Prepare your head for learning

Imagine you are waiting for your class to start. There are a few things you can do to set yourself up for a successful learning session. Don’t expect the teacher to do the learning for you. Learning is an activity, and it starts before class starts. Here is a warm up routine.

Prep your notes.

Before you sit down for your lecture or online class, ask yourself a few questions. What can I expect to learn in the next hour? What do I already know about the topic? Which links might there be to previous course contents? And what am I already familiar with? Jot down a few points.

Prime your head for keywords.

Each lecture has a structure, but you often can’t see it clearly in the beginning. Being able to identify keywords will help you tremendously to preliminary map the material and structure your notes. Ask yourself: what might be the key concepts and keywords in the next hour?

Ready your brain for questions.

Journalists would ask “what is the story here?” before going into a press conference and taking notes. They know that having a few question ready sharpens your focus. As a student, you come into class with your own questions about your understanding of the material.

Draft your game plan for learning.

For activities that require effort (such as learning) it is good to have a game plan. With your mind and your notes prepared, it will be easier to follow the lecture, because you know when to focus your learning efforts and when to just listen. A game plan decreases your cognitive load during the lecture.

You’ll see the returns of your investment into learning in the quality of your lecture notes. Being prepared means approaching what your are learning with purpose. And that always pays off.

This post was created with Typeshare