Perhaps you want to learn a language or understand how to use technology more effectively or maybe you want to grasp a new skill to further your competence at work? Whatever it is, maybe you don’t have time to advance yourself by going on a course, there must be a quicker way but how many hours to master something fast? Well, it depends on the skill you want to learn but it’s always a good idea to do it in short bursts and divide your time up so you’re not spending hours learning something new. It’s much easier to factor in short periods of learning time into your hectic schedule rather than spend a whole weekend teaching yourself something new! Wonder how many hours to master something? Here are our tips to help you get to grips with a new skill and ramp up your knowledge, so you expand your abilities, adding another skill to your repertoire.
How Many Hours to Master Something
Imagine You’re the Teacher
First tip which you can follow for how many hours to master something, you can quickly speed up your education by teaching someone else a skill. Bu researching information and structuring it properly, your brain soaks up the key pointers and you learn as well. Researching topics and putting the ideas into practice with someone else helps you to bounce off each other too, plus it challenges your mind and increases your capability to learn something new.
Do Your Learning In Short Bursts
How many hours does it take to master something? It depends on what it is but rather than deciding to do it all at once (and failing because there’s too much to do), try setting yourself challenges that last around 30 minutes at a time because your brain learns better in short bursts, as already mentioned. Anything under the half an hour mark isn’t enough to really soak up information but anything more than an hour can lead to you being easily distracted so you don’t retain the knowledge. Set yourself easily achievable, small goals and in-between each session, give your brain enough downtime so it’s ready for the next burst of learning. Always test yourself in between to check you’ve retained what you’ve learnt so far and practice what you’ve learnt too. It can be done, Forbes tells us it only takes 20 hours – click here to see more
Use Flash Cards
Always make notes but rather than having reams of information on pages, use flash cards to grasp small pieces of information. These types of notes are excellent for testing purposes too, to make sure you’ve retained the knowledge. Additionally, you can use flash cards to remind yourself of certain elements of learning later on and refresh your memory. Don’t forget, using flash cards can be usefull for how many hours to master something.
How Many Hours to Master Something? It’s Quicker When You Hand-Write Your Notes
While you might prefer to type directly onto a document, handwritten notes are better for learning as your brain takes in more when you write rather than type. Typing can end up being a mindless task plus there’s more chance of distraction, for example, every time an email pops up your brain loses focus. When you write using a pen or pencil, you tend to write in your own words rather than copy text and this helps your brain to learn and retain information. When writing notes, leave spaces and lines in-between so you have an area to add information to. Use abbreviations to shorten your notes and don’t write in full sentences, instead, use phrases. Read your notes out loud afterwards, this helps your brain to really concentrate on what you’re saying, therefore improving retention.
Always Check Your Notes
After you’ve written your notes, revisit them and check them over for accuracy. Make any edits at this stage. By doing this, your brain will revisit what you’ve learnt, and this improves retention. It should only take a few extra minutes to check your notes.
Review Your Information
Every two or three days, review the information you’ve learnt so you cement it in your mind. By repeating this exercise, your brain retains the knowledge for longer.
Have Sufficient Downtime
Sometimes, you can study for hours but feel like you haven’t learnt anything. This could be because you’re not allowing your brain to rest and relax. So, factor in enough downtime in-between learning so your brain switches off and concentrates on something else, preferably a leisure activity. You should also have sufficient sleep, so your brain recovers and is ready for the next burst of learning. If you’re tired, you won’t be able to focus sufficiently whereas if you’re well-rested, your brain will be sharper and retain information far better. That’s shortens the how many hours to master something question!
Practice Physical Skills
If your skill is physical, or if it’s learning new tech or perhaps a language, practice it regularly. While note-taking is essential, it is only a part of mastering something fast. So, if you’re learning a new recipe, try doing it a few times and look for ways of improving your speed. Remember the saying; practice makes perfect!
Stay Well Hydrated
How many hours to master something? Well, one thing’s for sure, your brain needs hydration to stop you feeling lethargic and sluggish. Always keep a bottle of water close by and take regular sips. For optimum brain (and body) health, drink at least 2 litres a day, this helps you to stay sharp and focussed on the job at hand.
Get Some Exercise
Exercise is good for your body but it’s just as good for your brain. Keeping yourself fit and healthy is the key to a sharper memory and mental focus so do some daily exercise, whether it’s just a 20-minute brisk walk or an hour’s workout. You always feel good once you’ve completed an exercise challenge and it helps to clear your mind ready for more learning.
If you’re looking more researches to how many hours to master someting check this article tooIf you’re looking more information about how many hours you need to master something check this article too. If you really want to master something, you should learn how your brain is working in a day. Check it out this BBC article.
