How to Become More Intelligent... than you are now.

Ask for help

Ask somebody to show you how. Make sure to pay close attention and ask any questions that you have, so that you'll never have to ask the same thing again. -Most people love to be asked questions about something they're really good at.

Surround yourself with intelligent people.

Being around people that are smart in their own fields and knowledge can help you become more knowledgeable. Don't feel inferior--feel blessed that you have amazing resources to draw upon!Read the news.

Exercise your mind in different ways.

Challenge yourself to learn a new skill or to think in a different way, however, and you'll actually become more intelligent. Choose something you'd like to learn to do or a subject you don't do well in and focus on that thing.

Research.

Curiosity without initiative is like having a car that's out of gas—it won't take you anywhere. If you read a word that you don't know, look it up in the dictionary. If you wonder how airplanes fly, read a book about it.

Learn a new word each day.

Go through the dictionary and find a word that you don't know already, then practice using it throughout the day.

Be more curious.

Good memory skills are only part of the answer: you also have to be curious. Make a conscious effort to be more curious by reminding yourself that developing your curiosity will broaden your horizons and help to make you more intelligent.

Figure things out on your own.

If you don't know how to do something, resist the urge to ask somebody else to do it for you or show you how. While it usually takes longer to figure something out than it does to ask about it, you'll learn more about the overall process, and you'll remember it better.

Learn how to look things up.

If you know how to use references, from an internet search engine to an encyclopedia, you'll be able to find the information you want more quickly and effectively. Effective researching skills will nourish your curiosity because you'll become more confident in your ability to access knowledge.

Study more effectively.

If you perform poorly on exams, you may not be studying enough. Even if you study a lot, improving the way in which you approach the studying process can make a big difference.

Teach others.

In order to teach something to somebody else, you've got to know it pretty well. When you try to explain an idea or skill to somebody else, you'll not only remember it better yourself, you'll also find that the other person's questions will help you find out how well you really know what you're talking about.

Read a lot.

Just about everything that humans know can be found in print, whether in books and magazines or on the internet. Become a voracious reader, and you'll expose yourself to more ideas and information.

Read the news.

Keeping up with current events will let you know what's going on in the world.

Learn a new language.

Learning new languages is a great way to get smarter. Children who learn two languages or more have more grey matter than those who don't, and their brains make more neural connections.

Improve your memory.

Much of what is considered intelligence is simply the ability to remember things well. You can improve your ability to retain and recall memories in a variety of ways, including using mnemonics and by paying more attention to details.

Find a hobby that interests you.

Not only does it make a computer programmer look smarter if they know C++, but it can help you with your job.

Spend time apart from others and from distractions

Solitude is a time for reflection, deep inner thinking and rest. Add a little quiet time away from everything else to your day, every day.

Do your homework if you're in school and your post-lecture revision at college.

The homework is there for practice, when you do it, you'll become more confident in that subject. You can't count homework as studying. Studying involves deeper reflection and breakthrough understandings that stick in your memory. Don't learn simply to learn, it will not work. Find a way to be interested in it, make it fun and you will learn faster, and remember more.

Visit the library frequently

The subject matter is not quite as important as is the act of reading. Always have something good to read at hand.

Practice your writing skills.

Writing allows you to input your knowledge into creativity. Sometimes, just brainstorming can help you create fresh, new ideas.