Repetition is the father of learning.  Your brain is a muscle and you have to exercise it just like any other muscle in the body.  And just like physical exercise, you need proper form to maximize your gains.  When it comes down to it, learning is a basic three-step process: take in data, turn it into information and then using that information repetitively so that it becomes internalized.

Taking in data is the easiest part.  As a matter of fact, it’s so easy that we are doing it too much.  According to research from the University of California at San Diego, Americans consume 3.6 zettabytes a day – that’s almost a trillion DVDs worth of data.  The real trick here is to deliberately pick and choose what you consume.  When consuming data, your main job should be to reduce the noise.  Simply put, shrewdly ignore what is not important.

Turning data into information is about organizing the data – in other words, putting the data in formation.  Humans do this by putting new data into existing buckets and relating it to concepts we already understand.

The faster you are able to apply the new information you develop, the more likle you are to remember it and the more likely you are to truly learn it.

Now that you know the basics of learning, here are top 5 tips and tricks to prepare your brain to learn through training, exercising and bettering your brain:

Solution to crossword puzzle
Solution to crossword puzzle (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I am sure you have or someone you know has played Words With Friends.  Words With Friends is a great way to train your brain.  The key benefit from Words With Friends is that it taps into the problem-solving part of your brain.  For added challenge, play multiple people. But don’t use those words with friends cheat sites!

4. Research something new everyday

My two favorite research tools are Quora and Wikipedia.  The information on both of those sites is detailed and trustworthy.  Researching and learning something new on a daily basis keeps your brain warmed up.

3. Write rather than type your notes

The problem with typing is that it let’s us get our thoughts out too quickly.  Once our thoughts our out, our brain focuses attention on what’s next.  Unfortunately, our brains are not as fast as our typing and we can learn a lot by slowing down and carefully thinking about what we are putting down onto paper.

2. Take a break

You cannot always use your brain.  Just like exercising, you need to give that muscle in your skull a break.  Give it some time to process everything you have jammed in there.  You want to feel refreshed when you sit down to learn.

1. Teach someone else

This is by far the best way to internalize new information.  When you are forced to teach someone else, you are forced to think through all the details.  When we are going through the information in our end, we tend to glaze over plenty of parts and convince ourselves that we understand what we really do not.  When you have to teach someone else, and you do not fully understand the topic, the feedback is instant.

This article was written by Nicole on behalf of topwordswithfriendscheats (TWWFC). TWWFC is an online anagrammer developed using the words with friends dictionary.  Whether you are having trouble figuring out those nasty q words or if you feel like challenging yourself, our anagrammer is here for you to use.

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