What type of learner are you and how do you study?

I think I am a hybrid. I can read something and there is a very good probability that I will memorize what I read. However I am also very Kinesthetic. I find myself highlighting a lot of the book. General what happens when I do that I seem to remember the material better. I am not sure if the act of moving the highlighter over the text while reading is helping me retain the information or if it causes me to slow down, but it defiently helps.

One other thing I do is write out note cards. If I feel something is critical to know I will write it out on note cards.

What's your style and what works best for you?

What do you think about the high lighter thing? Is that a kinesthetic type of learning style?

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Cert Poor

I read that actually handwriting notes (be it from book, video, or lecture) is one way the brain remembers things best. So even though it's slower and not as pretty as typing notes, it helps me. I think the brain works differently when your hand is writing letters than when it's hitting the keyboard, which tactically feel the same.

I'm not a highlighter person. Probably because I have this weird urge to keep my books looking new, silly as that sounds.

What works best for me is that I study the material REALLY slowly. I can take over 10 minutes to read a page or two, but I'm busy thinking of real-world examples and daydreaming about the concept so it sticks pretty well. I'll then only do practice tests when I'm ready to take the real thing.

Making flash cards and making tables and diagrams and pictures REALLY help too.

I'm also hands-on and remember things best that way.

Missouri represent!

Paul Boz

Mostly a lazy one.. I used to make flashcards, highlight my books, read like six resources on the same exam, etc, but now I'm lucky to read one complete resource and highlight chapter 1.

msteinhilber

Depends on the study aid I'm using, if I'm reading from a book I usually end up just running through a good chunk of it that's new to me not really skimming, but a full read - although quick - of the chapters covering material I think is going to be new and skip any lab, cases, reviews, etc from it. Then I'll by this point usually have taken enough about the topics I'm covering to have raised some questions in my mind about the topics be it how it works, why it works, why you would do it that way, whatever. I'll go through and read it again, this time taking my time and letting it really sink in and taking any notes as needed or jotting down anything I think I need to dig a little deeper into with another resource. While going through the more thorough read, it's not uncommon for me to go off at the end of a chapter or two when the content is changing significantly and digging up other study resources to cover the same points from an alternate resource before moving on to the next block of material.

I'm a mix of hands-on and a visual/audio learner. I can pickup theory and concepts for the most part by reading things or watching/listening to CBT's and perhaps some flash cards if I'm feeling motivated. Flash cards work really well with me, but I don't always have the motivation to make them though. Now on the other hand, if I'm dealing with actual implementation, setup, or troubleshooting stuff I'm typically best as a hands-on at that point.

Repo Man

I use ebooks and cut/paste important sections into a word document.

za3bour

I use both hand-writting while I'm studying this is the way I've been studying since 7th grade I think and it's been working fine. I can't memorize or understand anything If I didn't write it down and do consume a large amount of papers.After I finish the book I start writing my notes in Word as numbers/bullets I write important stuff, the things I need to memorize, the hard commands ...etc

I don't like using videos I think I'm more of do it yourself person even if It took me days to do a simple task but I learn more this way.

N2IT

Paul Boz wrote: »

Mostly a lazy one.. I used to make flashcards, highlight my books, read like six resources on the same exam, etc, but now I'm lucky to read one complete resource and highlight chapter 1.

Well you made it so why not!

ehnde

I read and watch videos, but learn more from doing labs than any other method.

undomiel

For me it has been mostly skimming through some online resources, borrow books from the library that have any sections of interest and skim through those, and primarily working with the technologies themselves. Bring up a few virtual machines and test out a few things, read some tech notes on how some parts work, and then experiment with it some more. Or just plain end up with it being OJT i.e. pretty much any of my Cisco skills currently. I've never been much of a studier as listening to lectures always put me to sleep in school and reading the books was boring. I much preferred any way hands on learning. Never had much use for notes or flash cards either.

demonfurbie

if the author is a good one with a nice style i can read but if its like a strait tech manual i cant read those

other than that im a visual/auditory learner if i can watch it or listen to it the material sinks in better ... thats probably why im having so much issue with project+ no real videos out there

Arysta

I learn through osmosis... I take a nap on the book I want to read and when I wake up I'm smart!!

varelg

Oh, Arysta seems to be the blessed one, many wish to adopt that style of learning.
Highlighting for me doesn't work, cards work but on a limited basis, I tend to card only some minute details that I know for sure I'll forget come exam time. I prefer taking notes. Instructional videos never worked for me.
Top- down learning is my thing. Birds view first and then work on details.

Mishra

I learn best in a group environment. All I need is 1 person who will bug me to lab out some things and learn stuff and we will learn loads of information off of each other.

Sadly, I haven't found that person.

So I have to stick to the read and concentrate really hard to wr mem.

Priston

games (hands on labs)
toys (servers, routers, switches)
picture books

still waiting for the CCENT and MCTS coloring books to hit the market

Mike_30

Im a hands on person. I can learn some from a book but not absorb it all like some people. If I can sit in a class and actually tinker or break the widget and put it back together I understand it.

Wish I could find a solid company in L.A. that will let me go sit, tinker and break things..

PS. by breaking I mean a error message or what I tried didnt work right...

mikedisd2

Hands on will make me understand how to do things but not neccessarily give me the arbitrary book smarts to pass an exam.

I guess if I'm interested in the subject, I'll retain the info; if it bores me I'll read it 7x times and still not grasp what's going on.

Paul Boz

N2IT wrote: »

Well you made it so why not!

