49 - Summary for Module 4

This week, we’ve done a wide sweep through

some of the deepest aspects of learning.

Metaphors and analogies aren’t just for

art and literature.

One of the best things you can do to not

only remember but more easily understand

concepts in many different fields is to

create a metaphor or analogy for them.

Often the more visual, the better.

We’ve learned from

Nobel Prize Winner Santiago Ramón y Cajal

that if you change your thoughts,

you can really truly change your life.

It seems people can enhance

the development of their neuronal circuits

by practicing thoughts

that use those neurons.

Like Santiago Ramon y Cajal,

you can take pride in aiming for

success because of the very things that

make other people say you can’t do it.

Keep in mind that when you

whiz through a homework or

test question, and

you don’t go back to check your work,

you’re acting a little like a person who’s

refusing to use parts of your brain.

You’re not stopping to take a mental

breath, and then revisit what you’ve

done with the bigger picture in mind,

to see whether it makes sense.

Overconfidence in your results can result

from using only one mode of thinking.

By making it a point to do some

of your studying with friends,

you can more easily catch where

your thinking has gone astray.

Taking a test is serious business.

Just as fighter pilots and doctors go

through checklists before takeoff and

surgery, going through your own

test preparation checklist can

vastly improve your chances of success.

Counterintuitive strategies, such as

the hard start jump to easy technique,

can give your brain a chance to

reflect on harder challenges,

even as you are focusing on other,

more straightforward problems.

Here are some last test-taking pointers.

The body puts out chemicals

when it’s under stress.

How you interpret your body’s reaction to

those chemicals makes all the difference.

If you shift your thinking from,

this test has made me afraid, to,

this test has got me excited to do my

best, it helps improve your performance.

If you’re panicked on a test, momentarily

turn your attention to your breathing.

Relax your stomach.

Place your hand on it, and

slowly draw a deep breath.

Your hand should move outward, and your

whole chest should expand like a barrel.

Your mind can trick you into thinking

that what you’ve done is correct,

even if it isn’t.

This means that, whenever possible,

you should blink, shift your attention,

and then double-check your answers

using a big-picture perspective.

Asking yourself,

does this really make sense?

And finally, remember that not

getting enough sleep the night

before a test can negate any

other preparation you’ve done.

I’m Barbara Oakley, thanks for

learning about learning.