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Back to Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects

Learner Reviews & Feedback for Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects by Deep Teaching Solutions

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90,470 ratings

About the Course

This course gives you easy access to the invaluable learning techniques used by experts in art, music, literature, math, science, sports, and many other disciplines. We’ll learn about how the brain uses two very different learning modes and how it encapsulates (“chunks”) information. We’ll also cover illusions of learning, memory techniques, dealing with procrastination, and best practices shown by research to be most effective in helping you master tough subjects. Using these approaches, no matter what your skill levels in topics you would like to master, you can change your thinking and change your life. If you’re already an expert, this peep under the mental hood will give you ideas for turbocharging successful learning, including counter-intuitive test-taking tips and insights that will help you make the best use of your time on homework and problem sets. If you’re struggling, you’ll see a structured treasure trove of practical techniques that walk you through what you need to do to get on track. If you’ve ever wanted to become better at anything, this course will help serve as your guide. This course can be taken independent of, concurrent with, or prior to, its companion course, Mindshift. (Learning How to Learn is more learning-focused, and Mindshift is more career-focused.) A related course by the same instructors is Uncommon Sense Teaching. To join the fully translated Portuguese version of the course, visit: https://www.coursera.org/learn/aprender To join the fully translated Spanish version of the course, visit: https://www.coursera.org/learn/aprendiendo-a-aprender To join the fully translated Chinese version of the course, visit: https://www.coursera.org/learn/ruhe-xuexi To join the fully translated French version of the course, visit : http://www.coursera.org/learn/apprendre-comment-apprendre...

Top reviews

LB

May 17, 2020

This class really focused on the process of learning. It taught me so much. I even shared ideas with my college and high school student. They were surprised as some concepts were helpful to them also.

OO

Apr 28, 2016

Great course. Took it since it was the most popular MOOC on coursera,. Have started using a few of the techniques and they are very effective. Highly recommended no matter who you are and what you do.

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251 - 275 of 10,000 Reviews for Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects

By Ruth S C

Jul 21, 2016

This course, the professionalism of the teaching staff and the content impressed me to the extent I sent emails to every thinking person I know. One of my students has done weeks one and two several times.... she is a grade 11 school student and an original thinker. She is the only one that looked at the course and gave me feed back.

I am so grateful to be able to learn from great thinkers without feeling that I am one of the world's failures. How very much I do appreciate not being talked down to and being given the time to write down words that I might not know well and, finding that as I learn meanings from an ordinary dictionary, I am able to use those words on a day to day basis. I am also so grateful that I did not have to buy anything either from the University or from needing extra books to understand the course.

I have changed several of my home tutoring practices. In fact as it is school holidays here I have been practicing to 'teach' as well as the teachers on this course.

My nature is such that I need to thank people for the service they do to others. I wish I could thank you by buying a million certificates. As I am unable to do this or even buy one - what I can do is acknowledge that I learned what I know from the University of California, San Diego and mention the names of those who helped me learn. The other way of saying thank you is to remind my thinking friends that if they wish to avoid loss of their abilities to think rationally, as they age , they could look at the courses available to everyone.

Sincerely,

Ruth St. Claire

Abu Dhabi

United Arab Emirates

By Alex

Oct 16, 2017

I loved this course! The material was presented in a clear, easy-to-remember fashion, with lots of memory devices to help remember (whodathunkit?) the material, not just the usual powerpoint slides. The quiz after every video was low-stakes and I appreciated knowing up front that each quiz can be tried again, with the highest score kept. This made it low-stakes and less stressful, and made me more likely to complete it on time. The professors were cheerful and upbeat and made class a pleasure. The material is all solidly researched, and I loved the optional interviews and extra reading material. Much of the course information tied in with things I'd already read, like telling yourself a racing heart means you're excited, not afraid (I read that in The Upside of Stress, by Kelly McGonigle). But even the things I knew or had tried were presented in a new context, in such a way I'm more likely to remember them in the future. Great job! One piece of constructive criticism: the demeanor of both professors on camera is wooden. I expect they're both *much* better lecturing in person. I know from experience that you can vastly improve your performance on camera with practice and some mental tricks---like having someone watch you just beyond the camera and lecturing to them, not the camera. As this didn't cause functional problems with the course, I'd still rate the course at 99% . :) . The stiffness of the interviewing could also be improved, but rest assured, I LOVED the class and would definitely take a class from Dr. Oakley again. I've bought her book and look forward to reading it.

