Trainning

[Lee Gold]

When you was Trainning to be an electrican/ are an electrican or in Trainning. How do you train? Remember stuff? What is the best methods you use for Trainning? As I find I struggle to learn

 

[Richard Burns]

Unfortunately all learning is specific to the individual, and the same teaching method may be brilliant for one person and useless for another.

A key feature that usually works is repetition, if you go over something and then try a self test of your knowledge, then review the information again and repeat and so on. Have suitable gaps in between, so read up and then test yourself. next day reread and then next day test yourself.

It is also important to understand what you are reading, if you read something and think this makes no sense, then try and read up about it (or ask here) so that you can understand this section, then it will be easier to remember as it will be logical.

You need to find the method of learning that works for you.
It may be that reading a book is best for you.
It may be that having someone read out a book to you is easier.
It may be that if you draw coloured diagrams of what you are learning this is helpful.
It may be that having small "idea cards" each with a single concept on them is useful for revision.
There are many more options but think about something that you did learn easily and how you learnt it and try and apply similar methods to other items.
The usual key indicators are sight, sound and touch. You need to find out which works for you.

Good luck and keep up the repetition.

 

[Simonslimline]

For formulas etc, i have a white board in my flat above the computer, it was a very effective way for me to memorise the formulas i needed to pass my 309 science and principles written exam.

You can pick them up on Ebay for roughly £25, not the best quality for that price, none the less totally fit for purpose to remember things i found. If it is there in front of you the information sinks in without you even realising i found.

Best of luck with your studies mate.

 

[Simonslimline]

Also you cant read enough books in my opinion. To fully understand what you are doing and the reasons behind it all is key i feel. After all when you have passion for a subject learning about it is more of a pleasure and not so much a chore i find.

arty:

 

[Lee Gold]

Thanks guys it's just that I'm a very slow learner, like everyone else picks up stuff straight away, I'm always always always the last one to finish because how slow learner I am taking stuff in is very hard for me and I don't know why

 

[telectrix]

you need to fire anything you are struggling with onto this forum. plenty of guys willing to help you understand and show easier ways to grasp the knowledge. a lot of the theory will appear complex, but when you break it down, it's not . for example. you want to know the max. Zs for a 32A type MCB. we know it's in tables, but if you ain't got it with you, go to basic ohms law. Z = V/(5 x In) i.e Z = 230/160 = 1.4375.

 

[Lee Gold]

Iknow what you mean if it's broken down its not that bad but when it's all put into jargon words I can't do it, fault finding I find really hard

 

[hightower]

I probably look like one of the quickest learners in my class, but it's not that, it's that pretty much every minute of every day I'm reading and studying. I'll put the game on in the background and sit down with the regs book, or a Chris Kitcher book, or Alan Lynch book. The TV is only ever turned on for sports and Xbox (and very occasionally "can't pay we'll take it away" - what? It's my guilty pleasure). I'll sit and go through my college textbook to see what's coming up so I can be prepared for it, and if I'm stuck on something I watch a YouTube video about it or ask on here. When we finish college half-way through a worksheet, I'll make sure that worksheet is done for next week. In September I was the slowest in the workshop, and I couldn't cut a straight line with a hacksaw. Now I'm pretty efficient, because every week I'd take unfinished practice pieces home and finish them in my garage, and once or twice I've even taken offcuts of trunking and tray to practice with at home.

I've no doubt some in class look at me as a bit of a pr!ck that knows too much or tries too hard, but my thoughts are you can't know enough in this game. I'm nothing more than a geek who enjoys what he does. I don't work as hard as I do to show anybody up, but only to make myself better. I'm probably one of the slowest learners, but I work hard to put the preparation in so I know what to expect come class each week. As Simonslimline says, I think when you take pleasure in something it becomes easy. And as Mr B says, repetition is key.

One of my issues is I'm not happy about something unless I understand it fully. If the lecturer says A = B + C many people take that as gospel, whereas I need to understand right down to the fundamentals of why that is so. Once I've got those fundamentals in place the rest seems to just click and I get a Eureka! moment. I'm not sure how to turn this paragraph into advice, but perhaps try understanding every subject fundamentally (and researching further if needed).

But don't be hard on yourself for thinking you are a slow learner. Keep putting the graft in, study when you can, try to get passionate about it, and everything will fall in to place. I'm a firm believer of you get out what you put in. And as Tel says, there's some very knowledgeable and helpful people on here, and no question is too silly (provided you aren't just asking for exam answers).

