15 Ways to Love Learning Again {Guest Post}
15 Ways to Love Learning Again {Guest Post}
Author: Amber Brubaker
Going to school is not everybody’s favorite childhood memory. Sure, you probably enjoyed parts of your education, but those memories are often squashed by the many other unpleasant learning experiences you had. If that’s the case for you, the idea of learning may seem utterly unappealing now.
But don’t turn your nose up at it just yet. Learning new things can be one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll have, and it becomes much easier if you first learn how to love learning again. Consider these tips to help you get past your learning block.
1. Unlearn Certain Learning Habits
Chances are when you entered the school system, you were introduced to a certain way of learning. Though that method may have helped many people, it may not have been the right one for you. If that’s the case, unlearn those learning habits and start again. If you were taught to take copious notes, but those notes never stuck, throw that method out the window and try something else for memorization. Swap unhelpful learning habits for helpful ones.
2. Brainwash Yourself
If you have plenty of bad memories about education, take some time to brainwash yourself when it comes to learning. Tell yourself how much you love learning new things, and practice fun learning so that it sticks. Having fun with education will help to wipe out the negative education stigma you’ve carried through the years.
3. Banish Negativity
There are plenty of emotional learning beliefs attached to education, many of which are negative. You may have been told you can’t possibly learn something, or others may make a joke in passing that you’re too stupid to do anything right. Words like that stick, even if they’re meant as a joke, and they may be the reason you’ve disliked learning in the past. You’ll need to banish all negative emotional beliefs and replace them with positive ones.
4. Experiment
Experiment with different types of learning to determine what’s best for you. Try watching documentaries, reading articles, searching YouTube videos, writing things down, and more to see what method of learning you enjoy most.
5. Foster Curiosity
Any time you wonder where something comes from, how it’s made, or why it exists, don’t ignore the question. Look up the answer. With the Internet, you can learn just about anything, which may prompt a desire to learn more.
6. Learn What You Love
Take stock of your interests and further your education in those areas. If you’re interested in something, you’re much more likely to want to learn about it. Begin with learning about what you love and branch out from there.
7. Embrace Failure
Though the saying is cliche, it still rings true: Thomas Edison failed a thousand times before successfully making the light bulb. And from each of his failures, he learned something. Instead of taking failure as a sign that you aren’t good enough, take it as a sign of education.
8. Go Foreign
An excellent way to begin learning again is to start learning about a foreign country. Pick a country you’ve always wanted to visit, and study the culture, food, clothing, and currency. A great resource for studying foreign currency can be found here.
9. Get a Study Buddy
Find someone else who is interested in learning about something you’re researching and learn together. Turning it into a social event will make the learning even more enjoyable and memorable.
10. Write About It
Recording what you’ve learned over a day, week, or month is very helpful for some people. It helps them remember everything they’ve learned as well as the excitement they felt as they did it.
11. Take Classes
Even if you’ve completed the highest form of education possible, you can still take classes to learn more. Many colleges offer night classes, and there are many online classes for adults to help you learn something you’ve always wanted to.
12. Feed Your Passion
Everybody has something they’re passionate about, whether it’s music, art, sports, or cars. Feed the passion by learning more about it. This goes beyond casual study. Really devote your time and efforts to becoming an expert in that field.
13. Make Pros and Cons Lists
This may seem odd, but pros and cons lists can be a helpful motivator in the search for enjoyable learning. Write down positive experiences you’ve had with learning as well as negative ones to help you recognize the best ways for you to pursue education.
14. Travel
Even if you’re only able to travel a few hours from home, traveling can help feed a passion for learning like nothing else. Every state has it’s own history and landmarks that you can learn about, and traveling to the ones you can may increase your desire to learn.
15. Make it Hands On
Classroom learning can be incredibly boring, and it may be one of the reasons you’ve hated learning in the past. If that’s the case for you, you’re likely to love hands-on learning. Working with your hands to learn about something can increase your desire and ability to learn ten fold.
You don’t have to go back to school to love learning again. Use these tips for simple ways to enhance your desire and ability to integrate new facts, ideas, and theories into your daily life.
Disclaimer: This Guest Post was written by someone other than the author of DeDivahDeals. The author of this post, has submitted their article to DeDivahDeals for the purpose of being published on this blog as a Guest Writer.