Attitude to learning

Individual perspectives towards life and experiences differ. Being largely based on the learnings of others, it is limited to our immediate surroundings. However, to be able to learn, it is necessary to have an open mind and broaden our perspectives. As we accept new ideas, our minds make us look at things differently from what we are used to. This attitude is especially important to enable us to learn because in reality, we cannot learn if we think we already know it all.

 

Duality or singularity: intriguing interpretation

According to me, ‘Learning to learn’ can be interpreted in two ways. ‘LEARNING to learn’ and ‘Learning TO LEARN’. Both the interpretations are intertwined to offer us a fulfilled and accomplished life.

‘Learning for the purpose of learning’ implies learning just for the sake of gaining knowledge or mastery in that particular field; simply to realize one’s own interests. It is a form of initiated education which focuses on personal development alone. It acknowledges humans’ natural drive to explore, learn and to grow. It encourages us to improve our own quality of life and sense of self worth by paying attention to the ideas and goals that inspire us. For example, as a Class 10 student, I am trying to explore as many career options as possible, when I had chanced upon Forensic Science. Though I find it very interesting and wish to pursue the subject further, I would soon lose interest if I were to study this subject for three hours each day.

This brings us to the importance of ‘Learning how to learn’. This is the ability to organise knowledge through effective time and information management. The learning capability of a person is not a fixed trait but rather a skill that can be developed and improved over time. By understanding how our brain functions and applying effective learning strategies, we can enhance our ability to acquire and retain new information. This includes study techniques such as active recall, spaced repetition and the famous Pomodoro technique. Moreover, it is extremely beneficial to use multiple resources and I have myself benefited from some of them.

 

Simple tools of learning

Attention, alertness, sleep, repetition, breaks and mistakes are some of the simple yet effective ways to improve learning. Our learnings gathered through attention and alertness can be effectively retained for a long time when we sleep. During sleep, all the learned materials stored in your short-term memory are transferred to your long-term memory. Breaks fundamentally serve the same purpose. In addition, repetition is required to consolidate and reinforce the newly acquired information in the brain. And mistakes make us more motivated to work harder towards our goal.

 

Get the purpose to get it all

However I think we develop the most profound understanding when we learn to interrelate subjects through their application in the real world. This realization has left a deep impact on my mind. This can be effected through our curiosity, passion and dedication and in trying to understand the objective behind learning a subject. To me the purpose of learning is personal fulfilment; for the sake of nurturing our own interests, creating a deeper understanding of the domain and enjoying the process of learning, irrespective of the results.

 

About the author

The article has been contributed by Divyansha Agarwal, student of St. Joseph’s High School. Matigara, Darjeeling.