I found this gem on Marginal Revolution. It’s from a blog called Metamodern which is written by a scientist. This is his prescription for studying:

I recommend that intellectually ambitious students invest considerable time in a mode of study may set off subconscious alarm signals that conflicts with almost instinctive impulses imparted by classroom experience:

Read and skim journals and textbooks that (at the moment) you only half understand. . Include Science and Nature.

Seldom stop to study a single subject with a student’s intensity, as if you had to pass a test on it.

Don’t drop a subject because you know you’d fail a test — instead, read other half-understandable journals and textbooks to accumulate vocabulary, perspective, and context.

Notice that concepts make more sense when you revisit a topic, and note which topics provide keys to many others.

Continue until almost everything you encounter in Science and Naturemakes sense as a contribution to a field you know something about.

It’s a fascinating piece and don’t forget to read the predecessor blog post — How To Understand Everything.