By Marilyn R

Sep 15, 2020

I just would like to express my gratitude in completing my online course Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to master tough subjects with the helped of our Professors Barbara Oakley and Terry Sejnowski on their willingness to discuss each topic for us to fully understand and providing tips on how to use more effectively every techniques and mental tools in our daily life. By taking this course I learned how to set things in order, managing my time in doing my task by not delaying or not procrastinate to accomplish it. Still fresh on my mind those techniques that have been discussed in a video like the Promodoro techniques, the Focused and Diffuse mode, the importance of memory and how to work it properly, The value of teamwork, and making a checklist in day to day task to use it to positively in doing things to accomplish and a lot more to mention. I can not be proud of myself self unlike before I have not started my online course I always confused and overthinking what to do first and what to do next. Now, I am very confident to go to the next level and do my work effectively by applying those techniques that I have learned in this course. Once again, Thanks so much to the creator and the Management of Coursera, Instructors, most especially to our company that gives this opportunity which all for free and the people behind all of these to helps millions of people to finish their degrees online that is more convenient for them complete without quitting ourJob or going outside to go to school because it can be done even just by a stay at home. More Power!

By Mohammad R Y

Nov 12, 2022

This was REVOLUTIONARY for me!

You must first understand where I’m coming from.

A very traumatic experience provided me the necessary reason(s) I needed to contribute to my self-destructive ways and it became easier and easier every time to give this excuse to myself.

I can understand how many may see this as “basic”, but the reality is, methods like these were introduced to me only in my 20s; life’s lessons provided me similar situations to adapt to my surroundings. 

Basic knowledge of the mind is ESSENTIAL to understand how to learn; if the basics are skipped and we start educating students right away without providing them the tools to properly start their journey as a student, we are creating products for the world to take advantage of as labourers; a “contribution” or “sacrifice”for others to remain on top of the list; adding to that, fat cats like them couldn’t even last 1 second in our world, but we can adapt & re-adapt back, evolve & revolve back, think & re-think back, mix & remix back everything that we want to put our minds to.

This “basic” training provided my ego the boost it truly thrives for, knowledge, experience, personal growth or at the least providing my mind that illusion by stimulating potential future possibilities.

A biblical term “moving mountains” has a very powerful message; the mind can manipulate future outcomes.

In this course, I was able to differentiate between “intelligent” and “creative” thinking. Just because one is intelligent doesn’t make them creative, but one that is creative shows intelligence.

By Prince S

Jul 9, 2020

-- From an introvert( who has completed his first-ever MOOC course :)

I have always been one of those people who could never quite excel in my academics. Seeing my classmates outsmarting me in every subject had always left me wondering if I wasn't intelligent enough to grasp the concepts like others. Such things can affect you in a lot of ways for a very long period. Two of the things that affected me the most are my self-confidence and my losing interest in subjects that I really loved once upon a time. Apart from the priceless lesson that this course provides, it also helped me with those two most affected parts of my life.

About this course, at first, a massive thank you to the loving instructors of this course Miss Barb Oakley and Mr.Terry Sejnowski. Like I mentioned that this is the first MOOC course that I have ever completed, I believe that it was only possible because of the passion, dedication, and care that you show about the students in every lesson of this course. I can't remember the last time when I enjoyed learning something this much as a student. Throughout the course, I could feel a sense of security and learn purely without having to compare myself with others. Even though it is an online course you both made me feel as you have got my back. So, ya thank you again for making learning enjoyable again and most importantly for bringing back the faith in me that I can be a master at anything if I firmly believe in it and by using the precious wisdom that this course has provided me with.

By Catherine v D

Aug 13, 2015

Taking the Learning How to Learn class was one of the best decisions I've made in the past ten years regarding maintaining my skills current and relevant to my professional life in high tech. I used to fall prey to a sense of being perennially "behind" regarding the amount of technical knowledge I need to master for my work. Since my University days, my modus operandi used to be: repetition and brute force, i.e., more or less, cramming.

After this class, I now have a set of tools I can actually relate to. I can use them proficiently to learn smarter, retain information better, and foremost, understand what my particular "cues' are if procrastination gets in my way again. I cannot thank Drs Oakley and Sejnowski enough for the deliberate pace of this course: they carefully pared down its content, with luminously clear explanations often delivered with a down-to-earth approach sprinkled with humor.

