Reasons why you study but still do not get new knowledge – It would seem that there is nothing mysterious here: here is the information, study it, and you will gain new knowledge and skills. Moreover, there is no need to complain about the lack of educational materials – books, courses, and services.

However, it often happens that you absorb gigabytes of information and spend a lot of effort, money, and time on it but remain, at best, with superficial knowledge. You understand why this happens and whether it can be fixed.

1. You do not apply knowledge in practice

School and university taught us how to gain new knowledge. You just need to study a stack of textbooks and then write a test based on the material covered. Yes, of course, in addition to cramming, there are also laboratory work, internships, and practical exercises. However, they are given much less space in the educational process than in theory and tests.

Moreover, as a result, it seems to us that learning is carefully reading the textbook and remembering what is written. Meanwhile, back in the fifties, psychologist Benjamin Bloom developed classified pedagogical goals, which have been used for many years to develop curricula around the world.

The scientist singled out six levels of knowledge and memorization of the material. That is, the usual cramming, which is given so much time in schools and universities, occupies only the first, lowest step in this list.

Yes, there is no getting away from it. It is the foundation of any knowledge. However, if you do not learn how to deeply analyze information, apply it in practice and create something new on its basis, it will, at best, remain a useless set of memorized facts. Moreover, at worst, it will completely disappear from the head.

2. You do not turn learning into a game

Now in the trend of edutainment (education + entertainment), that is, educational methods that combine both education and entertainment. Everyone was tired of boring ways to learn, so people jumped at the opportunity to master business through the example of business games and a foreign language through films and podcasts.

Of course, app stores very quickly acquire all kinds of services for children and adults, which promise that you will learn something new easily and playfully. You will watch pictures and short videos, perform simple and fun tasks, have fun, and communicate with other users.

All this is very tempting, but the problem is that there is very little scientific work on learning through play, especially on special applications that use this concept.

Teachers’ and psychologists’ coverage is of the opinion that such non-formal education is really effective. If only because it gives positive emotions and keeps students’ interest for a long time.

However, if you want to get serious knowledge, games, services, and experiments must be combined with traditional methods to help build a strong foundation.

For example, learning a foreign language only with the help of an application is unlikely to succeed. Even vice versa. There is a risk of spending a lot of time and money on games and fun tasks, but you will not remember anything.

However, to use the application as one of the resources – why not. Although, perhaps one day, this situation will change, and developers, in tandem with good teachers, will come up with a service that will really help us learn with almost no effort.

3. You choose the wrong learning materials

Not all textbooks and courses are equally useful. Now not only professionals are trying to earn money on the sale of knowledge. Every second popular blogger – even if he is 15 years old – has his own course or guide on some popular topic like online marketing or design.

However, if you buy such an information product or enrol in some dubious school, you can not get high-quality knowledge but only waste your money. Therefore, before choosing a manual or course, read reviews and collect information about its authors. They must be well-versed in the subject they teach.

Moreover, this is confirmed not by loud words but by diplomas, certificates, and work experience. In addition, the information must be up to date.

Therefore, manuals written 50 years ago will be less useful than modern courses unless you are talking about subjects in which there are no and cannot be fundamental updates.

4. You fixate on one way of learning

A professor at the University of California talks about the basic principles of successful learning. He says that switching between different educational tools and techniques for our brain is much more comfortable than, for example, the monotonous cramming of a textbook.

By alternating between different approaches, you help the brain to strengthen neural connections and retain the knowledge gained. So use all available resources: read books, watch videos, solve tests, experiment, write essays and, of course, apply what you learn in practice.