Downtime is important when it comes to retaining what you learn, and getting sleep in between study sessions can boost your recall up to six months later, according to new research published in <a href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-08/afps-smr081916.php">Psychological Science </a> . In an experiment held in France, participants were taught the Swahili translation for 16 French words in two sessions. Participants in the "wake" group completed the first learning session in the morning and the second session in the evening of the same day, while participants in the "sleep" group completed the first session in the evening, slept, and then completed the second session the following morning. Participants who had slept between sessions recalled about 10 of the 16 words, on average, while those who hadn't slept recalled only about 7.5 words.

Brief, frequent learning sessions are much better than longer, infrequent ones, agrees Neil Starr, a course mentor at <a href="http://www.wgu.edu">Western Governors University </a>, an online nonprofit university where the average student earns a bachelor's degree in two and a half years. Changing the way you practice a new motor skill can help you master it faster. He recommends preparing for micro learning sessions. "Make note cards by hand for the more difficult concepts you are trying to master," he says. "You never know when you'll have some in-between time to take advantage of."

Being a quick learner can give you an even greater edge. Science proves there are six ways you can learn and retain something faster. If you imagine that you'll need to teach someone else the material or task you are trying to grasp, you can speed up your learning and remember more, according to a <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24845756">study </a>done at Washington University in St. Louis. The expectation changes your mind-set so that you engage in more effective approaches to learning than those who simply learn to pass a test, according to John Nestojko, a postdoctoral researcher in psychology and coauthor of the study.

Whether it's a new technology, a foreign language, or an advanced skill, staying competitive often means learning new things. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. workers have taken a course or sought additional training to advance their careers, according to a March 2016 study by Pew Research Center.

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