Focusing Your Unconscious Mind: Learn Hard Concepts Intuitively (And Forever)
Colin Galen・24 minutes read
Competitive programming involves intuitively learning and retaining concepts, optimizing information processing for effective learning by understanding small pieces at a time, reinforcing them, and engaging with various problems. Engaging with concepts deeply, caring about them, and practicing extensively while disregarding innate abilities like IQ can lead to long-term knowledge retention and confidence in learning.
Insights
- Intuitive understanding is key in competitive programming, requiring acceptance of concepts as truth without justification, enhancing memory retention and learning ease.
- Effective learning involves breaking down concepts, caring about each piece, understanding problems before solutions, and engaging actively to rewire the brain for long-term knowledge retention.
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Recent questions
How can I effectively learn new concepts?
To effectively learn new concepts, it is essential to generate insights, treat learning as problem-solving, care about the subject, understand small pieces at a time, and avoid mere memorization. Understanding the big picture of a concept, breaking it down into smaller pieces, and comprehending each piece in context are key steps. Care about each piece, try to invent it, and if needed, thoroughly read and process the details. Actively engage with the concept, solve problems related to it, and reinforce the knowledge by practicing, inventing, and exploring related ideas. Gain insights by applying concepts in various scenarios, practice extensively from different angles, explain concepts in your own words, and discuss with others to deepen comprehension. By reinforcing understanding through repeated engagement and sharing insights with others, you can effectively learn new concepts.
Why is caring about a concept important in learning?
Caring about a concept is crucial in learning as it enhances memory retention, insight generation, and overall ease of learning. When you care about a concept, you are more likely to engage with it actively, try to solve problems related to it, and process the information thoroughly. This emotional investment in the subject matter leads to a deeper understanding, making it easier to retain the knowledge in the long term. By caring about a concept, you are more motivated to explore it from different angles, explain it in your own words, and discuss it with others, all of which contribute to a more profound comprehension and effective learning experience.
What are the core principles for effective learning?
The core principles for effective learning include generating insights, treating learning as problem-solving, caring about the subject, understanding small pieces at a time, and avoiding mere memorization. By focusing on understanding the big picture of a concept, breaking it down into smaller components, and comprehending each piece in context, you can enhance your learning process. Actively engaging with the material, trying to solve problems, and reinforcing your understanding through practice and exploration are essential steps. By following these core principles, you can develop a deeper insight into the concepts you are learning and improve your overall retention and application of knowledge.
How can I reinforce my understanding of concepts?
To reinforce your understanding of concepts, it is crucial to actively engage with the material, invent solutions, practice extensively, understand thoroughly, and explore related ideas. By repeatedly engaging with the concepts, inventing them from scratch, and ensuring they are deeply ingrained in your memory, you can reinforce your understanding. Practice viewing concepts from different angles, explain them in your own words, question assumptions, and discuss with others to deepen comprehension. By actively reinforcing your understanding through various methods, you can solidify your knowledge and retain it for the long term.
Why is it important to treat learning as problem-solving?
Treating learning as problem-solving is essential as it encourages a deeper, more insightful understanding of concepts. By approaching learning as a series of problems to be solved, you engage actively with the material, try to invent solutions, and process the information thoroughly. Understanding the problem a concept solves before delving into how it solves it promotes a more profound comprehension. By actively engaging with the material, trying to solve problems related to it, and processing the solutions thoroughly, you rewire your brain to retain the knowledge long-term. This problem-solving approach forces critical thinking, embeds concepts into reasoning, and leads to a more effective learning experience.
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Summary
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Effective Learning: Intuitive Understanding and Retention
- Being a competitive programmer involves learning various concepts intuitively and retaining them for a long time.
- Intuitive understanding means accepting a concept as truth without needing justification, like knowing 2+2 equals 4 without hesitation.
- If a concept is unintuitive, the brain needs rewiring to accept it as truth, achieved through optimizing information processing.
- Core principles for effective learning include generating insights, treating learning as problem-solving, caring about the subject, understanding small pieces at a time, and avoiding mere memorization.
- The learning method involves understanding the big picture of a concept, breaking it down into small pieces, and understanding each piece in context, by itself, and reinforcing it.
- To understand a single piece, care about it, try to invent it, and if unable, read and process the details thoroughly.
- Caring about a concept enhances memory retention, insight generation, and overall learning ease.
- Understanding the problem a piece of a concept solves is crucial before delving into how it solves it, encouraging deep insightful understanding.
- Actively engaging with a concept, trying to solve it, and processing the solution thoroughly rewires the brain to retain the knowledge long-term.
- Reinforcing the concept involves inventing it, practicing it, understanding it thoroughly, and exploring related ideas to gain multiple insights and perspectives.
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Enhance learning through practice and sharing insights.
- Gain insights by applying and practicing concepts in various problems, expanding understanding beyond mechanical application.
- Practice extensively to view concepts from different angles, forcing critical thinking and embedding them into reasoning.
- Explain concepts in your own words to confirm understanding and identify gaps for improvement.
- Explore concepts by mentally varying them, questioning assumptions, and discussing with others to deepen comprehension.
- Reinforce understanding by repeatedly engaging with concepts, inventing them from scratch, and ensuring they are seared into memory.
- Contribute to a learning ecosystem by sharing intuitive explanations and insights publicly to benefit others.
- Disregard the belief in innate abilities like IQ, focus on learning without comparison, and have confidence in your capability to learn anything with effort and time.
