Top 5 Habits of Highly Effective Learners and How to Develop Them

A 2022 Statista survey revealed that 25% of online students in the U.S.—current, prospective, and former—expressed concerns about balancing their education with family, work, and household obligations. It can be a challenge to find the time to study while juggling your professional and personal life, particularly if you’re learning remotely. It therefore becomes important to be an efficient and effective learner, especially when you are a working professional trying to juggle an online course. And to achieve success in this endeavor, you need to absorb and retain as much knowledge as possible while managing time efficiently.

If you’re wondering how to enhance your learning ability, chart out an effective study plan, and execute it successfully to attain your learning objectives, read on and find out! 

What are the Five Habits of Highly Effective Learners?

The ability to learn effectively is influenced by a variety of different habits such as being organized, paying attention to detail, and managing time efficiently. To become successful learners, especially in an online setting, students will benefit by inculcating the following traits: 

1. Get Organized

One of the most important habits of highly effective learners is being organized. They can keep track of their assignments, deadlines, and schedules, prioritize tasks, and manage their time well. Being organized helps learners to stay on top of their studies as well as ensure that they complete their assignments on time.

2. Be Meticulous

Another important habit of successful learners is being meticulous. A meticulous learner pays attention to detail and can identify patterns, connections, and trends in the information they are gaining. They can effectively analyze and evaluate the information they receive, which helps them to retain it better. Being meticulous also helps learners to identify and course correct quickly.

3. Manage Time Effectively

Time management is the process of effectively allocating time between different tasks. It involves setting goals, creating a schedule, and sticking to it. Time management skills are crucial for learners to be able to balance their studies with other commitments such as work and family responsibilities. 

4. Have a Clear Plan

Clear planning helps learners to stay organized and on top of their tasks. Clear planners can break down large projects into smaller tasks and prioritize them. Moreover, they can also set themselves deadlines, and successfully meet them through effective time management and developing the ability to multitask.

5. Be Prepared to Adapt

Last but not least, being agile and ready to adapt is crucial to being successful learners. Agile learners can adjust their approach to adapt to changes quickly and find new ways to augment their learning ability. They can also learn from their mistakes to improve their skills and upskill quickly in order to advance in their career.

ALSO READ: Top 8 Career Resolutions and Effective Tips to Stick to Them in 2023

How to Develop These Five Habits?

Now that you know what it is that is needed to be an effective learner, find out what you can do to be one yourself. In this section, we look at the steps you can take to scale up your learning ability to help you maximize your learning outcomes. 

1. Start with Decluttering

To get organized, start by decluttering your space. This can be your home, office, or even your computer. Get rid of anything that you no longer need or use. Once you have decluttered, create an organized system for everything that you need. This could be labeling or color-coding your files, folders, even storage containers. 

2. Pay Attention to Minute Details

The first step to becoming meticulous is to pay close attention to the minute details. This means taking the time to evaluate your learning methods, double-checking your assignments, and being mindful of the progress you are making. Given that this habit will take time and effort to develop, start by focusing on one thing at a time and slowly work your way into other areas.

3. Create a Schedule and Stick to it

To improve your time management skills, start by creating a schedule—a daily, weekly, or monthly one. Make sure to include everything that you need to do, including the professional and the personal. Also make sure you find time to relax. Once that’s done, stick to it as much as possible. If you find that you are still constantly running out of time, try to streamline your tasks and learning methods.  

4. Maintain a Weekly/Monthly Planner

To become a clear planner, you need to first create a learning plan, set goals, and follow through with them. Make a list of the tasks you need to achieve, such as your weekly or monthly to-do list, to attain your learning goals. Prioritize the tasks you have scheduled by their order of importance. Thereafter, make sure to check your list regularly and update it as needed if your goals or priorities change. 

5. Be Open to Change

To become agile and ready to adapt, you need to be open to change. To develop this attitude, try to approach new situations with an open mind and be willing to consider different perspectives. Practice being proactive instead of reactive. This way, you’ll be able to anticipate and adapt to changes more effectively.

Importance of Managing a Healthy Work-Life-Study Balance

It’s necessary to strike a balance between the time you spend on work, your personal life, and education. All three are crucial for a fresh mind that will further enhance your learning ability. The benefits of a work-life-study balance include:

1. Improved Physical and Mental Health

Maintaining a healthy work-life-study balance helps avoid excessive stress and burnout caused due to overwork. Moreover, it helps to improve mental and physical health as well as reduce the risk of stress-related illnesses such as hypertension or heart disease. 

2. Increased Productivity

You can focus entirely on successfully finishing the assigned tasks at work, leading to enhanced organizational productivity. Moreover, this will help you meet more work targets and enhance your performance.

3. Strong Relationships

A balance between work, personal life, and education allows you to spend more time with family and friends. This, in turn, increases happiness and peace of mind and can even motivate you to perform better professionally. 

4. Improved Learning Ability

Maintaining a healthy work-life-study balance allows you to focus effectively on optimizing your learning goals. Since you are no longer stressed due to overworking, you can concentrate better on your studies, thus making it possible to gain a deep understanding of subjects, retain valuable information, and derive better learning outcomes. 

ALSO READ: ​​Emeritus Global Career Impact Survey Shows 94% of Learners See a Positive Impact on Their Career

Embark on the Career Development Journey with Emeritus

Learning is a lifelong process, and it’s never too late to start developing crucial habits that can optimize your learning experience. By enriching the lives of more than 100,000 students per year across 80 countries, Emeritus has transformed the online learning experience for professionals with state-of-the-art technology, innovative curriculum, and hands-on instruction from top mentors and faculty members. Get in touch with our experts to embark on a journey toward career development in your chosen industry by mastering the key habits and skills needed to achieve success. Choose from over 150 world-class courses today.  

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