A simple but effective tip for more effective learning is to deliberately change your learning location. If you always sit at the same desk with the same view, you run the risk of falling into routines that hinder rather than promote learning. Studies show: Our brains love variety – new stimuli promote attention, increase receptivity and help to anchor learning content better (Smith & Vela, 2001). A changed environment can create new associations, which makes it easier to remember. The so-called context effect describes precisely this phenomenon: information is better remembered when the learning and retrieval context varies.
A change of location can help to overcome mental blocks, realign the focus and engage better with certain topics. Whether it’s a library, café or co-working space – every environment offers different stimuli that can stimulate your brain. It’s important not to switch randomly, but to do so in a targeted manner – for example during certain learning phases or for specific subject areas. In this way, the new location is meaningfully linked to the respective subject matter.
If you make a conscious effort to change location, you can not only learn more productively, but perhaps even discover your own personal learning hotspot.
See also the learning tip ‘What is the capital of ...’.
Literature
Smith, S. M. & Vela, E. (2001). Environmental context-dependent memory: A review and meta-analysis. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 8, 203-220.