THE LEARNING ZONE

By Osman Hj. Kamaluddin


When you are learning, always make sure that you are in the Learning Zone and this is very important. The Learning Zone usually means that the difficulties that you encounter during learning ‘matches’ your abilities and/or knowledge. If this happens, then you are safe and you will keep on learning. However, do beware of the 2 Danger Zones in learning. There are namely, the ‘Drowning’ Zone and the ‘Slumber’ Zone!

The ‘Drowning’ Zone

This is when the difficulties you encounter during learning are greater than that of your abilities and/or knowledge. When this happen, you would be completely stuck and do not know what to do next! You might feel anxious or helpless! If you are in this zone and do not do anything, then your learning would stop there. So what to do? WELL, GET HELP!

Ask yourself, what other resources do you need? Maybe, you need to get more information! Ask someone to assist you! BOTTOM LINE, PLEASE TAKE ACTION TO ‘IMPROVE’ YOUR ABILITIES AND/OR KNOWLEDGE SO THAT YOU ‘OVERCOME’ THE DIFFICULTIES THAT YOU HAVE ENCOUNTERED! ONCE YOU HAVE DONE THIS, THEN YOU ARE BACK TO THE LEARNING ZONE!


The ‘Slumber’ Zone

When your abilities and/or knowledge are greater than the difficulties encountered during learning, when all seems too easy and you can do it with one arm tied behind your back, then you will enter into this zone. You are not ‘stretched’ enough and might feel bored or uninvolved. Your learning would stop again here. So, what to do? IT MAY BE (MAY BE ONLY!), THAT YOU DO NOT NEED TO LEARN THAT SKILL AFTER ALL! ON THE OTHER HAND, GO FOR MORE DIFFICULT/CHALLENGING SKILLS/TASKS OR SET YOURSELF FURTHER ACHIEVEMENT TARGETS. IF THIS IS DONE, THEN YOU ARE ON THE LEARNING ZONE TRACKS!

When you have the abilities/knowledge and when you always feel alert or curious, when you can manage to stay in the Learning Zone and avoid the Danger Zones, then LEARNING WOULD BE REWARDING AND ENJOYABLE!

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Osman Hj. Kamaluddin is a marine surveyor who has for the past many years researched and observed on accelerated learning techniques. He is also a Certified Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) & NLP Coaching.