I sincerely hope that this small message of gratitude will encourage whomever is "on the fence" to register for the course. By the way, by requesting a Certificate of Completion, I felt that I had"skin in the game,"I had a deadline to honor. Whether tired, or pressed for time, knowing that I had paid the modest sum for my Certificate encouraged me to make time for myself to go through each lesson carefully and learn the special vocabulary associated with these new tools.

Very best wishes to all, you will be so happy you took the time to go through the class!

Sincerely,

Catherine von Dennefeld

Napa, CA

By Deleted A

Nov 6, 2019

I’m really thankful to Barb & Terry for the course!

If you like me spending too much time for videos and reading loads of articles about productivity you might have kinda mess in the head about putting all the information in the right order. There are so many of them and you are, reasonably, could get lost in it!

Lucky me, I’ve tried the course and now, finally, the general picture of how to be more productive become clearer to me.

Here are some main reasons why you need to try the course (whatever you feeling confident in learning or not):

1. First of all, it is all about how closely connected neuroscience and learning (+other life aspects) – everything has scientific proof of why is it reasonable to act this way not the other one. And yet it’s not a dogma (because loads of things we need to discover so far), but the ideas and techniques which were presented in the course are really reasonable and perspective.

2. The second important reason why it is a great idea to enroll the course – is about concepts and ideas of how to deal with procrastination – the boss-devil of nowadays, I might say.

3. Also I really enjoy the way of simplicity and openness of how Barb presented every piece of information adding examples and being funny (but concrete!) all the time.

I’m not putting a big review in here but saying what I found the most useful for me from the course. So try the course and share your own thoughts about it! I’m sure you will not regret it :)

Good luck to all and happy learning! :) Andrew

By Hugo A A O

Jun 25, 2017

At the very beginning the course seemed somehow easy and pretty basic. Nonetheless, once that you start understanding the biological reason about how and why we learn, you get the feeling that this course will definitively change your life. And that is exactly what has happened to me. Before this course I had the illusion that what I was doing was normal, I mean the way in which I was accustomed to learn. However, I had that sense that something was wrong with my approach. It turns out that my intuition was right because I was completely wasting my time while rereading or highlighting the material all the time, just to give you an example.

Additionally, I knew that procrastination could affect your life and your productivity in a way that you do not catch until you start getting anxious, for instance. Therefore a simple technique like the pomodoro, which I have been using during the last month, has been enormously beneficial for your studying and productivity.

Furthermore, there are some techniques like the memory palace, or the use of metaphors and analogies that will definitively ease your job while learning any subject.

Apart from that, understanding how your brain works and why you have certain behavior under certain circumstances, will change the way that you process any new information and it will boost your cognitive abilities up.

Please, give it a try, then you will understand what I have written here.

Learning how to learn, in my opinion, is a must, not an option.

Happy journey.

By Shelby K

Mar 3, 2021

If you find yourself filled with anxiety every time you need to learn something new, or you just love putting things off until who-knows-when, or, more likely, "Oops, it's too late..," this course is for you. Learning How to Learn was suggested to me by a very sage friend who astutely described it as a course that "should be required learning for all humans." As I progressed through Learning How to Learn, explanations--and better yet, solutions!--were given for all of my bad learning habits that have dogged me for years. Just the discovery of the insanely simple but deeply effective Pomodoro technique alone was worth the time investment. I'm going to use memory palaces, hard-jump-to-easy strategies, positive thinking, consistent but reasonable study hours, and the importance placed on sleep and exercise to turn my life around and pursue the goals that have been lingering on my to-do list for the last few years. I know I'll do it know.Drs. Oakley and Sejnowski are to me what Mr. Rogers are to other people--they are kind and warm academics that make the coursework fun. I like that they use humor and funny visuals to help cement concepts into your mind. You will get a lot more out of this course if you do the writing assignments, watch the optional videos, and do the optional readings (including Dr. Oakley's book "A Mind for Numbers"). I think I'm going to take this again in a few months to stay sharp on the study techniques. Do yourself a huge favor and get started. :)

By Shashidhar V

Sep 4, 2020

If it was permitted, I would rate 10 Star for this course, I hail from India a country where we chant The auspicious mantra recited an chanted on teacher’s day and Guru Purnima is

"Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara; Guru Sakshat Param Brahma, Tasmai Shri Guravay Namah

Guru is Brahma, who is the Lord of Creation, also called as Generator, Guru Vishnu means Guru is Vishnu (Vishnu is the Lord who is called organizer), Guru Devo Maheshwarah means Guru is the Maheshwara (Shiva or the destroyer), Guru Sakshat Parabrahma means Parbrahma viz. the supreme god or almighty.

