Learning to learn (part 2)

Last time we silenced the noise that distracts you as you’re trying to study, writes Liliya Kirylenka.

Now we tackle the hardest part – actually starting.

I need to confess something. I cycle to my yoga classes, spending an extra 40 minutes on the trip instead of doing it at home. Why?
Because I have great motivation to study, but I’m hopeless at motivating myself to exercise. It’s just much easier to commit when I know someone is waiting for me.

So, my advice number 0 is:

0. Get help

If your budget allows I’d recommend booking a private tutor and scheduling regular classes.

With a private tutor you’ll actually engage with the content and do the practice: participation is unavoidable. In my experience, two 1.5- hour classes per week is the sweet spot: it fits around work commitments and gives enough continuity so you don’t forget what you’ve covered between sessions.

Another option is to buy a course from a learning provider. Make sure it includes active involvement from a tutor. Different providers have different business models, so their approach to teaching can vary. In my view, the more personal the support is, the more likely you are to stay committed.

1. Set a minimum daily plan

If you can spare five minutes to brush your teeth, you can spare 15 minutes to study.

Commit to a non-negotiable micro-session, even on busy Mondays or mum-visiting Sundays. Make it non-negotiable, and don’t let yourself off the hook.

2. Anchor study to a routine

Habits beat willpower. Tie revision to a cue you already follow. “Open the textbook before brushing my teeth” or “tackle MCQs while drinking morning coffee” works for many of my students. No calendar debate, just muscle memory.

3. Reduce mental load in advance

Decision fatigue steals time. End each day by prepping for tomorrow’s micro-tasks: download a technical article, cache a YouTube video, take a screenshot of 10 MCQs. That way, commuting or standing in a queue becomes instant ‘bonus’ study time.

4. Finish on a high

Stop while you still know what’s next: leave a practice question half-done or bookmark the next page. That way, your next session starts with an easy win, not a wall of confusion. This is called the ‘Zeigarnik Effect’, discovered nearly 100 years ago.

5. Treat yourself

Pair study with a small reward: your favourite coffee, a spritz of perfume, a 10-minute break for a game. If your brain starts linking IFRS 9 to mango cheesecake, Pavlov would be proud.

(No, I’m not encouraging you to develop an eating disorder, just emphasising the value of positive emotion in study.)

6. Beware the ChatGPT time trap

AI is brilliant… and dangerously hypnotic. One prompt leads to another, and suddenly you’ve lost an hour. Use it only as a supplement, when the textbook makes no sense; e.g. “Explain hedging as if I were a 10-year-old.”

Don’t use it as your main source. And always set a timer.

Build your ‘starter kit’ tonight

  1. Pick your cue: “7 a.m. coffee = attempt two MCQs. 30-minute commute = video lectures. Just before bed = 15 minutes of reading.”
  2. Prep tomorrow’s micro-tasks.
  3. Choose your treat.
  4. Promise yourself at least 15 minutes a day.

Do all four and the chances are you’ll still be studying long after 15 minutes have passed, because starting is the hardest part.

What’s next?

Noise gone. Motivation loaded.

Next up: how to retain what you learn. In the next issue I’ll share memory-boosting techniques you’ll actually want to use.