Transfer of learning: How I get more done with less effort

During A-level PE, I learnt about the concept of transfer of learning, the principle that once you have learnt a skill in one area, it is easier to learn it in another. Footballers use this concept to play well with both feet. Once they learn to play with their dominant foot, they find it easier to learn with their non-dominant foot.

I find it a very practical concept because it is about getting two things done with one bit of effort. I applied the concept very nicely to get my 5 A Levels because there were so many places that they overlapped each other. For example, I studied the same research methods 3 times. So, of course, studying for one course helped me study for the other 2 and overall made my knowledge of each subject much more rounded than if I had just studied it once. This made the question easier to answer in the final exam because I had learnt it more than everyone else. The same goes for the nervous system, social psychology, PE psychology and many more topics. The learning in one topic complemented another; thus, I could get much more out of the whole than other students I studied with. That made it easier to handle the workload, so the overall effort required for my 5 A levels was the equivalent of 3.5 A levels.

So you see, I find the concept of transfer of learning incredibly useful, and I gained it by studying PE. However, it’s not just useful for academic studies. I use it in every aspect of life because it’s about getting more done to a high standard with less effort.

So far, I have used the principle to:

1. Be able to win tennis matches with my left or right hand: This meant I could compete this year despite injuring my right wrist. Learning from just one session of tennis
2. Use knowledge of technology to figure out cutting edge Biology:
   1. I deduced the concept of horizontal gene transfer by considering how computers get infected with viruses.
   2. The web’s structure reflects the brain’s structure because it has evolved from the same underlying principles.
   3. A reflex works the same way web page caching works: The two systems work over huge relative distances at lightning speed. This requires constant communication only sharing the smallest amount of information required.
3. Get 5 A levels instead of 3. The A levels are often related to each other. This meant I could learn one topic but apply it to 2 or 3 A levels. I learned topics very well by covering them from different angles in each A level. Each angle complemented the other and embedded my knowledge more deeply, but it also made my understanding deeper and more complete. This was reflected in my results, as I got higher marks and grades.

Of course, this is a lot to say in just bullet points, and there are many more examples. These are just what came to mind. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to elaborate now, but I will come back when time allows to elaborate. This is certainly a key concept in competing with others. Do more with less. To do so, you must take advantage of the transfer of learning. Learn one thing, learn many should always be at the heart of what you do. Left vs Right Just as a short example of what I mean, I shot some videos of myself serving with each hand so I could get a coach to analyse my technique. I thought it was worth sharing to show you it’s possible. It took a lot of work, but it paid me back this year. Allowing me to compete when injury would have stopped me. This is me serving right handed and left handed.