Posts Tagged ‘learning’

Your Individual Development Plan

Where do you want to be in 5 years?

This question is one of the lynchpins of the personal development field. It’s usually followed by instructions to visualize yourself having achieved those goals, and maybe an admonishment to ask yourself if what you’re doing now will get you there.

None of this is hard. What is hard, though, is making a plan that will get you there… » Continue

April 16 2008 | By Dustin | Tagged: education, growth, improvement, learning, personal_development | 15 comments»

How to Be an Expert (and Find One if You’re Not)

I’ve been thinking lately, what makes someone an "expert" in his or her field? Apparently Lorelle VanFossen has been thinking the same thing, because she recently wrote a post called What Gives You the Right to Tell Me? at The Blog Herald that explores the issue of expertise in some depth.

For me, the question started to percolate through my mind when I was invited to… » Continue

April 4 2008 | By Dustin | Tagged: experience, expert, knowledge, learning, presentation | 21 comments»

DIY Education: Teach Yourself

Education is touted as the greatest way to get ahead in this world. And, in general, it’s a great strategy. Maybe you have the perfect idea for an invention and you need a little engineering know-how, or maybe you just need to get ahead of the guy in the next cubicle over. No matter what plan you have for getting ahead, odds are a little learning will help. The… » Continue

March 27 2008 | By Thursday | Tagged: autodidact, learning, self-education | 36 comments»

Beyond Test Taking: Learning to Handle Information

I read lots of books. I follow several blogs. I take classes. I’ve learned enough new information I want to incorporate into my work that I know I haven’t got a chance of remembering it all. There have been times that all that information consumption has felt like a waste, because the human brain just isn’t built to remember so many details and act on them. Not just a… » Continue

March 18 2008 | By Thursday | Tagged: information, learning, memory | 7 comments»

10 Steps to a More Global You

There’s no escaping the fact that the world is getting smaller: your company’s vendors might be in India, with customers in Britain, while you are somewhere in the U.S. That’s why employers, from international non-profits to the mom-and-pop stores down the road, want employees able to think globally. Even college admissions look positively on time spent abroad these days.

But picking up for a jaunt to another continent isn’t practical… » Continue

February 7 2008 | By Thursday | Tagged: culture, global, learning, travel, worldview | 12 comments»

The Use and Abuse of Regret

Two weeks ago, I asked Lifehack.org readers what advice you’d offer to your younger self, knowing what you know today. The responses were a little overwhelming — powerful, powerful stuff. More and better responses than I had hoped for, to be honest.

I’m not sure what advice I’d offer my younger self. I’ve messed up a lot, taken a lot of wrong turns, but even the wrong… » Continue

January 28 2008 | By Dustin | Tagged: development, learning, mistake, past, regret | 11 comments»

What Can We Learn From Children?

A lot! Although most of the time they seem like little devils, children are true angels that teach us a lot about how we can better our life. Yes, most of the time they don’t have a clue as to what they are doing, but unknowingly and without a clue they allow us to explore things that we tend to forget as we grow into adulthood.

There is a reason… » Continue

January 25 2008 | By Ritu | Tagged: children, education, learning, perspective | 10 comments»

11 Tips to Carve Out More Time to Think

“The person who reads to much and uses his brain too little will fall into lazy habits of thinking” - Albert Einstein

How much time do you get a week to just think? Not while listening to music, driving your car or during group brainstorms. Not while playing video games, doing chores or taking a shower. Just you and your brain.

I’d wager that few people ever average… » Continue

January 10 2008 | By Scott H | Tagged: creativity, gtd, ideas, learning, Productivity, smart, think, time, weekly review | 18 comments»

Literary Gluttony - How to Consume More Books This Year

Over 40% of Americans claim not to have read any books in the previous year. The survey was last conducted in 2002, and noted falling reading rates from previous years. I’m sure if you’re reading through lifehack.org that you probably don’t expect reading to stop after you graduate. Yet, with such dismal statistics, how can you beat the odds and read more books this year?

Why Bother… » Continue

January 8 2008 | By Scott H | Tagged: books, improvement, learning, Lifehack, new years resolution, read, reading, speed read, students, studying | 51 comments»

What Storytellers Can Teach You About How to Learn Faster

Storytelling is a demanding craft. Not only do you have to be able to write or perform the story accurately, you need to create vivid descriptions. Boring, complex or difficult to understand metaphors can turn an imaginative journey into a lifeless plot.

You may not think of it deliberately, but learning is very similar to storytelling. You need to give yourself vivid, memorable and emotionally descriptions… » Continue

January 3 2008 | By Scott H | Tagged: brain, grades, holistic, improvement, learning, mental, metaphor, Productivity, study, thinking | 21 comments»

Lifehack Readers’ Advice for College Graduates

Last week, I asked lifehack.org readers, “What advice would you offer to a recent college graduate entering your field?” The response was great, with a dozen readers offering excellent advice not just for their fields, but for college graduates faced with the prospect of building a life as well.

My own advice follows the same pattern; although directed at future academics, it is applicable to anyone looking to enter… » Continue

December 17 2007 | By Dustin | Tagged: advice, career, college, finance, frugality, learning, networking, student | 17 comments»

Why Your Classes are Boring

Does your textbook make your eyes glaze over? Is the desire for a degree or diploma the only thing keeping you focused on your classes? I’ll admit the lecture format most schools use to teach material isn’t the best way to hold your attention. But I think there is a more important factor when deciding if classes keep you interested:

Are you actually using the information you’re… » Continue

December 4 2007 | By Scott H | Tagged: boring, class, college, learning, Lifehack, Productivity, school, study, university | 20 comments»

How to Boost Your Creative Output

Working productively can be broken down into several key skills: time management, organization and controlling your attention and energy. One of the often neglected but most important factors is your creative output. Successful people tend to have an unusually high creative output and I’d like to offer some tips for how you can boost yours.

What is Creativity?

Creativity is often compared with originality. When you see someone… » Continue

November 27 2007 | By Scott H | Tagged: create, creativity, ideas, improving, learning, Lifehack, Productivity, thinking | 17 comments»

Study Tip: How to Find the Hidden Bias in a Test

Life isn’t fair. Why should tests be?

Virtually all tests have have hidden biases. These biases aren’t usually large and most instructors will do their best to minimize it. However, knowing the bias of a test can be an added tool for allocating study time.

What is a Testing Bias?

Testing bias is when a test favors students who understand particular concepts or have particular types of knowledge… » Continue

November 22 2007 | By Scott H | Tagged: bias, exam, hack, learning, school, study, test | 15 comments»

Study Tip: Why Aiming for A is Better Than A+

Is it better to get an A or an A+? Most people instinctively react with an A+. As I’d like to show in this article, that isn’t always the case. Being perfect can cost far more than good enough. Also, as I’d like to demonstrate, the habits that might get you an A+ might also leave you with a B or C if you fail… » Continue

November 20 2007 | By Scott H | Tagged: 80/20, learning, Lifehack, pareto, Productivity, students, study, university | 13 comments»