The basic concept of education is to gain knowledge.
This knowledge brings maturity to mind and makes you a learned person.
For this, one should understand what they read. Be it in science, math, languages, social studies, etc., understanding makes it easier and lovable.
Education without understanding is a waste of time. And getting qualified in exams and obtaining a degree without understanding the subjects is useless.
In one sense, the word educated means well understood and got some maturity due to it.
So one should try to understand whatever they study. Then the quest for quality education gets fulfilled.
But interestingly, not all of us can understand everything so easily. Some subjects are understood easier, while some are felt tough. It depends on an individual’s curiosity and maturity in the subject and society around.
Absolute Tips on How to understand and study.
1. Listen to the teacher or colleague
To understand a subject better, one has to attend classes and listen to teachings.
The teacher is one who has knowledge about the subject so he can explain things in a manner easier for you to understand. So to understand a subject, one has to attend classes without fail. If not, listen to a colleague who has attended the class. Also, while listening to the class, take notes of the teaching. This can help refer back and understand in an easy manner.
2. Use diagrams or pictures
This is one of the most important methods of how to study and understanding. The subject’s like science; mathematics has diagrams. Seeing the diagram not only enhances memory but also makes it easy to understand the topic. Viewing a diagram helps in knowing the pathway or the process. Hence most science teachers, books, and paper rely on diagrams to explain the concept in a precise and also understandable manner. There are topics that cannot be explained without the use of a diagram. Such is the reliance on diagrams to explain the subject.
3. Discuss
When you find a concept to be tough to understand, the other way is to discuss with your friends or parents (if they are aware). Each of them has their opinion, which might be quite different than yours. But this helps you understand it better and with ease. Every way of understanding the topic helps you get the concept understood thoroughly. Even one can notice that when we discuss some topics with others, there are many times we find something new and interesting within it. Even discussion brings interest to the subject and also enhances the memory of the topic.
4. Cross question
This is definitely needed for complex topics. Here cross-questioning your teacher or during a discussion with friends helps you get the most out of the topic. One has to pose questions a bit weirdly, like why it should be in such a way or why not this way, etc. This leads to more open-mindedness to the topic and helps observe the topic more in a clear way than before. This definitely helps you to understand the topic better.
5. Visualize
Many topics like social, and civics do not have suitable images. For example, demand, supply changes, etc. Then visualizing it is the only option. Visualizing is a way we make a brief picture of what we read. Remember, when you read a novel or a story, your brain forms some image of the people, places in the story. Similarly, when you read about science or math topics, you can try to make some visualization in your mind. This helps the topic to be understood better for long memory.
6. Imagine
Some doubts can be answered by just imagining things. For this, the best example is Einstein’s theory of relativity, which talks about happenings in space that can be well understood by just imagining the concept and story instead of drawing images or pictures. When two objects are moving in space, one’s velocity is in reference to the other is calculated.
7. Practice by writing
Another way to understand is to write on a piece of paper or board. Writing helps one understand better. Hence in mathematics, one is advised to practice by hand than just going through books. Even in science, once you start drawing any picture or image of anatomy etc., you can notice that your understanding of why and where the pathway leads and how is easier and deeper than just listening or seeing it. Further practice helps one memorize the topic.
8. By Questioning why
This is the technique to understand simple issues we come across.
For example, if one is using a bike or car, he operates many gears.
So questioning why one needs to shift gears is important to understand as per physics.
The gear system decreases the load on the engine and helps for better performance and longer mileage.
This can be understood by just watching gear wheel and rear wheel of the bicycle.
9. By dig deep technique
This is one method to go to the inner levels of any topic. This helps understand any complex issues.
If going through the tri-carboxylic cycle, you come across many intermediates of ATP formation indirectly, like through NADH, FAD, etc.
One can just mug up to leave the issue. But if you dig deep in, you will see why NADH and FAD produce ATP during conversion from one form to other.
10. By trying to answer with self-knowledge.
If there is a concept to be understood, first try to give your opinion on it; then, if it fails you can further enquire about the actual reason for the concept.
11. By exploiting to a new application or use.
There are some concepts that have certain ways or steps in the process.
Though we understand part of why the steps or ways are present, we may not be satisfied with reasons like why they are necessary, etc.
Then the way to solve the quest is to apply it practically for any other purpose.
This helps us know what steps are tough and why that intermediate is used to overcome that step etc.
12. By imagination.
Some concepts can be understood better by visualization or imagination of the process. This is required in case one has no access to suitable videos explaining the concept.
13. By comparing
Many scientific explanations are done by just comparing with others.
Be it biology, physics, or chemistry. Comparison gives differences between two concepts and reasons for why they are so.
14. By hearing other’s view
Not all of us have the same understanding pattern. Some understand in one way while others in another way.
But, still, everyone seems to have the same conclusion.
This understanding pattern depends on the maturity of the mind and the level of knowledge and exposure to the subject previously.
So when we feel a concept is partially understood, then it is better to hear other’s opinions on the said concept.
These are the ways how to study and understand. If you know of any other ways, kindly share them below.
A guy who understands subjects most thoroughly can face any competitive exams in an easy way. But also one has to be able to remember or recall the subject in times of exams. So reading faster and understanding more is the actual technique to stand ahead of the competitors in studies.
Understanding takes time but is worth it. It is a tough task to understand some complex issues of physics, chemistry, etc., but we can try to get over it. Lack of understanding in these subjects will not help the mind become mature. The actual intention of education is minded maturity and understanding of subjects is the key to that maturity.
To have the memory of any subject for a long time, the only way is to understand it to the fullest.
very helpful