Generalizations about what expert learners do
Monitor their own thinking You need to think about and understand when you get it and when you are confused.
Actively seek connections Rather than reading or working a problem in isolation, you should ask 'how do we know,' 'would this always work,' 'what are the limits,' 'how does this compare to what we did earlier'
Articulate their thinking Talking out ideas through discussions with others, trying to explain/justify a solution to someone, imagining you will be teaching this to someone
Integrate new ideas into their current understanding Not just 'taking in' or 'acquiring' new ideas, but actively thinking through how those ideas are related to what you already know
Seek consistency Test ideas, guesses, and assumptions by seeing if they are consistent with other ideas you are confident of
Embrace confusion Learning something new means stretching from your comfort zone; accept the discombobulating transition period as necessary for intellectual growth.