I procrastinate, hate repetitions and tests. I know that is very bad.
The fact that, I started this course to procrastinate from actually working on my thesis and learning a Functional programming (FP) is quite amusing. As, this course helped me a lot in understanding the process of learning and how to deal with procrastination without using too much of will power. I feel writing thesis is quite difficult, as I have to defend it and learning FP which is much different at conceptual level from imperative and object-oriented programing paradigms. So, I wanted to apply some of the techniques, I learnt in 'Learning How to Learn' and avoid the identified problem in my learning style. I would write the cycle of learning, as I approach it now.
As discussed by Robert Boice [1], procrastination is delaying an important task (or a task with some reward in distant future) and instead doing tasks which doesn't cause anxiety and offer immediate rewards. For me the task of reading a research paper, writing about it in thesis is quite difficult because, I increases the anxiety of coming thesis submission and defence. Before taking this course, I would spent time all day reading about new advances in technology, randomly checking email, Facebook and Twitter. When get tired of all that than move to working on writing the final draft, but by than I would be too tired to make any significant progress. Now, after reading about Procastination and methods to deal with it without depleting ones will power, I was able to device a plan to break free of this habit.
It all starts before going to sleep, make task list for next day only (personally, use a secret gist, by keeping it online, It can be used from anywhere. As, gist is just a text file with a list of item, any suggestions and details for the item on list can be added easily. Next day, early in the morning, try to eat my frogs first, that way the most difficult task of the day gets done, feeling of having something accomplised for the day rushes in and face rest of the day with more confidence.
To do list for next day, while keeping the frogs first
Using sequence of 2 pomodoro sessions (using a chrome extension to "Timer Loop"), for each pair of focused-diffused mode.
Pomodoro Sessions for Focused & Diffused Modes
In first session, I focus on learning or reading new material, followed by a break in which I walk around or talk with friends. This break, lets diffuse mode kick in and help idea penetrate deeper into memory and make novel connections, like finding an interesting new application of concept or mapping to other concepts.
Focused Reading, maybe a bit for notes taking
After, a cycle of focused and diffused mode and having a break. One can prepare themselves for a recall session, and It is recommended to write any and everything about the concept that comes to mind, as if one is trying to explain it to someone else. This also helps to avoid the procrastination and hesitation, that one often feel in writing. By writing, mistakes can be identified later in understanding and also identify the parts which are difficult.
For writing I also use full screen mode in a gist comment, it removes all the distractions and gives all the screen space to writing only. Writing in a gist, makes it easily sharable with my friends. They can easily point out any mistakes that I missed and discuss in comments if I drifted away from the task.
Writing in Distraction Free Zone
By identifying the difficult part in any topic, one can go for deliberate practice. During Recall, making questions is also useful, makis such questions which one think are important for future self to know. Add these question to a deck of flashcards in Anki or anywhere.
Anki testing with flashcards with spaced repitition.
For, writing purpose I use github gists. By doing so, I can not only update and correct my mistakes and look at my revision history and see what were the mistakes I made and corrected in past. It provides a time line of learning a concept starting recall.
For making questions for my future self, I use StudyBlue. One can find flashcards made by others and answering other's questions canfurther deepen the understanding.
Few days after learning any new concept, try to test understanding by answering questions (that, prepared during Recall), some online test and/or apply the concept with some other learnt chunks. Anki can be used for deliberate practice as it provides an option to mark questions difficult. So, it can be tested again earlier than easy concepts.
For example, one can use duolingo to learn a language. The most interesting thing in doulingo was it is continuous testing, "make mistake, correct them, get rewarded and repeat". Doulingo, found that just learning once is not enough, you need to repeat new concept with spaced repetitions. Over the time, they show your learnt skills, weakening and subconsciously one doesn't want the investment put into learning that concept go to waste, and repeats to make the concept to full strength, and in process repeating the given concept. This process continues as you learn new concepts and repeat old one. They also test the several concept together interleaving and enhancing the understanding of individual chunks.
doulingo, weakened skills
- Timer Loop
- ReadCude
- Gist at Github
- Anki
- StudyBlue
- doulingo
- After the Deadline
- phraseExpress
- Snipping Tool
- Read Later Fast
- Boice, Robert. Procrastination and Blocking. Westport, CT: Praeger, 1996.
- Robert Wright, (April 21, 2012). "How to Break the Procrastination Habit" The Atlantic.
- Alexander Rozental, Per Carlbring. "Understanding and Treating Procrastination: A Review of a Common Self-Regulatory Failure." PSYCH, 2014.
- Geary, David C, A Wade Boykin, Susan Embretson, Valerie Reyna, Robert Siegler, Daniel B Berch, and J Graban. "Task Group Reports of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel; Chapter 4: Report of the Task Group on Learning Processes." 2008.
- Kornell, N., A. D. Castel, T. S. Eich, and R. A. Bjork. "Spacing as the Friend of Both Memory and Induction in Young and Older Adults." Psychology and Aging 25, no. 2 (Jun 2010): 498-503.
- Roediger, Henry L, and Andrew C Butler. "The Critical Role of Retrieval Practice in Long-Term Retention." Trends in Cognitive Sciences 15, no. 1 (2011): 20-27.
- Roediger, Henry L, and Jeffrey D Karpicke. "The Power of Testing Memory: Basic Research and Implications for Educational Practice." Perspectives on Psychological Science 1, no. 3 (2006): 181-210.
- Taylor, Kelli, and Doug Rohrer. "The Effects of Interleaved Practice." Applied Cognitive Psychology 24, no. 6 (2010): 837-48.
- Pennebaker, J. W., Gosling, S. D., & Ferrell, J. D. (2013). Daily online testing in large classes: Boosting college performance while reducing achievement gaps. PLoS ONE, 8(11), e79774.
- Feynman, R. (1985). "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman". NY: W. W. Norton.
- Bilalic, M., McLeod, P., & Gobet, F. (2008). Inflexibility of experts--reality or myth? Quantifying the Einstellung effect in chess masters. Cognitive psychology, 56(2), 73-102. doi: 10.1016/j.cogpsych.2007.02.001
- Johns Hopkins Medicine, "Memories of errors foster faster learning," August 14, 2014, Science Daily.
- Annie Murphy Paul, (April 29, 2014), "How Studying or Working Abroad Makes You Smarter," Time.
- Graham, Paul. "Good and Bad Procrastination."
- Felder, Richard M. "Memo to Students Who Have Been Disappointed with Their Test Grades." Chemical Engineering Education 33, no. 2 (1999): 136-37.
- Benedict Carey, (September 4, 2014). "Why Flunking Exams Is Actually A Good Thing." The New York Times.
- Mark J. Brandt, Putting Pen to Paper, Association for Psychological Science.
- David Glenn, Procrastination in College Students Is a Marker for Unhealthy Behaviors, Study Indicates, The Chronicle of Higher Education. 2002.
- Matthew Might, Productivity tips, tricks and hacks for academics.
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- Pictures of tools and flow are screen shots taken on author's own computer, using Windows Snipping Tool.