Metacognitive Monitoring
Plan, monitor, and evaluate your learning.
Explanation
Most people are overconfident about their learning—they confuse familiarity with understanding. Metacognition means stepping back and honestly assessing what you do and don't know, how well your learning strategies are working, and when you need to adjust your approach. It's the difference between being a passive recipient of information and an active manager of your own learning process.
Real-World Example
Student feels confident after highlighting. Tests poorly. Never changes strategy. vs Good learner: Tracks what works. Notices retrieval practice = better scores. Adjusts all studying to retrieval. Grades improve 30%.
How to Apply
Before: What's my goal? How will I know I learned it? During: Is this working? Am I focused? Do I understand? After: Test yourself. What score? What worked? What didn't? Adjust: Keep what works, change what doesn't. Track patterns over time.