{"id":27894,"date":"2020-03-18T09:00:05","date_gmt":"2020-03-18T07:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/?p=27894"},"modified":"2021-06-14T12:57:16","modified_gmt":"2021-06-14T10:57:16","slug":"best-way-learn-difficult-subjects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/best-way-learn-difficult-subjects\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Way to Learn Difficult Subjects (According to One of The Smartest People Who Ever Lived)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Imagine being able to pick up a new subject in\nhours rather than weeks. How much time would that add to your typical day?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re probably dubious of study shortcuts. You\nmight think they\u2019re the educational equivalent of get-rich-quick schemes. And\neverybody knows where they lead. Hint: it\u2019s not to the bank to cash a\nmillion-dollar cheque.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But suspend your doubt for a moment. Because this speed-learning technique comes from none other than Nobel Prize-winning physicist, Richard Feynman<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a short outline: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Pick a subject you want to learn.  <\/strong><\/li>
  2. Explain it to an imaginary ten-year-old. <\/strong><\/li>
  3. Whenever you start to struggle, conduct more research to fill in the gaps in your knowledge<\/strong><\/li>
  4. Re-explain it using your improved understanding. <\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Sounds simple enough, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Let\u2019s look at each step in a little more\ndepth: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Pick\na Subject You Want to Learn More About<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    This is the easy part. Pick a subject that you\nwant to understand. But before you jump in, ask what\u2019s motivating you to learn\nit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Research shows that \u201cintrinsic motivation\u201d, the desire to undertake a task because it\u2019s naturally interesting and enjoyable is the best predictor of long-term adherence<\/a> and success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Second, familiarize yourself with the basics.\nSpend a few hours studying the central and most important ideas. On a sheet of\npaper, write out the core concepts. You\u2019re attempting to gain a birds-eye view\nof the subject, a framework onto which you can latch more ideas at a later\nstage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Explain\nIt to an Imaginary Ten-Year-Old<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Complete this stage out loud or, even better,\nwrite down your explanation on a piece of paper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You might be wondering, \u201cWhy a ten-year-old? Why\nnot an adult?\u201d There\u2019s a simple reason. Explaining something to a child\nrequires that you understand the concepts thoroughly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Einstein put it best when he said: \u201cThe\ndefinition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Feynman, who earned the nickname \u201cthe great\nexplainer\u201d, knew that the ability to simplify a complex topic was a mark of\ntrue understanding. This lesson is a good one to carry into everyday life and study:\nif you can\u2019t break down a subject into digestible language, you probably don\u2019t\nunderstand it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Whenever You Start to Struggle, Conduct More Research to Fill in the Gaps in Your Knowledge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    This is the crucial stage. Whenever you start to\nflounder, identify the gap in your knowledge and note it down. But don\u2019t stop.\nCarry on with your explanation. Once you\u2019ve finished, you\u2019ll have several areas\nthat require further research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Phrase each \u201cknowledge gap\u201d as a question. This will speed up your study time<\/a> because you\u2019ll be looking for a specific answer. Sometimes, you\u2019ll need to re-familiarize yourself with material you previously used. Other times, you\u2019ll have to seek out new sources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4. Re-Explain the Subject Using Your Improved Understanding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Once you\u2019ve filled in the gaps in your\nunderstanding, go back to step two and try again. Explain from the beginning\n(don\u2019t just pick up where you started to struggle) to really \u201clock-in\u201d your\nunderstanding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Always remember to make the language and\nvocabulary your own. This will ensure that you\u2019re not directly regurgitating\nwhat you learned during the research phase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here\u2019s one final tip: leverage analogies,\nmetaphors, and practical <\/em>examples to add color to your exposition. Just\nlike the skill of simplifying, the ability to cite concrete examples is only\npossible when you genuinely understand a topic. \u201cFor example\u2026\u201d is a valuable\nphrase. Use it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Role of Advanced Study Skills in Business<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Top business thinkers – entrepreneurs, managers, marketers,\nand others – can grasp new topics quickly. They\u2019re able to interpret a\nfast-changing business landscape to guide their decisions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Richard Feynman didn\u2019t just use his technique to\npick up odd bits and pieces of knowledge, he applied this powerful habit throughout\nhis career. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    All of the programs at EU Business School<\/a> cover learning strategies in depth – not just to aid you with your studies, but as real-world tools with practical uses. So why not follow in the footsteps of a Nobel Prize winner and place yourself firmly on the path to success?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"eu<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Imagine being able to pick up a new subject in hours rather than weeks. How much time would that add to your typical day? You\u2019re probably dubious of study shortcuts. You might think they\u2019re the educational equivalent of get-rich-quick schemes. And everybody knows where they lead. Hint: it\u2019s not to the bank to cash a million-dollar cheque. But suspend your doubt for a moment. Because this speed-learning technique comes from none other than Nobel Prize-winning physicist, Richard Feynman.  Here\u2019s a short outline:  Pick a subject you want to learn.   Explain it to an imaginary ten-year-old.  Whenever you start to struggle, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":27896,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[635],"tags":[1457,4324,1294],"class_list":["post-27894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-students","tag-learning","tag-study-techniques","tag-studying","post--single"],"yoast_head":"\r\nThe Best Way to Learn Difficult Subjects ? | EU Business School<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We present a speed-learning technique to learn difficult subjects that comes from one of the smartest people who ever lived - Richard Feynman.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/best-way-learn-difficult-subjects\/\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"EU Business School\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.euruni.edu\\\/blog\\\/best-way-learn-difficult-subjects\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"EU Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.euruni.edu\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"EU Community\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.euruni.edu\\\/blog\\\/category\\\/eu-business-school-community\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"EU Students\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.euruni.edu\\\/blog\\\/category\\\/eu-business-school-community\\\/students\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"The Best Way to Learn Difficult Subjects (According to One of The Smartest People Who Ever Lived)\"}]}]}<\/script>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Best Way to Learn Difficult Subjects ? | EU Business School","description":"We present a speed-learning technique to learn difficult subjects that comes from one of the smartest people who ever lived - Richard Feynman.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/best-way-learn-difficult-subjects\/","author":"EU Business School","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/best-way-learn-difficult-subjects\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"EU Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"EU Community","item":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/category\/eu-business-school-community\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"EU Students","item":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/category\/eu-business-school-community\/students\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"The Best Way to Learn Difficult Subjects (According to One of The Smartest People Who Ever Lived)"}]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27894"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27894\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31403,"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27894\/revisions\/31403"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}