There are a lot of books about how to study effectively.
And I've read most of them. 😵
But the best book I've ever read on understanding and mastering new information is definitely Make It Stick by McDaniel & Brown.
In the book, you learn actionable tips on how to study effectively, understand and master new information
💥 The Book "Make It Stick" summarized in 5 points
📓 #1: Learning techniques that seem intuitive are often inefficient: Highlighting, Rereading, and Taking Notes.
🤔 #2: Active recall and Spaced repetition arRecallmost effective study techniques.
Active Recall = Asking yourseRecalln-ended questions about the things you are learning deepens comprehension. A study in the book shows that testing yourself just once is more effective than rereading a chapter four times.
🕐 #3: Spaced repetition = Allow some forgetting and space your retrieval practice.
In the beginning, the time intervals are spaced closely together. (e.g., how to space your practice: day 1, day 2, day 7, day 31, day 90) With time the intervals between your retrieval practice become systematically longer.
This leads to strong long-term knowledge.
🌍 #4: From big to small. First, skim through the content you will learn.
Use the table of contents for this. After you have gained a basic overview, you can structure and break down the content. Only then start "zooming in".
🤕 Tip #5: Learning is supposed to be uncomfortable.
The more effort your brain makes to retrieve information and come up with answers, the better. Most importantly, you will avoid memorizing and understand what you have learned.
If you are interested in Mastering new information, I can't recommend the book Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning enough.