Sleep makes you smart.

There's a myth that if you put study material under your pillow, you'll absorb it even faster in your sleep. Why is sleep so important? How much sleep do you need for what you've learned to be stored in long-term memory? Why is it not a good idea to study all night? Clearly presented in a KAWA. Source: WDR - "Schlaf macht schlau" broadcast 20.01.2016

What do KAWA and KAGA actually mean?

KAWA according to Birkenbihl is an acronym and stands for: Creative Exploitation of Word Associations (Kreative Ausbeute von Wort-Assoziationen). But KAWA is easier to remember. Hence the name. You can create KAWAs on any topic that interests you.

How does a KAWA work and why is this technique so effective?

First, you write the topic in large letters in the middle. By the way, I always use the sheet horizontally for this. In our Mindmap template ring binder, KAWAs are drawn on the left white page. Then you let your thoughts wander and consider what comes to mind about the term and what is important to write down. The difficulty is that what you write down must begin with one of the letters in the middle. The smaller the term, the fewer letters you have available, and the more you have to think. Here, it is the lack of letters that makes you think through a topic more intensely than an ABC list does. The goal should be to find a suitable term for each letter. Suppose you want to create a KAWA about your best friend Eva, then you only have three letters available. However, you can use these multiple times. Perhaps E stands for elegant, successful, eloquent, for V you find her trustworthy, crazy, and in love, and for A you have associated silly and single. If your best friend had been called Hannelore, you would, of course, have had more letters available. I often take notes in KAWA form during meetings. It keeps me awake, no matter how unimportant or boring a meeting is. And you catch everything. Below you will see some of my KAWAs.