Learning how to study

Author: Michel Besserve

Some elements to guide you trought the fascinating process of learning

Dear Bachelor students,

while you may have stumbled upon the term Machine Learning when looking at our institute's activities, learning is not just for machines! As humans we are endowed with highly efficient capabilities to learn from our experiences, which is also exactly what studying at the university is about. This page aims at sharing with you some perspectives and tools about the process of human learning to support your approach to studying, especially in the first semesters. Many of these tools might prove useful at a later stage of your journey too. As I have myself worked on biological learning, I have come to realize that general knowledge on this topic, spanning multiple disciplines (neuroscience, cognitive sciences, psychology etc...), provides us with principles to study more effectively and find more joy in the process.

A large part of this article is dedicated to the description of the brains two memory systems: working and long-term memory. Here is why: memory systems are the key resources you need to manage in order to learn efficiently and durably. Indeed, all memory systems have limitations and require special conditions to work optimally. Managing your memory systems means find a way to use your memory systems so that they work in optimal conditions and they complement each other.

You can find many of the elements summarised in this article (and more) explained, in a slightly different way, in the book by Barbara Oakley, "A mind for numbers" [1], which provides a good and practical introduction to the topic.

Disclaimers:
(1) this page is a work in progress that I chose to make available early on, given the urgency of providing some basic advice to first year students. If you are struggling with your studies, this can give you hints to analyse and rethink your approach.
(2) Please note that the provided explanations contain simplifications which are meant to summarise the most relevant aspects of our current understanding of the human brain. However, more detailed scientific references will be provided a much as possible.
(3) The brain of each individual functions differently, this is called neurodiversity. While this page provide information about well identified mechanisms playing a role in learning processes, and is meant to help you reflect on your study habits, but you should keep in mind that you have to experiment with yourself to find what works best for you. Feel free to send me feedback and request at michel.besserve@tuebingen.mpg.de

If you are interested, please download the current version of the article in pdf format at the following link.