Since Guru leads to a path of light, Guru is that Para Brahma. Tasmai Shree Guruve Namah means we bow to that Guru the guru referred to earlier.

I bow to my Guru's Dr. Barbara Oakley & Dr.Terrence Sejnowski for all their research and hard work in bringing us the effective techniques of learning which can be applied for any forms of learnings (Art,Science, Literature, Language, Higher studies).

I recommend this course to all those who are trying to learn new things but unable to progress..

I would use these techniques to teach others so the purpose of this course serves (help others).

I was very delighted to see my native language Kannada tongue twister being played and interests of participants to learn Yoga, Chakra Meditation which was originated from India.

Namasthe to my Guru's ,

Wish good luck for the learning aspirants, please go with this course without any second thought.

By Salman h

Mar 9, 2023

As someone who has always struggled with learning new and difficult subjects, I found the "Learning How to Learn" course to be an incredibly valuable resource. The course provided a wealth of practical tools and strategies that I could immediately apply to my own learning process.

The course was well-organized and included a mix of videos, readings, and interactive exercises that helped me to understand the material more deeply. The instructors were engaging and knowledgeable, and provided clear explanations and real-world examples that made the content relevant and interesting.

One of the things I appreciated most about this course was its emphasis on the science of learning. The instructors explained how the brain works when we are learning, and provided evidence-based strategies for optimizing the learning process. I found this approach to be both fascinating and useful.

By the end of the course, I felt like I had a much better understanding of how to approach difficult subjects and learn them more effectively. I was particularly impressed by the section on procrastination, which provided practical tips for overcoming this common obstacle to learning.

Overall, I highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to improve their learning process. Whether you are a student struggling with a particular subject, or simply someone who wants to learn more efficiently, this course provides powerful tools and insights that can help you master tough subjects.

By Deleted A

Dec 4, 2019

Since the original book "A Mind for Numbers" written by Dr. Barbara Oakley came out some years ago alongside the other books and studies, if you have been highly interested in learning method you might see the ideas in this course whether via books or online like I did. In spite of the fact that there rarely was a totally new method I got to know, it was great to see all the brilliant ideas in one place with supportive references so I don't need to worry about false myths and unreasonable remedies.

The lecture is about learning, and the best point of this lecture is that it is about not only 'study' itself but also things for a better study such as preventing procrastination and test-taking tips. Dr. Barbara also gives you some mindful advice for learning to help you not to be afraid of taking a new step and not to judge your own ability and give up too early and too easily. Personally, I do not like most of the self-help books which point out all the problem could be changed if you think differently. However, her lecture was a bit different since she actually helps you find a better perspective on your problem and let you know it is not only you who have the same problem and it is able to be solved.

You could finish this course without paying option and there are honour contents that will give you further understanding and extra recognition for the course. There is no doubt that by having this course I would be better prepared for my further study.

By Njavig

Dec 1, 2017

Since the original book "A Mind for Numbers" written by Dr. Barbara Oakley came out some years ago alongside the other books and studies, if you have been highly interested in learning method you might see the ideas in this course whether via books or online like I did. In spite of the fact that there rarely was a totally new method I got to know, it was great to see all the brilliant ideas in one place with supportive references so I don't need to worry about false myths and unreasonable remedies.

The lecture is about learning, and the best point of this lecture is that it is about not only 'study' itself but also things for a better study such as preventing procrastination and test-taking tips. Dr. Barbara also gives you some mindful advice for learning to help you not to be afraid of taking a new step and not to judge your own ability and give up too early and too easily. Personally, I do not like most of the self-help books which point out all the problem could be changed if you think differently. However, her lecture was a bit different since she actually helps you find a better perspective on your problem and let you know it is not only you who have the same problem and it is able to be solved.

You could finish this course without paying option and there are honor contents that will give you further understanding and extra recognition for the course. There is no doubt that by having this course I would be better prepared for my further study.

