Smart people use a different learning strategy; they are not just gifted.
Your grades could improve if you did less studying.
You can train yourself to be smart.
How is any of this possible?
The key to learning more by studying less, according to Scott H. Young, is holistic learning. What is it? Basically, holistic learning is the opposite of cramming. When you cram, you fill your head with information, hoping that you will remember it later. Memorization treats the brain like a computer filing system. In holistic learning, you learn by making a connection between ideas. It’s actually a lot messier than it sounds because information is not filed away in neat boxes. Instead, it’s made into a web of interweaved concepts. This type of learning is closer to how the human brain works: which makes it a complete success.
How else can you learn by making connections? Here are several tactics that you can use to connect your ideas together.
1. Use mental pictures
Have you ever tried to remember something through visualization? Complex mathematical formulas are particularly hard to remember. Instead of memorizing them, you can break them into smaller components, and try to imagine them as part of a graph.
2. Metaphors/analogies
Metaphors are used to relate two things that are not, in fact, related. When you learn something new, try to think of similar concepts. The idea is that, by creating metaphors, you will understand new concepts by seeing them through understandable vantage points. You can learn an abstract process by comparing it to a more common event. For instance, you can compare derivatives to the speedometer on your car. Use metaphors that you can easily understand and relate to.




