How to Remember Everything You Read

Do you read books quickly? It doesn't matter if you can't remember the material. Remembering the material is the main way to understand whether the reader has understood it or not. For students, reading is associated with studying, and during training and exams they are required to repeat information in one form or another. But in business, memorization of some material may also be required. Therefore, it is important for people of different ages to know the best way to train their memory.

Many people have had it happen that they couldn't remember some small detail at the most crucial moment. But at any stage of life, you want to benefit from literature. In this article, we will tell you about methods that help you better absorb information and how you can improve your memory.

Memory can be improved

There are people who are lucky with their memory. Eidetic memory, which is also called photographic memory, helps them memorize everything from phone numbers to songs or important events and anniversaries.

But this is a natural gift, not the result of hard work on your abilities. Memory and concentration can be developed.

A number of factors affect memory, which can make the work of improving it more or less difficult:

Your level of intelligence, age, and experience are important in the question of how well you remember. Unfortunately, age cannot be changed, but if you determine which of these factors affect your memory, you can take them into account in the future.
A good memory requires an excellent foundation, that is, fundamental knowledge. This is how the learning system is built: first, a person is given the basics, for example, chemistry, and then they move on to more difficult information, for example, organic chemistry. The more basic knowledge you have, the easier it is to remember more complex new information.
Motivation is one of the important factors in the ability to remember. It is not about intelligence or experience. When a person really loves a topic, it is easier for him to remember everything related to it. Every day, people receive a huge amount of information from books, music, news and other resources. Often, people can control what information they receive. If you find a way to motivate yourself, you can memorize a huge amount of data about the desired subject.
A method, system or process of memorization also helps memory. There are many approaches to memorization, and we will talk about active reading, mnemonics and some other methods. But different people are suitable for different methods of improving memory, so it makes sense to try several of them.
What you have memorized should be used, applied in practice. If a person has memorized a new word, it should be said often, perhaps every day. You can also explain what you have learned to someone else, and it is advisable to use your own words. If a person has acquired a new skill, it should also be used whenever possible. This is what people do who learn languages. If they can, they go abroad to use their knowledge every day. If this is not possible, then in almost any city you can find special groups and practice speaking with other people who are studying the same language.

Why We Forget

The factors that contribute to good memory can also explain why we forget things. According to research, some of the reasons for poor memory include the following:

The text is not meaningful to us or we cannot see anything meaningful in it.
We lack basic knowledge.
It is not clear what exactly we need to remember.
We simply do not want to remember.
We experience apathy and boredom, and they determine our approach to studying the text.
We are not used to studying - we have fallen out of the habit of doing so for one reason or another.
Poor organization and low efficiency of study time prevent us from remembering.
Knowledge is not applied in any way.
As you can see from the examples, memory problems are largely related to various opportunities to improve memory. For example, since the lack of a habit of studying can become a problem for memorization, you need to develop a habit of studying.

A modern person receives a lot of information, and we remember some of it simply because it is around us. But to remember what we need - it will take effort.

Active and slow reading

There are different ways to read. Many are taught active reading, which can help with memorization. Active reading is taking notes in a notebook and in the margins of a book, as well as thinking that helps you understand what the work is about. For this method, it is important to apply the acquired knowledge in practice or at least explain it to someone else.

Slow reading means attentive, unhurried reading. It requires concentration, so reading slowly on the way to work will not work - there are too many distractions.

Instead, you have to tune in, get rid of everything that distracts you (including your phone), and read slowly, with visualizations, notes, and even summaries or reading diaries. High results can be achieved if you retell the books you read to someone.

These are optional, but very useful methods that will make memorizing books easier.

How to remember?

There are several key factors and techniques that are important for memorizing texts:

Understanding. Memorization begins with understanding, without which you will not be able to remember anything. You can even check your understanding by paraphrasing the text. It is very important to use your own words. Highlighting the main idea will also help. If the essence of what you read is clear, it is much easier to remember it.
Motivation and desire to remember. It is difficult to remember what you read if you simply do not want to remember. It will also be difficult to memorize if a person does not believe that he can remember something. You need the right attitude.
Memorization. It is based on repeating the same material, has limited effectiveness, but it is possible to remember something for a short time with the help of memorization. Therefore, it is better to use it for short-term knowledge.
Systematization. If you organize data into a system, then it is much easier to remember them. For example, if a person has two numbers in front of him — 538-6284 and 678-1234 — then the second one is easier to remember because you can find logic and systematize the second sequence. Of course, not all data can be brought into a convenient system, but the ability to systematize information is a useful skill that is worth developing.
Associations. If a person manages to connect new information with what he has already remembered through associations, then it becomes easier to remember. This method is also not applicable to every situation, but when it is used, it helps with memorization very well.