By Darious N

Jan 19, 2019

GREAT COURSE: Are you a passionate learner but sometimes feel that you could do better with your learning? Well, this course could do magic for you. I have loved every bit of the course from the moment I signed up. It has given me an opportunity on reflect on my learning and the effectiveness of the methods I use. The course takes a deep look into how the brain works and how we can make our brains better because brains are the part of the body responsible for our learning. The facilitators especially Terry made me feel like I have studied the brain for loving. Barbara keeps on provide valuable techniques for learning which i surely wouldn't have known if I didn't take this course. Thanks for those tips. As a result of this course, I am sure that my learning and study time is going to be more enjoyable and I hope to improve my grades in my masters study because the techniques and tips from here can not leave you the same. Same of bad habits like procrastination and last minute study we tackled and ideas to overcome them provided. Who am I to remain the same? I am truly grateful to God that I found this course. A big thank you to the facilitators once again and Coursera for this Knowledge. I highly recommend anyone looking to improve their learning methods to start with this course if he/she has not done it. If you are indeed passionate about learning, this course could do all the Magics for you. Thank you

By Steve S

Dec 9, 2018

I can't even begin to describe how helpful this course was for me. In school, I thought I had a learning disability. My reading comprehension was poor, my memory was not that great. I had terrible study habits.

I didn't do that great at tests...

What this course has helped me conclude is that, I just didn't know how to learn very well. In fact, I don't think schools teach this enough to students when they are learning to form their "very first chunks".

Barbara Oakley and Dr. Terry Sejnowski have broken down the learning process and have explained it in a very simple way, using a ton of visual examples, (which by the way is a great way to retain information) and have given me a deeper understanding of using creative learning techniques to simply learning better.

They are also very passionate and excited about teaching and that makes a huge difference. They are wonderful instructors and enjoy what they do. It shows in their lectures and course material. Their videos are funny and it just made everything so much more enjoyable.

My biggest take away from this course is that you can use science to explain how something works, but learning - that's where it becomes personal. It is a journey that is special to you, that is unique to you and only you. And if you know how to do it better, you're rewarding yourself, and you will enjoy everything you do and learn much better moving forward in your life.

Take this class. I loved it!

By Miguel

May 9, 2020

5 stars and kudos to Dr Barbara Oakley and Dr. Terrence Sejnowski for a job well done. I've enjoyed the course and completed the 4 weeks in 1 week. Also enjoyed reading and watching the optional videos and articles. The stories and concepts are inspiring. It goes to show anyone can learn if given the right techniques to learn and if the person is motivated and commited. We are home during this covid-19 pandemic so it's been tough juggling computer time to do things but I managed to do so and if I can do it, so can you. I did at night and early morning to give everyone a chance and when the family was taking a break for lunch, I grabbed the laptop to do optional readings and videos. The quizzes were fine and the final test was good. I enjoyed doing the week 3 project. I haven't received a grade on the project but I did grade and provided feedback to my peers who completed the projects. I took the oneline course at coursera for free so I did not pay for it nor have a certification for it. I did get 100's and 89's on the quizzes and tests and on the final got a 92%. My point is if you plan to further yourself, it's a good idea to take this course with the expectation that you are paying for it and the professors expect only your best performance. It's your future and your life, learning how to learn will change some things in you. Best wishes and thank you to my two professors - it was a pleasure! -Miguel

By Mabel C

Aug 25, 2024

Studying in the Learning How to Learn Course has been an enriching experience, with plenty of instructions, theory, advice, and guidance to rethink my way of learning. It’s as if I had applied similar techniques but in an imperfect, half-efficient way. I was never aware of the existence of focused and diffused modes or the Chunking Technique. Worse of all, I believe we were taught to go for the product instead of the process while learning in school, not to mention that highlighting, rereading, and bashing the head on the words were the recommended manners. There are concepts I’ll always be aware of, such as the use of metaphors, analogies, and stories, deliberate practice, recall, space repetition, interleading, hard start, jump-to-easy, and Memory Palace techniques. 🙌🏽 You covered topics such as procrastination and the hidden shame of feeling like an imposter, which are so real and necessary to talk about. The videos with Dr. Rebecca Brent and Dr. Richard Felder in this respect, are very insightful. I want to thank the Coursera Team and, very especially, Dr. Barbara Oakley and Dr. Terrence Sejnowski for sharing knowledge and experience with us. Of course, thank you to all the interviewed professionals that kindly shared their thoughts and experiences too. It was easy to devote time to watch the videos and think, recall, revisit, and test. I’ll keep myself focused, practising, and repeating! Thanks a lot!

