Exceptional and amazing course to start learning. Thanks coursera for keeping this course as free and this course is going to motivate and help so many kids, students and even elders to unlock there potential and many disbeliefs regarding intelligence.

The professor explains everything in a really simple manner and it was a surprise to see all course not more than 4 min. None of topic looked complicated to understand, very nice paced with images, videos.

It was pleasure to complete this course.

Course material are really intensive and you could sense the amount of investigation and research has been conducted by the team to come up the course.

Main highlights

Interviews at end of each week from highly intelligent people with tips, solutions which worked for them.

I am a believer now that anyone can learn anything. Thank you so much for making this content. You are truly helping mankind here.

Thanks Dr. Barbara Oakley and Dr. Terrence Sejnowski! Just super helpful. This course is a life changing MOOC and I believe I should be teach in primary or high school or at least in first year of the university.

I was skeptical to take this course because I believed that I was a good enough learner but I found so many useful knowledge to apply on a daily basis. I have already used pomodoro technique and have done a TODO list almost every day for several years but I focus always on "the product". Now I'll start to focus on "the process" and do my TODO list at night rather than in the morning. And also I'll do more "active learning" like retrieve the material and test my self and I'll spend less time in "passive learning" like re-reading and doing mind mapping without any test in between.

Thank you for teaching how to learn. I'm Fernando Conde.

And until we meet again, happy learning! :-D

The material in this course was done so expertly. I've learned so much valuable information to apply towards studying and also my test taking practices. This new information I've learned from this course will make my learning and furthering my education much more easier for me. I won't be wasting valuable energy or time learning any longer. Thank you Terrence Sejnowski & Barbara Oakley for the very valuable information you gave us. This can and will be used in many aspects of my life and not just applying it to learning on a academic level. I found this course interesting and fun to be s part of.I wanted to learn about learning. To me when the instructors make learning fun it confirms that they understand students and how to keep us interested in the materials. Awesome job to both of you! Once again, thank you for teaching me many learning tips that we feed me for a lifetime.

This course contains invaluable information to help you succeed in life. The instructors back everything they say with lots of good and interesting references, which are available to consult at the end of each module.They presented some strategies for studying that were really useful, the best ones being "test yourself" (practice testing), distributed practice (space repetition) and interleaved practice.Students can also learn quite a bit about procrastination, memory, sleep, mindset, motivation, creativity, overlearning, chunking and other complementary resources that help you learn.I especially enjoyed the optional interviews at the end of a few modules! If you read every single reference mentioned (including books), you may end up spending well over four weeks learning from the material presented in that course. Otherwise, this can be done in a few days at most. Highly recommended!

For as long as I can recall I've had problems to remember things I thought I had learned. But just short ago I realized I was unable to remember things. I wondered why I was so good at anything I undertook at the moment and all the content that I had seemingly storaged in my brain disappeared.

Another thing that caused me a lot of terrible consequences was procrastination. I can gladly say that it doesn't have the same power over me. Now that I know what It is and how it works It's become easier for me to deal with it. I've found the Pomodoro Technique highly effective and insightful.

By taking this course I was able to find the failures that were holding me back in my learning. This course has enabled me to be a better learner. The tricks provided in this course doesn't take a super overwise person to grasp and put them into action.

Thanks for teaching me how to learn more effectively.

A truly beneficial course to pursue to further enhance learning capabilities. I have been naturally applying some of the learning methods that have taught in this course, but due to different local learning culture in my country, I was forced to think that such learning method is ineffective, but this course have re-established my passion for learning again.

Going through this course helps to solidify a true fundamental learning method that helps in every single subject and truly understand them rather than to just "remembering" the context. Instead, applying the Learning Methods that are taught in this course, helps us to Understand any subject and be able to apply what we have learned, even for a lifetime.

Am really appreciative of this course for how it have changed my life in a way, and I feel it would be a great lost if anyone who would skip this course after coming across it.

Definite eye opener.

Think back to junior high (Grade 7 or 8) and think how you approached homework. Look at a problem, look at the solution; "pfft, I got this, this stuff's easy" Honours certificate please!

