Lumosity (Tips & Tricks to improve your performance)
- UPDATE: It took me about a MONTH to convince my wife to try these games. She was hooked the first day! She's making fast progress and, in her own words, she "LOVES IT!" What else can I say?
Let me start by saying "it works!"
As of this writing, I've gone through 20 Lumosity training sessions. I have not only seen a HUGE improvement in the areas measured by Lumosity (Attention, Memory, Processing Speed, and Cognitive Control) but the website's claims of boosting memory, mental clarity, and "mood" (outside of the game) have proven 100% true.
Do these "mental workouts" and your mental muscles will grow FAST. They say an increase in your Brain Performance Index (BPI) of 200 points is good, but rest assured (with some effort) you can do much better than that. I highly recommend Lumosity. (The first handful of training sessions are free...I honestly didn't think I'd end up subscribing, but after experiencing the benefits, I was happy to.)
Now, all that said, here are a couple things I wish I would have known prior to going in. Hopefully, you'll find this information useful.
1. Most of the games stay at the same "difficulty level" regardless of how many times you play them or how good you get at them. (The only thing that makes them more difficult is the fact that, as you get better and your scores go up, it becomes harder and harder for you to "beat your best.") However, two of the games (Monster Garden and Birdwatching) challenge you by increasing the "level of difficulty" as you get better at the game. In other words, if you score high enough on level 1, it will bump you up to level 2. If you score high enough on level 2, it will bump you to level 3 (etc.) When you first see some of the higher levels of these exercises, your first reaction will be: "You've GOT TO BE kidding me" Don't let yourself get frustrated. Just take advantage of the fact that there is a way to "get used to" these new levels without it negatively affecting your overall score.
All you have to do is hit the "back button" in your browser (before the game has ended) and the game will reset. So, if you want to "warm up" a bit before going for an "official run," this will do the trick.
2. The "Trainer" will pick certain games for you to play, and it will automatically advance you through all the exercises until you reach the end of each session. But if you want to keep playing a certain game (before advancing to the next game) you can. The video below will show you how. Also, keep in mind that you don't have to complete an entire training session all at once. You can complete a couple exercises if you like, then come back for the rest later.
Here is a short video that demonstrates points 1 & 2 above.
Dealing with the "EXTREMELY CHALLENGING" Lumosity levels
First, you DO NOT have to play at these higher levels...at the start of the game, you can choose to "go back down" to a level that you're more comfortable with. If you do decide to play at the highest levels, odds are you're going to have to come up with some techniques for coping. I'll periodically add videos below that show some of the methods I've used. Even small changes in your approach can help. Try not to get frustrated, be patient, and it will eventually become easier.
Video 1. Monster Garden (Posted 6.9.08 Level "Impossible")
Try Lumosity for FREE
___________________________________________________________________________________________