By Samah A J

Jan 7, 2021

Let me whisper that I joined the course out of boredom and curiosity but completing it healed my trauma. At least, passing “Learning How to Learn” on 31 December 2020 made my year, not only my day.

Recently, since May 2020, shame, feelings of inadequacy, and panic attacks invade my life. They started with Corona Occupation. You will forgive my metaphor when you know that I am a Syrian who tries to make life in Germany & I am a refugee who was raised up by refugees and works with refugees.

It is not easy to keep positive when your social circle drags you down. It is not easy to keep the faith when your team questions whatever you do. I could survive fleeing my country and the camp daily routine and many other issues but not the chaotic uncertain environment which created the inadequacy feeling that suffocated me till Dr. Oakley and Dr. Sejnowski opened my eyes to see all the doors. Just learning about Imposter Syndrome opened those doors.

In my journal, the first entry is “Learning is not enough to put the information into practice. I have been teaching those ideas and bringing those tools to my students for years but, personally speaking, a tomato is not enough to reduce the tension or to create a shelter during the lockdown. I will stop this course!”

“a tomato to stay focused and an apple to keep the doctor away and deep sleeping to live healthy, I need no more”, I doted these words in Arabic.

By thomas f

Jan 7, 2023

This course is a must-have if you plan on being/becoming/remaining a life-long learner! This is course is what is needed in at higher level education; it must be a major part of a student's toolkit! There are so many tips and techniques. But not only that. These strategies are all backed by research, so our lecturers at this course isn't giving you trial and error strategies, but those that have been researched, tried and true! I enjoyed this course very much and I plan on using them in my next level of education. Finally, if you're an elementary teacher like myself, these techniques can be particularly useful (with some tweaking of course, for their specific level) to help your students learn more effectively and as a teacher, there is no greater reward than seeing your students grasp concepts and recall what they know to help them in their studies. Overall, I enjoyed how seemingly complex material can be so simply broken down to the layman's level to be understood by anyone. Thus in my studies and my teaching, I am to use analogies and metaphors to help students grasp abstract ideas more readily. Barb and Dr. Sejnowski, hats off to you both. This was a very well-thought out and well-executed course and indeed, this is not farewell, but hello as I'm off to explore what other courses I can find in which you both have collaborated. Thank you and take care from Trinidad and Tobago.

By Kristoffer H

Apr 17, 2017

This is an excellent course on learning how to learn. The videos are engaging and lively, and the instructors have an interest in the subject that rubs off on you. Dr. Oakley in particular manages to teach the material in a vibrant and lively way, although such things are a bit subjective so you may or may not appreciate her style as much as I did. Dr. Sejnowski, while clearly engaged and inspiring, seemed uncomfortable and at times a bit stuttering in front of the camera. On the other hand, I am in the second week of the companion course “Mindshift” now, and he is much more comfortable there.

One of the important points in this course is active learning. The team behind the course have eaten their own dogfood by providing a lot of quizzes, polls, and pauses for freestyle reflection (text-boxes) for the student to test their knowledge of the material, as well as reflect on it. The “honors” assignments provide even more opportunities for learners to reflect and consolidate their knowledge.

All videos are well-cited, and each module has a healthy dose of optional readings, as well as optional videos. On the whole I feel that this optional material has given me good pointers for further self-study, as well as helping me to relate what I've learned in this course with other resources that are unaffiliated with this course.

Disclaimer: This is only the first course I've finished on Coursera.

By Taylor B

Oct 4, 2021

This course feels like just what I've been missing in my personal endeavors to learn to learn better. I've been exposed to many of the concepts introduced in the course before such as memory palaces in Moonwalking with Einstein, neurogenesis and the benefits of physical exercise and other neuroscience facts in Mozart's Brain and the Fighter Pilot and other publications, Deliberate Practice in Peak, Pomodoro technique via agile methodologies adoption of it, the Power of Habit, etc. However, despite having these exposure, I wasn't able to put them into practice well in my own life, so they ended up feeling like techniques that were interesting and must be supported by data, but maybe beyond my reach or at least requiring too much overhead and being overwhelming to consider all together.

With this course, professors Oakley and Sejnowski offer support and encouragement, and they tied all of these concepts together with unified model of the brain, describing how these techniques and developments in science really could transform my life and encouraging me to believe in and trust the process and do it in a way that wasn't overwhelming and prevents automatic processes and inertia from taking over. I'm excited to put these ideas into practice and see how it transforms my life and helps me achieve my learning objectives, and I believe that if you give it a shot you can be similarly encouraged.