But then you got to high school and thought, "hmm, I kinda got this stuff, I should be good for the test" and thus proceed to cram your way through every exam.

Marks? Varied, from yeah, not bad to absolutely MEH...

University? More of the same. Your job, a little better, but kind of FEEL meh...

It's ok, you just didn't know how to study properly.

This course will teach you how. And more importantly--at least for me--the why. As you'll see CONTEXT MATTERS A WHOLE BUNCH when you're tyring to remember stuff.

And couldn't do this review without a shout out to Barb (the girl in all the videos). Endearing, encouraging, so knowledgeable. Check out her interviews she's really good.

This is a fantastic course and is appropriate for people of all age groups, who are interested in learning. Learning keeps our brains agile and young and as i have learnt in this course, age really doesn't matter.

I am a senior citizen who has just superannuated from a career spanning nearly 39 years. I am lucky that i got introduced to Coursera and further to this course through my sons. I believe, completion of this course will be a game changer for me, during my second innings. Till now i thought that i had a weak memory and i could not retain things. This is a self-image of the past, and now i know that learning and remembering is a game with a set of rules which can be learnt and mastered,

I have started learning a new language and certain other skill sets getting help from the tips and information i gathered doing this course,

Thanks Dr Barbara Oakley and Dr Terry Sejwonsky

I really enjoy the course, and there are many reasons why I love it. Firstly, the educators are inspiring and motivating. They really motivate me to study and give me insightful ideas about learning, which enables me to understand how our brain works and some of the phenomenon in life, such as "ah-hah" moment when you find a solution while taking a bath, or solving the questions that are difficult at first but later are easy for the mind. Not to mention, the test taking tips are practical. I would love to try "Hard start jump to easy" while doing tests in the future. I really really recommend everyone, whatever your disciplines are, to join this course and absorb the wonderful knowledge and ideas from top educators, professors and outstanding individuals. The tips can be applied to any fields, and the lessons are straightforward to understand. Best wishes for everyone!

During my learning of this course, i felt fortunate to enroll in such an insightful learning experince Covering all the essential concepts in relation to Learning, Memory and more importantly the neurological perspective of learning and memory explaining the interplay of neurotransmitters. the learning is what gives a way to knowledge. And it starts with our understanding and mastery of materials by various techniques to keep learnt information accessable and maintain it in LTM(memory warehouse) involving Working memory which is memory strore for facts. academic and new learning. The techniques covering how to learn and how to avoid ineffective methods or habits of learning. I thank Professor Baraba Oakley and Prof.Terrence Sejnowski for for their valuable leacture, time and efforts. Also thank organisers of this course, The McMaster university and University of California.

Wonderful! It was enlightening to watch these incredibly experienced and talented professionals "personally" explain these eyeopening topics in such a simple way in the comfort of my home, or wherever I was. The videos are short enough so I could advance at any time, but are so compelling, once I started, I found it difficult to stop! Plus, they provide visual aids which make the facts so memorable. The optional interviews are very enriching and inspiring, loved them! The fact of having so much additional bibliography is another big plus; you can go deeper in the subject if you desire to. I learned plenty of new techniques to learn better and reinforced some that I used. I will definitely put everything to use! It was a true delight, thank you Barbara, Terrence and everyone! I will hold this inspiring experience within me for a very long time. Best of luck to all of you!

This course was extremely helpful to me in so many facets of my life. I wish I had had an opportunity to learn about these learning methods while in high school so that I could have used it in college and even throughout my career. Understanding how neural connections are created and made permanent are important components of learning and retaining all kinds of information we encounter in life. I've even used these tips to improve my golf swing. Repetition makes permanent! In summary, this course provided insight that helped me discover self-destructive mental roadblocks and bad habits that could be addressed once I became aware of these issues. I now understand that I'm not alone with these issues (procrastination, test taking anxiety, the impostor syndrome, etc....). I strongly recommend this course for those on a path of self-discovery and personal improvement.

