This is my Assignment #2 for the Coursera Course "Learning How To Learn" While this may just be an assignment, the information gained from this course is highly invaluable and i would recommend signing up for the second coming of this course here: https://www.coursera.org/course/learning

1. Summary of Some Key Topics
in “Learning How To Learn”
Dashe Iluyemi

2. Thinking Modes
 There are two thinking modes that were discussed in this course: focused and
diffuse mode.
 In the focused mode, your thought patterns are more methodical and detailed
pattern making it appropriate for solving equations that you are already
familiar with.
 In the diffuse mode, your thought patterns are more broad which allow for
new ideas to be made such as a new approach to a painting, a new bass solo,
etc.
 A simple analogy used in the course was a pinball analogy. When your brain is
in focused mode, the pinball bumpers are tightly packed whereas in diffuse
mode, the pinball bumpers are spaced out.

3. Memory
 For this course, memory was divided into two main categories: the long term
memory and the working memory.
 The working memory relates to the part of your memory associated with what
you are consciously processing in your mind. It is widely believed that the
working memory has 4 slots of memory (4 slots meaning 4 items that can be
processed at once)
 The long term memory relates to the part of your brain associated with long
term memories. In the course, it was described as a storage warehouse which
covers a huge amount of space. Long term memories are stored in different
parts of the brain.
 To put a thought or idea to long term memory, it will require lots of time and
repetition to embed the memory and allow it to be recalled at a later stage.

4. Importance of Sleep and Exercise
 Sleep, as I always believed, was just needed so the body can rest and provide
necessary energy to go through the next day. However, as explained in this
course, sleep helps wash the brain of toxins that accumulate during the day.
It isn’t recommended to do a test or something that requires a lot of mental
focus when you haven’t gotten proper sleep the night before. This is
described as you are “trying to think with poison in the brain”.
 Exercise is also found to be helpful not just on improving memory, but also in
our ability to learn.

5. Effective learning techniques
 For better understanding or mastery over a topic, spaced repetition is the
best form of practice. This involves repeating the same concept over several
days. Research has shown that repeating the same concept over several days
is more effective than repeating it the same amount of times in one day. This
is because there wasn’t enough time for the synaptic connections to form and
strengthen.
 To help your learning and tackle procrastination at the same time, a
technique called “Pomodoro” is useful. This entails giving 25 minutes to doing
as much as you can regarding a certain task. Make sure there are no
interruptions and you give your 100% focus to the task at hand. Once you have
done all you can in the 25 minutes, reward yourself. This is very important as
it keeps you motivated.