Learn to learn better: four ways to improve your retention
Aleksandar Hemon was 44 when he arrived in Chicago in 1992 from his native Sarajevo.
A journalist by trade who spoke no English, he set out to master the language of his newly-adopted home and publish an article within five years.
Working as a canvasser and door-to-door salesman, Hemon learned English, and within three years, he published his first story.
Today, Hemon has contributed to the New Yorker, the Paris Review and The New York Times, among other publications. He’s penned award-winning novels (in English) and received both MacArthur and Guggenheim fellowships for his writing.
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. As Hemon’s story proves, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Learning isn’t confined to primary school and the youthful days of university — which is a good thing, considering how much time college kids spend socializing, partying and generally not learning.
Instead, learning should be a never-ending pursuit.
Motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said that the world’s most successful people are lifelong learners. They understand that their level of education determines their quality of life.