I thought I would finish this self-paced course in a couple of days, but my 30 second summary of the first week's materials was that learning takes time. So I took the full 4 weeks to complete this course. This course doesn't reveal some new and amazing technique that enabled me to become a walking encyclopedia overnight. In fact I had already heard of all of the techniques. For example, I've tried 30 second summaries before, but I wasn't good at it right away, so I decided the technique didn't work for me. This time I treated the techniques as something I would have to spend time learning how to do, just like any other skill. Because the course became about learning new skills, I really enjoyed it. If I'd just done what I'd always done (take notes and memorize them), then I would have been bored witless, struggled with motivation and procrastination, and dropped out.

Wow, I throughtly enjoyed this course learning how to learn presented by Coursera. I am so appreciative and grateful for having this opporunity to be selected as one of Amazon Career Choice employees and given the tools to help me success in the IT Support program.

The Learning How to Learn materials were so edifying and refreshing to know the tips and the tricks of the mind focus and diffused state applied with Pomodoro helped me overcome procrasitation. I now look forward to my study time and competely daily task because I know there is a reward at the end of it, and that brings me great joy.

I could go on and on about how great this pre-work was a great benefit to me, but I will not. I look forward to practicing everything I learn in this course into the IT Support program. I would like to say thank you to everyone at Coursera, it's greatly appreciated.

I could not say thank you enough to everyone involved in this course, I am full of gratitude for all the information, technics, method and experiences shown to me ... every video added something new to my brain. I was quite surprise that I was already doing a few of the things mentioned here, I was always told that I was doing it wrong but through this course I learnt that it was perfectly fine, in fact it was the right thing to do so I felt a lot more confident now than ever, I won’t stop here ... this course has encouraged me to carry on with new studies and keep loving to learn, thank you so much Dr Barbara ... the way your talk is so soothing to the brain it felt that it came from you heart .... I am extremely thankful for this opportunity to do this course and I could not be more grateful! Please keep us teaching us as do ... because you do it great.

Karen

I am a continuous learner and love to learn new subjects/areas. I have been doing this during my Bachelors, Masters and while pursuing doctorate (12+ years) in Engineering. Personally, I have got to my own way of learning.

Attending this course, I understood why and how my way of learning works. Also, got insights into how I can improve my learning process. I also used the companion textbook which provided lot of information and real-life examples to support the key ideas in the book. I really enjoyed it.

Thanks a lot Prof. Barbara in bringing this course & book. I understand and appreciate your effort for sharing your own experience in learning subjects that were alien.Thanks for helping most of us understand better our own learning process.

This is my first course in "Coursera" and I am very happy and excited me to chunk more.

Thanks a lot Coursera Team.

Excellent and life-changing course. Sadly, no teachers teach us how to learn effectively at middle/high school/college. I spent lots of time studying at school during the past years. But no one teaches me how to learn scientifically and effectively. I found I did waste lots of time before, and previous school life made me feel frustrated. Back, I spent too much time rereading, making notes, and highlighting. And I did not complete the questions after math classes in time. I did not recall the material after class and crammed the material before the exam. These are all my lousy learning habits. It is a life-changing course. I found some qualities that make me different. I decided to change some ineffective learning ways and some ways of thinking. I recommend that everyone should take this before middle/high school or college or from now. Thank you professors

The best online course I've taken so far. This is not an exaggeration. Throughout the course, I truly felt the importance of the material taught and their applicability in my daily life. I've started using the Pomodoro technique (with the help of an app) when tackling projects at work or want to be productive at home (taking an online course, learning some new skills). I also owe it to this class, and this might be a side effect rather than a direct impact, for bringing my brain to a more relaxed mental state. In other words, the topics about focused/diffuse mode and the discussion of thinking patterns provided a much more clear path not only for approaching tasks, but also escaping from that constant loop that eventually leads to a headache. Without going into more details, this is a wonderful class for anyone, anywhere accessible to take. Happy learning!

This course was absolutely awesome! Drs. Oakley and Sejnowski introduced the information in such a manner that all learning styles had the opportunity to grasp it. It was informative and interesting; pertinent and thought provoking. The quiz after each module was key in helping to chunk the material presented each module. Each module and quiz included a bit of humor, which made the learning experience enjoyable. I'm definitely going to be aware of how I study and strive for maximum efficiency using the techniques taught here. Additionally, I'm going to buy the suggested books so that I can use them to help my math students to better learn and enjoy the topic. I learned in 4 weeks what I didn't learn during more than 20 years of formal education. Thank you very much Drs. Oakley and Sejnowski!! I rate you both as my favorite professors ever in learning.