I would honestly prefer to.. I just don't have the time or mental bandwidth to do the things I want to do regarding certifications. Yesterday I got to work at 6:30am and was VPN'd in until 9:45pm. Sometimes I just don't have the time. Other times I'm so mentally wiped out by the end of the day that I just want to chill out.

docrice

I ultimately do best through labs, but videos and books help me as well. For those kinds of materials, I think it's highly dependent on the instructor personality and writing styles involved. I've used some CBTs and read some books which were hard to maintain attention on.

When I comb through a book, I skim through it once to get the general feel for it and then go over it a second time and taking notes on the things I don't know (a delta, basically). If the entire subject is completely new to me, then I'd have to do more work.

I have a huge whiteboard behind me. I scribble on it a lot. It helps. They say that writing something down helps you retain it better. The ease of writing / erasing / big letters (compared to a paper notepad) is a big reinforcement factor.

N2IT

Paul Boz wrote: »

I would honestly prefer to.. I just don't have the time or mental bandwidth to do the things I want to do regarding certifications. Yesterday I got to work at 6:30am and was VPN'd in until 9:45pm. Sometimes I just don't have the time. Other times I'm so mentally wiped out by the end of the day that I just want to chill out.

I am burning out a bit myself. I am trying to score a few ""technical" certs and hopefully I can get into that 2.5 level tier type position. I am looking for a transition.

Anyway I don't put in nearly as much time as you, but this is a very busy part of the season for me as well.

Hopefully Network + and Security + by December, to be honest 1 would be more realisitic.

demonfurbie

im at wgu and to avoid IT cert burn out im trying to rotate tech classes with non tech classes it seams to help some

QHalo

Watch videos first all the way through. Then watch again and take notes. Then read. Then read and take notes. Lab as necessary on the topics needed.

superman859

Depends on the material really. Often I just read a book on the subject front to back line by line, and it usually works out pretty well as long as it isn't too technical or require hands on stuff (like the sec+ I just took - nothing specific about configuring firewalls, just the ideas behind it all).

For other things such as programming languages, I may start out with the intention of reading it front to back, but I make it about 3 chapters in to get the basic idea and then just boot up the machine and get to work through trial and google.

In a classroom environment? Take notes? Write it down? Can't stand it. To me I can't force myself to write notes I will never refer back to (the book has it all, after all, and in more detail) with my terrible handwriting. I'd rather just try to listen and absorb the material the first time around rather than try to play catch up with writing down notes on whatever is being said.

So it's either grab a book (and I ALWAYS try my hardest to find the ones with great reviews rather than read a semi-crappy book, even if the better one costs a bit more) and read like a mad man, or boot it up and just play until it works.

N2IT

Great replies thanks for the heads up.

shaqazoolu

Steps to study:
1. Read everything once to get familiar with the concepts
2. Set up a way to apply what I've just finished reading (labs and such)
3. Take practice tests
4. Review the things that I consistently suck at in practice tests

Learning new procedures and techniques and such is mostly trial and error. I prefer it that way because it teaches both the right way and the wrong way.

NetworkingStudent

Cert Poor wrote: »

I read that actually handwriting notes (be it from book, video, or lecture) is one way the brain remembers things best. So even though it's slower and not as pretty as typing notes, it helps me. I think the brain works differently when your hand is writing letters than when it's hitting the keyboard, which tactically feel the same.

I'm not a highlighter person. Probably because I have this weird urge to keep my books looking new, silly as that sounds.

What works best for me is that I study the material REALLY slowly. I can take over 10 minutes to read a page or two, but I'm busy thinking of real-world examples and daydreaming about the concept so it sticks pretty well. I'll then only do practice tests when I'm ready to take the real thing.

Making flash cards and making tables and diagrams and pictures REALLY help too.

I'm also hands-on and remember things best that way.

Missouri represent!

This sounds like me, I feel like I need to write everything out for it to make sense. Here is my strategy :
1. Read and write out the notes by hand… I will write out everything I feel that is important.
2. Put the notes into One Note using the Cornell notes system/template http://lsc.sas.cornell.edu/Sidebars/Study_Skills_Resources/cornellsystem.pdf
3. I then use the Cue column to make questions for my Note cards.
This is something new I’m starting with the Security+ exam, and so far it’s working. However, it takes a lot longer to take notes.

N2IT

NetworkingStudent wrote: »

This sounds like me, I feel like I need to write everything out for it to make sense. Here is my strategy :
1. Read and write out the notes by hand… I will write out everything I feel that is important.
2. Put the notes into One Note using the Cornell notes system/template http://lsc.sas.cornell.edu/Sidebars/Study_Skills_Resources/cornellsystem.pdf
3. I then use the Cue column to make questions for my Note cards.
This is something new I’m starting with the Security+ exam, and so far it’s working. However, it takes a lot longer to take notes.

One note is a great idea

jayc71

I learn well from both books and hands-on training. I have to be able to visualize the concept before I will remember it long-term, and I find that I retain knowledge much more easily if I can explain it to someone else.

UnixGuy

Certifications-wise I don't really like to take a certification exam without having the necessary experience first (I'm well aware that this luxury is not always possible).

I begin with entry level certifications, and I try to begin with things that I'm already familiar with; I don't like to attack a high-level certifcation like CISSP for example without having first done CEH/SEC+/and some other vendor security cert first...I feel that this way the high level cert will be easier to grasp, and I'll be more confident studying/practicing and working with it later...not that it's not possible, but this is my personal way