Sometimes, you need or want to learn a subject fast. There are several strategies you can employ to help you get a good overall grasp of a subject, and you might surprise yourself how quickly you can acquire new knowledge or skills. So, here are the six steps you need to help learn a subject quickly:

Information Overload
Most times when people are trying to learn something new, they go through the material slowly and logically often re-reading sections and highlighting phrases until they know the material inside and out. This approach does work well however boredom has a tendancy to strike.

Instead, you should aim to zip through the material as fast as you can. It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand everything - just keep going. Don’t worry about taking all the information in or remembering it all; your aim is to finish the book as soon as you can. Don’t do any of the quizzes or exercises - just keep reading. The only time you should re-read anything at this stage is if there is one underlying principle which keeps getting repeated and you don’t understand it.

It’s advisable to read in chunks - read 30-40 pages and then give yourself a break for a few minutes. Assimilating information this fast is tough for the brain, particularly if it isn’t used to it, so you need to rest in between.

Key Concepts
Once you have finished the book, think about the key concepts of what you have just read. The details aren’t so important at this stage as the core ideas. Try to define the core concepts as simply as you can - make sure you write them up in your own words.

What must be memorized?
With any subject, there are some things that must be memorized however most data can be looked up. Don’t fill your head up with figures and statistics that can easily be looked up. Concentrate on the main concepts and data that are core to the subject.

Feedback
You need feedback to see how well you have understood your subject. If you can find one, do a mock exam - you may be able to find some quizzes online. Failing that, have a go at any exercises in your books.

You will probably find that you don’t do too well in the tests but don’t worry - start to look up what you got wrong. You may well be surprised how much knowledge you have gained already on the subject. At this stage, you should be aiming to have a good ‘framework’ of the subject - the details will get filled in later. As the concepts start to be joined up, the details should click fairly easily into place.

More Information
Now is the time for more information overload. This time, don’t go for books - try other sources. Hearing the same subject from a different viewpoint or in a different medium can really help understanding. Magazines and the internet are great ways to read about your subject from different points of view.

The Real World
Now, you need to test yourself in ‘the Real World’. If you have chosen to learn a language, see if you can find a fluent speaker and have a conversation with them, or maybe buy a magazine in that language and try to read it.

If you can find a forum or discussion group on the internet, jump in and start debating on your chosen subject. Debate is an excellent way to reinforce your knowledge and discover new things!

Of course, this concept is not recommended for every situation or for a subject that you need to learn really thoroughly, such as an undergraduate course. However, it is an excellent way to grasp the overall concepts within a subject quickly in situations where you are looking for secondary knowledge, or it’s a subject that interests you.

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