 

[hightower]

Iknow what you mean if it's broken down its not that bad but when it's all put into jargon words I can't do it, fault finding I find really hard

I'm the same with jargon words mate - sometimes I find I've read a regulation five times and I'm still none the wiser. I find the solution is swapping jargon words out one by one until the sentence makes sense. As an example, if I see "electro-motive force" or "voltage" anywhere I'll swap that in my head for "potential" as the word potential makes more sense to me, it's something I can visualise.

As for fault finding, for me it's a case of making a list (mostly kept in the head) of possible things. Start with the easiest/most common and work your way down. However, to be able to make a complete list you have to have the knowledge of the possible faults, and that's something that will only come through study/experience, so again don't be hard on yourself. Fault finding knowledge will fall in place as your studying continues.

 

[Lee Gold]

I probably look like one of the quickest learners in my class, but it's not that, it's that pretty much every minute of every day I'm reading and studying. I'll put the game on in the background and sit down with the regs book, or a Chris Kitcher book, or Alan Lynch book. The TV is only ever turned on for sports and Xbox (and very occasionally "can't pay we'll take it away" - what? It's my guilty pleasure). I'll sit and go through my college textbook to see what's coming up so I can be prepared for it, and if I'm stuck on something I watch a YouTube video about it or ask on here. When we finish college half-way through a worksheet, I'll make sure that worksheet is done for next week. In September I was the slowest in the workshop, and I couldn't cut a straight line with a hacksaw. Now I'm pretty efficient, because every week I'd take unfinished practice pieces home and finish them in my garage, and once or twice I've even taken offcuts of trunking and tray to practice with at home.

I've no doubt some in class look at me as a bit of a pr!ck that knows too much or tries too hard, but my thoughts are you can't know enough in this game. I'm nothing more than a geek who enjoys what he does. I don't work as hard as I do to show anybody up, but only to make myself better. I'm probably one of the slowest learners, but I work hard to put the preparation in so I know what to expect come class each week. As Simonslimline says, I think when you take pleasure in something it becomes easy. And as Mr B says, repetition is key.

One of my issues is I'm not happy about something unless I understand it fully. If the lecturer says A = B + C many people take that as gospel, whereas I need to understand right down to the fundamentals of why that is so. Once I've got those fundamentals in place the rest seems to just click and I get a Eureka! moment. I'm not sure how to turn this paragraph into advice, but perhaps try understanding every subject fundamentally (and researching further if needed).

But don't be hard on yourself for thinking you are a slow learner. Keep putting the graft in, study when you can, try to get passionate about it, and everything will fall in to place. I'm a firm believer of you get out what you put in. And as Tel says, there's some very knowledgeable and helpful people on here, and no question is too silly (provided you aren't just asking for exam answers).

This relates to me in many ways I do read books a lot and get moaned at for reading too much haha but I really want to learn because it's opposite to me I know ppl look at me and say " he don't have a clue" I know that for definite I try so much and sometime mess up and ppl ask wtf are you doing and I get hot and embarrassed and start messing up more. But thanks for telling g me about your side high tower I can relate

 

[hightower]

This relates to me in many ways I do read books a lot and get moaned at for reading too much haha but I really want to learn because it's opposite to me I know ppl look at me and say " he don't have a clue" I know that for definite I try so much and sometime mess up and ppl ask wtf are you doing and I get hot and embarrassed and start messing up more. But thanks for telling g me about your side high tower I can relate

Mate, stop looking at yourself in that way. I assure you nobody is looking at you saying "ah not this muppet again, he shouldn't be on this course", and if they are they're just not worth getting worked up over. Focus on you and your learning, and if you need a little more time, so what? You've got a link to all those books I sent you, stick in, keep enjoying, and things will begin to fall in to place.

 

[Lee Gold]

Thanks mate really appreciate your advice means a lot.

 

[happysteve]

Some great advice here from Richard, Tel Simon and Hightower.

To save me writing it all out again, here are my thoughts on effective learning in this post (also in the Trainee Section).

 

[telectrix]

everything is quite simple, really unless you're going into deep theory of motors, transformers etc. something that seems complex can always be broken down into basics. bear in mind that you need to have the right mindset. e.g. i was always technically minded, so, at school i had no problems with physics, maths, chemistry ( got 3 A levels), but was hopeless with latin and french. yet some of the lads were useless with tech. stuff, but could read, write and speak 3 languages @ 14. i not too bad with german, though . Achtung Spitfire and Gott in Himmel, Lancasters. :willy_nilly:

 

[Lee Gold]

Cheers guys for putting time effort and advice into this post, I'm trying just going to take me a while haha