily things that we want to do. But you can change your perspective and stop viewing studying as a chore.
Adopting a New Mindset
The key lies in how our brain interprets perceived control. When we feel like we have no control, we get stressed out, feel hopeless, and lose motivation. But if we can reframe our mindset to look at things through a lens of gratitude, we can actually enjoy the process because the only thing that we can control is our mindset.
For example, if you’re preparing a presentation for work and you think “Ugh, I have to do this presentation because my boss wants it. It’s going to be such a drag.” That statement comes from a place of having no perceived control. But if you think instead “I want to do this presentation because I know it’ll impress my colleagues and I enjoy showcasing my skills,” then it becomes something you actually enjoy. You’ve regained control because you want to do it for your own fulfillment.
So think about this in terms of studying: If you know you’re going to spend several hours studying for an upcoming exam—that’s inevitable—how do you want to approach it? You can either be stressed out, feel like you have to study like it’s a chore, or you can accept it.
The Power of Mindset in Learning
If you take a moment to reflect, you’ll notice that the common thread running through these lessons is not about what’s happening on our computer screens or in our notebooks. Rather, it’s about what’s happening within our minds. The enjoyment derived from learning doesn’t stem from the study techniques we employ or the sophisticated apps we use. It’s fundamentally about how we train our brains to process information.
Consider this: The key to making learning enjoyable and effective lies in our ability to make the information matter to us on a personal and relevant level. It’s about viewing the learning process from a positive perspective—seeing the glass as half full rather than half empty.
For instance, let’s say you’re learning a new language. You could use all the top-rated language learning apps and follow all the recommended study techniques, but if you don’t find a personal connection to the language, your progress may be slow and the process may feel tedious. However, if you train your brain to see the relevance—perhaps you’re planning a trip to a country where the language is spoken, or you have friends who speak the language—the learning process becomes more enjoyable and meaningful.
In essence, it’s not about the tools we use or the methods we follow, but rather how we perceive and process the information. By training our brains to find personal relevance in what we’re learning and maintaining a positive mindset, we can transform the learning process into an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
Connect to Personal Interests: Try to find a connection between the subject matter and something you’re passionate about. For example, if you love music and you’re studying physics, think about how the principles of sound waves apply to music production.
Real-World Applications: Consider how the information can be applied in real-world scenarios. This could be in your daily life, in your community, or even in understanding global events. For instance, if you’re learning about economics, think about how it relates to the news stories you read about the global economy.
Set Personal Goals: Having a personal goal can make learning more relevant. If you’re learning a new language, maybe your goal could be to watch a movie in that language without subtitles or to converse with a native speaker.
Teach Others: They say the best way to learn is to teach. Try explaining the concepts to someone else. This could be a friend, family member, or even through a blog or social media post. Teaching not only helps you understand the material better but also makes it more personally relevant.
Active Learning: Engage with the material. Don’t just passively read or listen. Take notes, ask questions, participate in discussions. Active engagement helps reinforce learning and makes it more personal.
Remember, the goal is not just to memorize information but to understand it and integrate it into your worldview.
0 Comments