By Robert R

Jun 3, 2022

I would encourage anyone open to learning to first do this course!

Over the last few years, I have found learning to be very difficult for me. Recent circumstances saw me looking for a career change but my inability to properly learn new content proved to be my downfall.  I considered myself to be teachable so I did not understand why I suddenly was not successful at learning. After all, I was a successful learner in high school many years ago.  Nevertheless, completing this 'Learning How to Learn' course came to me as a requirement to get accepted into a job training program I applied to. I can truly say that the value this course brought to me has been remarkable. Not long after starting this course, I realized the obstacle all along was that I did not properly know how to learn. Now that I have completed this course of study, with high school long gone behind me, I was not then so well equipped. Today, however,  I find myself equipped and empowered to successfully pursue a career change, even if it means going to college as an adult. I have learned how to learn! Thank goodness! I feel like the sky is the limit and I can go out into the world and attain my dreams.

I do not doubt that this course will benefit anyone interested in successfully learning how to learn and who does not know how to go about it. So let me invite you, be encouraged, and come on while I salute you!

By Digvijay S Y (

Apr 15, 2023

The online course titled "Learning How to Learn" by Dr. Oakley and Dr. Sejnowski is an exceptional resource for anyone looking to improve their learning abilities. I was able to learn new mental tools and wish to use them to learn difficult concepts more efficiently. The instructors employ a range of teaching techniques, including video lectures, assignments, and quizzes at the end of each video, which was a very engaging and effective learning experience.One of the standout features of this course is the clear and concise way the instructors explain the concepts. They break down complex ideas into easy-to-understand components, making it easy for learners to follow along and absorb the material. Moreover, the course is designed to be accessible to all learners, regardless of their background or prior knowledge, making it an excellent choice for anyone looking to improve their learning skills.Another great aspect of the course is its practicality. The mental tools taught in this course can be applied to a variety of subjects and situations, making them applicable in both personal and professional contexts. The course also provides learners with valuable tips and strategies for improving memory, managing procrastination, and developing good study habits.I would highly recommend this course to anyone looking to enhance their learning skills and master difficult subjects.

By Andrzej K

Nov 13, 2016

I am not sure if the course will help me in any degree but that is solely due to my laziness, low self-esteem and year long struggle with depression. However, with regards to the course itself, I think it can be very usefull. A lot of the learing tips seem common sense but for me it was very important that all of them were supported by science , not only the kind of advice that any person could give you. I can only regeret that I did not take a similar course when at school or at the universtiy. I am sure I will use, or at least try to use, some of the techniques and do more reading on the subject (using both the Web and the publications mentioned throughout the course of the lectures). In my opinion, the fact that the lectures are divided into rather short segments is beneficial as it helps to go through the course even without having much time and incresaes motivation to continue, as one is not faced with having to listen for a lecture for an hour or so. I often found myself only plannig to view one short videos and ending up in wieving a couple one after another, not noticing how much time passed. Finally, I think that both of the lecturers are a great benefit of the course as they bring a lot of enthusiasm and good will and seemed people I would like to know in person (or at least that was my impression).

Greetings and thanks from Poland to both of them!

By Jen M

Jan 10, 2021

I found Barbara Oakley by watching her great Tedtalk on YouTube, so I remembered her name when I got an email recommending her course, Learning How to Learn. Having completed a Masters degree in Educational Leadership in the UK in 2005 it was great to have this course suddenly present itself when I had time over the Christmas break, and especially because Barbara was one of the two main presenters. She is my perfect tutor, knowledgeable, professional, but a real people person. I can understand everything she says and her enthusiasm for learning is inspiring. I enjoyed every minute of the course. I particularly like the way she, Terry and others contributing read the transcript aloud as the student can follow it by reading the text at the same time. I felt I learnt a huge amount that will definitely help me in any future studies. It has reinforced my love of lifelong learning, restored my confidence, guided my decisions in my life, and added new purpose and enjoyment in life after a bad year for me involving a separation, the uncertainty from Covid19 and other difficulties. Completing this MOOC has been better than therapy for me, and builds on the knowledge from the Preventing Dementia MOOC. I have now experienced the benefits of learning,, and socialising to an extent in the Discussion boards and peer reviews, and cannot recommend this MOOC highly enough.