How do you learn?

United States
June 11, 2009 1:22pm CST
If you're trying to do something you've never done before, how do you learn best? By reading the instructions? By watching someone else do it properly? By trying it a few times by yourself, getting better each time? A combination of all of the above? Reading instructions has never worked well for me. I also do not learn when listening to someone else try to tell me how to do it. Now if they explained it while doing it themselves, that would be fine for me. I'd want them to show me once, then let me try it myself, but they need to stay close to answer questions I may have, or point out my mistakes.
2 people like this
23 responses
@letitia (27)
• China
13 Jun 09
If I am trying to do something I 've never done before,I think I will watch the instruction first.but if there is no intruction,I will try it by my way.Maybe I'll creat something new.haha```In my life.when I face the new thing,sometimes I am a little nervous,however I usually feel confident```
@ersmommy1 (12588)
• United States
12 Jun 09
Usually I have to hear it. Sometimes I get it by reading it. But chances are better with instructions if someone says it, or if I read it out loud. Even if it's me reading it out. I did that even with tests at school.
@ravinskye (8237)
• United States
12 Jun 09
I can usually do pretty good if I have a set of instructions to go by. Sometimes though it is easier if I do it myself first while someone is explaining to me how to do it. Especially when driving somewhere. It took me months to remember how to get to my husbands grandmothers because he would always drive. ofcourse it didn't help that he took a different way every few times we went down lol. Once I drove it myself I started to learn it better.
@UK_Shree (3603)
12 Jun 09
Most of the time I do like to have a set of instructions to go by; a protocol of some sort is useful. I need to try stuff myself though and make mistakes so that it becomes ingrained in head how to do to whatever it is I am trying to learn. I think it does help if you have someone experienced giving a bit of advice, not all the time though - maybe just once or twice the first couple of times.
• Romania
12 Jun 09
By trying myself several time ,until i learn how to do it.
• China
12 Jun 09
I think you'd better have a think on yourself we can do everything well if we put all of our heart in it the question you faced that is you don't confident enough in think maybe you should listening carefully ,watch clearly ,in trust you can do it well
@jezzmay (1845)
• United States
12 Jun 09
I could learn by the combination of them all.I think I could also learn with just using each by it self.My favorite is to watch someone do it.I learn much faster this way. Have a great day.
@jpso138 (7851)
• Philippines
12 Jun 09
It depends. In most cases, I usually read and follow instructions or the manual. If I can do it that way, then there is no problem at all. But if i have tried it and can't seem to do it by the manual, then that would be the time to do it on with some assistance.
@dawnald (85130)
• Shingle Springs, California
12 Jun 09
It would have to be a combination of reading instructions / doing it myself. I'm not good with people explaining things to me.
• India
12 Jun 09
A picture is worth thousand words and watching a video of someone doing it worth ten thousand words. And doing it yourself is like worth 20 thousand words. lol. BUt seriously, you learn more when you do it yourself. IN fact to learn you should have read up on what you are doing and have some background info on the task but most of the times things turn out really well in our favor when we try something without any prior training and it feels real great. I like a combination of all the three or maybe 2 ie reading instructions and then trying it myself. This really helps build confidence and you can learn while you are doing it. There are many things that can be done without any outside intervention, but one needs a lot of practice and experience which can be gained by practically trying them out on our own. bourne
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
12 Jun 09
Hey kats! I'm pretty much the same! I don't really do well reading instructions either. It usually makes me more confused. I'd much rather have someone show me how something works and then try it myself. I also don't do well listening to someone tell me how to do it. I like to learn the same way you do by watching, then trying and asking questions! I also find that for me that's what works the best!
• China
12 Jun 09
When I face new things what I never done before,I would like to ask some people first who has experence, then I will go to find many instruction or books to find more knowledge and infomation, because sometimes what people tells me is not totally correct. the best way may be to follow an good "teacher" who can teach you by faith, you shall learn fast and feel very excited to know new thing,specially you solve some problems you have thought for many times. However, to learn is not easy, it needs lots of time and you shall keep focus on it.
• Norway
12 Jun 09
I can perform a task properly By trying it for myself few times!
@veedhya (72)
• Mauritius
12 Jun 09
Learning is a process that happens everyday., I believe we learn every minute. We also learn from our mistakes. Learning takes place at school.We start learning as from our birth. The process of socialisation is the way how children learns about the world during the age. And learning is an ongoing process
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
11 Jun 09
i learn best by observing other people and do it myself... as people say, practice makes perfect... it is so true... i can never learn by reading instructions because sometimes the instructions are really confusing... it is the same like learning how to swim... you won't be able to swim just by reading books that teach you how to swim or watch other people swimming... you actually have to try it yourself and get the hang of it... take care and have a nice day...
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
11 Jun 09
I can learn pretty much any way. I think mostly though I learn through hearing things. I remember in school I would not study at all. I would pay attention in class, but that was about it. I was still pretty good at tests, so I got decent grades. I just remembered what I heard. I remember what I read as well.
11 Jun 09
I generally learn by a mixture of reading and just getting stuck in and then learning as I go along. For example when I wanted to learn how to program in php I read up on the basics of it, then jumped straight in figuring thins out as I went along and then when I came to a point where I needed to I would do some further reading. I've never had a huge amount of success learning from watching others.
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
11 Jun 09
Oh gosh, the best way for me to learn os to write down each step of how to do something. The I do it with the person instructing me. I must have it written dowen to refer to when I am on my own and trying to do it. Then once I becopme familiar wityh it I am o.k. I don't find it wasy to follow instructions from a manual though. I must make my own notes and learn in my own time.
@LiveLove (443)
• United States
11 Jun 09
If instructions are provided, then I always read it before I start anything and make sure that I have everything I need. I prefer to be precise and I repeatedly train so that the new information sticks in my head ( learning a new language for example). I do fine reading or being taught visual but I always have to go over things again myself and at my pace to make sure that I get everything or to see if I need help with anything. I only want advise if I ask for it.
• United States
11 Jun 09
I do best by watching then trying myself. I can do okay reading some directions. It really just depends on what I am learning. If it's something hands on that I'm not familiar with I like to be showed before I try.