Learn how to learn

Dr. Rowe and I were discussing something and we agreed that people often don't know how to learn. We're told to go study but not HOW to study. Here's an example.
   He and I are working on the dynamics of breathing; the functional anatomy, chemical reactions and such. I need to know more. What do I do? Marc likes pictures. So he draws stuff for me (and you. See my website newsletters.) Then he adds a narrative. We follow up with discussion -  "I'm gonna teach you something".
  He gives me homework. I can go to Google and type in "respiration". I get loads of items. I can narrow it down if I need. I can also go to Google images if I need pictures, Google video to see animations. I go to Google scholar and the technical stuff from studies such as what the doctors write is there (read the abstracts).
   Got the info. Make time to watch or read the material and take notes. Write down questions. It takes discipline. I found that the Chinese don't call someone Master until they have mastered Five Excellences. What I also found is that to do that you need some serious time management. Thomas Jefferson supposedly took 20 minutes a day per subject. That's a pretty effective time allotment, I've found. If you think abut it, it makes sense. You don't get bored with trying to read mathmatics for hours. You switch gears and keep things fresh. This may not apply to a college student with a big test coming but it will work for the rest of us.
     I hate being called Master because I am not a master of kenpo or anything else. I am designated as such in three disciplines, but that's other people laying that on me. The kenpo world calls me master. In the aviation world I am a master flight instructor. In my work with the Civil Air Patrol I have a master level in two areas (specialties). But I know I need to know more and be better at it. So I pursue further education and that requires discipline to study and to know what to study. That's why I need a schedule.
   The Dana organization prints a newsletter about studies of the brain. In a recent issue there was an article about how today's communication vehicles are actually changing the way we think. Instead of focusing we jump from place to place to gather information. It's affecting our ability to concentrate. Just what we need...