How to be a More Effective and Efficient Learner When Studying for Professional Qualifications

Jeff Heasman, Founder of Insurance Upskill and Managing Director of Jeff Heasman Training and Consulting, is a professional trainer and consultant with many years of experience working in the insurance and legal industry as a litigation executive and senior liability adjuster. Jeff shared his seven top tips to be a more effective and efficient learner to our CII members across Asia Pacific.

1. Focus on process and not on the product – focus on doing what and when we will do it and stick to it. How are we going to achieve it? Not by when
2. Selective skimming and taking notes – have strategies on how to tackle and read heavy textbook, which also known as chunking. Highlighting is an illusion of reading. When we are highlighting, we are not absorbing the information. Start with the foundation and build it into an analysis. Try to summarise the topic sentence and key details of each paragraph and list the source as we read
3. Cognitive flexibility – ability to switch between diffuse mode, when solving case studies and focus mode, when analysing spreadsheets
4. Procrastination – not all bad as procrastination help us to get into diffuse mode and assist us in solving more things. Try to set mini timeslots with no distractions and reward ourselves
5. Do not multitask – multitasking is disastrous. Single treading is more efficient, do and focus one task at a time
6. Chunking the topic sentences and try to recall these over several days
7. Sleep – taking rest is the best way to support learning process

These seven tips will be very useful to those who are currently studying or planning to study CII qualifications. Start applying these tips with any CII textbook.

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