Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning Is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy

In this revolutionary, comprehensive, and accessible guide on how the brain learns, discover how to study more efficiently and effectively, shrug away exam stress, and most of all, enjoy learning.

When we study, we tend to focus on the tasks we can most easily control--such as highlighting and rereading--but these practices only give the illusion of mastery. As Dan Willingham, professor of psychology and bestselling author, explains, familiarity is not the same as comprehension.

Perfect for teachers and students of all ages, Outsmart Your Brain provides real-world practices and the latest research on how to train your brain for better learning. Each chapter provides clear and specific strategies while also explaining why traditional study processes do not work. Grounded in scientifically backed practical advice, this is the ultimate guide to improving grades and better understanding the power of our own brains.

ISBN-13: 9781982167172

Media Type: Hardcover

Publisher: Gallery Books

Publication Date: 01-24-2023

Pages: 336

Product Dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.20(d)

Dan Willingham received his PhD from Harvard University in cognitive psychology and is now a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia. He is the author of several books, including Outsmart Your Brain and Raising Kids Who Read. A fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science, you can follow him on Twitter @DTWillingham.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 How to Understand a Lecture 7

2 How to Take Lecture Notes 27

3 How to Learn from Labs, Activities, and Demonstrations 50

4 How to Reorganize Your Notes 74

5 How to Read Difficult Books 90

6 How to Study for Exams 105

7 How to Judge Whether You're Ready for an Exam 135

8 How to Take Tests 149

9 How to Learn from Past Exams 174

10 How to Plan Your Work 193

11 How to Defeat Procrastination 216

12 How to Stay Focused 237

13 How to Gain Self-Confidence as a Learner 259

14 How to Cope with Anxiety 273

Conclusion 289

Acknowledgments 295

Bibliography 297

Index 315

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