I signed up for this course with the intention of using it to help me make the most of later courses I'd like to take, but I was shocked at how much of it is applicable in everyday life. I have many projects that I (would have liked) to be working on but had trouble finding the motivation to do so. What I learned here about handling procrastination - the pomodoro technique, focusing on process rather than product, etc - has helped me become both more focused but also helps me allow myself to relax, meaning I'm more ready to take on other projects, positive cycle etc. What I learned about short- and long-term memory, chunking, creating interesting metaphors, and so on, has had a direct impact on my ability to do my job well and commit relevant information to memory quickly. If you are considering taking this course at all, do it. It's quite worth it.

This was the first only course I've completed ever.

And actually with high grades. The lowest grade I've got is 83%.

I highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to improve their learning, or want to try to experience what online course is, as there is a high probability that you will complete it and get a confidence that you can complete something that requires a systematic approach.

One of the reasons that this course is easy to complete and learn, because it's not overloaded by heavy readings or so.

If you decided to take this course, I would recommend to chunk your learning, for example, I did 2 videos each day, so you're not bored or overloaded. Also, it was effective to analyse the script first, make notes and then watch a video of this script.

Good luck!

And huge thanks to Barbara! Looking forward to see you in Kazakhstan this September!

Very well prepared material: videos, interviews, further reading, quizzes, tests, with many opportunities to dig deeper into the topic. Professor Barbara Oakley has an easy going, but always professional approach, with a great care for details and a tremendous ability to put them into the big picture and make learning fun and easy! Everything was really well curated and of high quality. Big contributions also come from Dr. Terrence Sejnowski, which talks more about the neurological aspects related to learning. I have learned quite a lot of interesting techniques that I can use to improve the way I study, even if I am at the end of my Ph.D. ! And not only techniques, but also insights on how the brain works and how to relate this to the process of learning. Absolutely suggested to anyone interested in learning deeper and probably faster than before!

Dr. Barb Oakley and Dr. Terrence Sejnowski are two inviduals who have come very far in life regarding academia. They are experts in their fields of study as well as two people who pushed their cognitive abilities to a considerable length.

It is with this knowledge that I can surely recommend anyone to take their course Learning How to Learn. They went through the length of making an easy to follow program capable of teaching anyone in any language more about the process of learning and how to become better at it via practice.

Do away with all preconceived notions of not being smart enough or believing someone is simply born gifted. This course will break those ideas in order to expose the truth - that our brain's intelligence and cognitive abilities are much like any other muscle, thus, it can be strengthened via disciplined training and practice.

Do you have problems focusing?

You feel like time slips away from you while performing certain task?

Sometimes to solve a problem you have to force your way to the solution by smashing your head against the problem?

You work very hard but the material simply does not stay in your head?

You feel you know but when the time to take an examination comes you don't understand anything?

Search no more this course will explain you simply and in a timely manner the reasons why it happens and how to deal with it. Don't worry, Drs. Barb Oakley and Terry Sejnowski will guide you in this journey.

You just need to focus, then relax, focus again, relax, focus,... (This would be explained in the course I promise).

Make all your learning insecurities and terrible school experience aside, take this course and teach taht you were always the master of your learning.

I loved the course. Until now, I was learning not knowing how things are working, how to retain better. As Dr. Terrence Sejnowski said "Using most efficient machine in the known universe without instruction manual". I learned about different modes of thinking and how to use them efficiently, different types of memory and how to learn better and for long term, Chunking, Illusion of competence, and ways to be more productive and learned about procrastination as a habit to deal with it efficiently, test taking techinques and what not!. If you are reading this review and have not joined the course. I would highly recommend you to enroll in this course, its life changing. Without exaggerating, It is the best course i have ever done. Thank you Dr. Barbara Oakley, Dr. Terrence Sejnowski, LHTL team and coursera for this wonderful learning experience.