What to do before reading?

To remember and never forget, you need to prepare before reading. Let's look at how to do this:

Choose what to read. If reading literature is not interesting, it will be more difficult to remember it. It is worth paying attention to advice about books from people with similar tastes, for example, friends or famous bloggers. If you can, read primary sources and untranslated books to get knowledge directly from the author. It is also good to leaf through the book in advance - to find out what is happening there and make sure that it suits you.
Determine the goal. If a person knows why he is reading, he can remember the material better. Of course, sometimes the reason for reading is just entertainment. But if the goal is to remember something from the text, then knowing where this information will be used is good for the brain and develops memorization.

After proper preparation, it will be easier to receive information from literature.

Methods for Improving Memorization

Improving your memorization is a skill that can be useful in any area of life, be it study, work, or everyday tasks. There are several methods that can help make memorization more effective:

Repeat. Regularly repeating information at certain intervals helps consolidate it in your memory. If you are learning foreign words, repeat them every other day, week, and month.
Use different senses. Engaging your visual, auditory, and tactile memory at the same time makes information more memorable. For example, when studying material, you can say important points out loud and write them down.
Consider the method of loci. This ancient method involves creating a mental path along which you “place” information in certain places. This could be your room, your commute, or any other familiar route. For example, visualize yourself putting your shopping list on a shelf in your closet or in your coat pocket.
Alternate tasks. Constantly switch between different types of tasks, this not only improves memorization, but also maintains interest in studying or work. For example, if you study languages, try alternating grammar, vocabulary and listening. These methods will help you not only memorize information faster, but also better understand and use it in the future. The main thing is to remember to put them into practice and use the method that suits you.

What to do after reading?

The time after reading is also important for memorization. Here are some techniques you can use:

Explain what you read to someone else. It is very good if you can explain it to your family or friends, because retelling it in simple words usually means that you understood everything perfectly.
Work with notes. This makes it easier to remember important details. It makes sense to organize and reread notes to refresh your memory.
Practice. Of course, not every book can be used for this, but if you can apply something from it in practice, you should definitely do it.
Write reviews. Even if you can’t apply something, you can always write about it. Constructive criticism of a book will also help other people decide whether it is worth reading, and the person writing the review will remember it better.

Cramming and mnemonics

Memorization techniques are varied and should be used wisely. They are not always suitable for every situation. For example, let's look at 2 popular methods: cramming and mnemonics.

Cramming is a mechanical memorization, when you need to remember something word for word, this is achieved through repetition.

Cramming is best demonstrated when preparing for exams, for example, in history.

A good method for cramming is flashcards. Write down what you need to learn on flashcards. Cramming depends on frequent repetition, and small flashcards allow you to recall the material or test your memory at any time when you have time.

Unfortunately, cramming does not guarantee that you will remember what you have memorized for the rest of your life. It is best used for short-term memorization.

Another method is mnemonics. Mnemonics is based on the idea that systematized information is easier to remember. Mnemonics are used when a sequence has no logical connections, and create these connections using several techniques.

In Russian, there is a similar method for the colors of the rainbow, but we use words instead of letters. This is considered a mnemonic because we use a short sentence with logical connections between words instead of a difficult-to-remember sequence of colors.

Such methods are not always easy to use. For example, if you try to use the abbreviation approach on the zodiac signs, you get OTBRLDVSSKVR. This set of letters is unlikely to help anyone remember anything. However, this does not mean that you cannot come up with new mnemonic phrases or abbreviations on your own. If they help you, then use them.

Despite the fact that mnemonics are useful and popular, they have their weaknesses. They take up quite a lot of time in the early stages, when we are still just creating abbreviations and sentences that should help us remember a particular sequence. In addition, mnemonics work best on fairly short sequences, so they are simply not suitable for many tasks.

And if the mnemonic phrase itself is difficult to remember, then there is no point in such mnemonics. Since the size and complexity of the mnemonic code depends on the size and complexity of the original text, using mnemonics on large sequences is, again, impossible and pointless.

Memorization is a difficult task, but we have to deal with it every day. Memory can be trained, and there are many methods and techniques that help remember what you read. Whether it is active reading, diagrams for finding logical connections, or mnemonics, there is a convenient system for each person that helps him remember what he reads.

The first technique involves remembering the first letters of a sequence that has no logical connections. For example, in English, the fake name Roy G. Biv is used to help remember the colors of the rainbow.

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

How to Remember Everything You Read