Do you struggle with general knowledge quiz questions and are embarrassed by your lack of skills in this area? A mastery of General knowledge is an extremely useful skill to have in everyday life. It helps in interviews for a new job, in general small talk and discussions we have with colleagues and friends. It even lets us make decisions more confidently.
Why do you want to increase your general knowledge? You may have encountered an unpleasant everyday situation where you couldn't answer a question that was actually simple. Or perhaps you just want to increase your knowledge - it doesn't matter! The majority of pub quizzes have a general knowledge round so maybe you just want to do better in these quizzes and contribute more to your teams overall score.
I have ten tips in this article that will help you get a better general knowledge. They are far wider than the usual response of watch the news more. If you incorporate 4 or 5 of these tips into your daily routine it won’t be long before you see massive improvements in your General Knowledge.
What is general knowledge? It is a basic stock of knowledge and information that everyone should know
- Read more books
Get yourself into a routine of reading more non-fiction books and improve your general knowledge. The books can be on any subject however try and concentrate on books that are not too subject specific. Read general books about history, science and whatever other subjects you think you are lacking knowledge in. I have always been a prolific reader and, just looking at my bookshelf have books I still have to start on famous pirates, the history of Victorian London, History of the World and various others.
Reading books gives us so many additional skills. It increases our writing and general communication skills, assists with creativity, and last but not least, it improves our general knowledge and helps us in those difficult pub quizzes.
Books are not the only media that will improve your general knowledge, you should also read magazines or Blog posts! The main thing is that you read as much as possible and make it a part of your daily routine. If you spend a lot of time in a car why not try audio books..
- use quiz apps on your phone
Your smartphone can help you gain a better general knowledge by using Quiz apps! I'm generally not a fan of mobile games because they tend to just eat up time. However quiz apps are slightly different as you are actually learning whilst you play.
- Play knowledge intensive social games
Under certain circumstances, it can be really embarrassing playing a quiz game with family or friends. However not as embarrassing as coming last in the quiz at you local pub. However, in the end, you will definitely become a little smarter when you play board games that require a healthy amount of general knowledge questions.
Here are some of my favourites::
Trivial Pursuit
Who wants to be a millionaire
Scrabble
- Try some random revision actions
Remember when revising for school exams you would read the information over and over again and eventually it might sink in? Try doing similar with some random facts. You may wish to try and learn the flags of countries in the World or what the names of all the capital cities are. You may also try and memorise where all the different countries are located. Rather than just looking at an atlas why not try and draw a continent and the countries within it. No attl of the information will sink in but some will and again these small steps will go to improve your ability to answer general knowledge quiz questions.
- Watch documentaries and quiz shows on Television
Hours and hours spent watching Eastenders and Coronation street may feel relaxing but are basically wasting your time. Why not spend your time in front of the TV being more productive?Again random subjects are ideal. Whether it be a documentary about the first World war or one about penguins in Antarctica you are sure to learn something. The TV these days is filled with quiz shows so why not watch one or two of these a day if you have time. You will certainly learn more than watching Eastenders. Also try and watch the daily news so you have a grasp of what's going on in the World.
- Take courses
These can be either online or offline. Courses on specific areas of knowledge will immediately help you gain a more rounded general knowledge. You could check out and try to visit the courses and lectures offered at your local universities and adult education centres.
- know categories of general knowledge and improve knowledge specifically.
The majority of people know the usual topics of general knowledge from playing games at home or from quiz shows. Here I have listed the core topics for you:
History
Geography
Politics
Science
Languages
Literature
Media
Technology
Sports
Art and music
You can look for specific places to train your knowledge in theses respective areas.
- Solve crossword puzzles regularly
The crossword puzzle in the newspaper is a perfect way to improve your general knowledge. Why not buy a Daily or weekly newspaper and solve the puzzles. Again make this a part of your daily routine. As you practise you will find the puzzles becoming easier and easier. Use a dictionary of thesaurus if there are words you don't know the meaning of.
- Learn as much as you can from everyday conversations and don't be afraid to ask questions.
From day to day conversations with friends, colleagues, or your family, you can soak up any amount of general knowledge. If you are unable to contribute much to a particular discussion, ask questions instead. Do not merely give in to the urge to quickly change the subject. By engaging in more conversations you will rapidly learn from others and at the same time improve your general knowledge. Try to meet regularly with people who you think have a higher level of general knowledge than you do and let them talk about what they enjoy rather than just the usual small talk.
- Podcasts
There are probably millions of different podcasts on every subject imaginable. I have 100s of podcasts that I have subscribed to on varied subjects from current afairs to finance to history. Some I listen to frequently and others hardly at all. Podcasts are an extremely effective way of increasing your knowledge base. Similar to audio books podcasts can be listened to practically anywhere. Whether you are driving, flying, sat on a bus or train listening to a podcast will make the journey feel shorter while at the same time improve your knowledge.
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