How to Study and Never Forget…Have you ever been faced with the dilemma of studying so hard for an examination or test only to get into the exam hall and your brain seems to be empty? It won’t simply regurgitate anything.Personally I’m not convinced “studying hard” is a way to succeed academically or even remember stuff you’ve learned. Studying smart, on the other hand, is. If you want to remember what you’ve learned, you need to fight off The Forgetting Curve.To remember thinks, you, first of all, understand the concept. The main reason why people forget is that they cram!Please be warned: We do not encourage anybody to use cramming as a method of retention. You will forget everything.Unless you are very lucky to be able to remember stuff having read it only once, you need to transfer the information you’re ‘consuming’ from your sensory memory (visual/auditory) to working memory and then to long-term memory.Reading and Never forgetting does not start and end with opening a book. It goes beyond that. It begins in the classroom.So let’s begin to look at the ways you can study without forgetting.Start Planning from Day OnePut everything into plans and paper. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail and so does the popular saying goes. Create a plan on how you will be studying, and do not just read heedlessly, be directed. Have a timetable and schedule.Have a ScheduleCreate a schedule for studying, do not just study haphazardly, study with the organization. Create a timetable for studying and make sure that you stick to what you have for the day.Have a Specific Place for StudyingCreate a Specific place for studying, do not study or read in every corner. Stay at a specific place to read and your brain will be used to it. This way, whenever you sit down to read, your brain processes faster because of the familiarity of the terrain.Be Focus (Avoid Distraction)This might not be an easy thing to do as we are constantly faced with distractions everywhere. Staying focus is not easy and that is just the truth! This is why I advised that you create a specific place for studying- a place which you go to whenever you have a material to absolve. Just try and be disciplined. Some of the distractions you should avoid when reading is; Phone and electronic gadgets, television, social media, multitasking. Avoid these things as much as possible.Read With NotesAs you are reading, make sure to write down in your own words the things you are reading. This shows that you understand what you are reading to a certain level. As you write, your brain is retaining some of the things you write down. That is how the brain is wired.
Chew Gum or Drink Coffee While ReadingChewing gum while reading will keep your brain active and keep you from sleeping. Some researchers believe that the act of chewing gum actually allows more oxygen into your brain, which helps you concentrate better.Read Out Aloud What You Are ReadingRead aloud what you are reading. This does not work for all people though. But it surely helps in creating an impression on your mind.Discuss With or Teach Someone ElseThis often works in a group study where you discuss what you have read with someone else or teach it to someone else. The best way to learn is to teach. This is why teachers seem to know so much about their subjects because they teach it every time.Write out what you have to memorizeWhen you have memorized, try writing down the things that you have memorized and see how accurate you are. It can also be helpful to write out an outline of the materials you are trying to learn. Just the process of organizing the materials in a visual manner can help your brain recall the information in an organized manner.Test Your Self or do an Exercise.When you have completed your study, always do an exercise or take a short test to gauge your ability in what you have studied. Once you are done with the test, research the material again, and take another test for the things you did not remember.Use MnemonicsMnemonic is a memory technique. You must have heard about this before. I have used it several times before and it has been working for me. For instance, you can remember the names of the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior) by remembering the word HOMES. The first letter of the name of each lake is used to create that new word.Create Rhymes for what you are trying to rememberThis is the best way to use in teaching nursery school students. For example in remembering the number of days in the different months of the year, I was taught the rhyme- Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November, all the rest are thirty-one except February alone which has twenty-eight day and twenty-nine days in a leap year! And just like that, you have grabbed the months that have thirty days.Develop a Mind MapWhat is a mind map? Mind maps are pictures and diagrams you create in your mind to remember concepts and ideas. They help show relationships between pieces of information so you can better understand the connections between different concepts or groups of data. You can create a mind map on paper, or there are computer tools to help you create them digitally.And Finally, Sleep and Eat WellIf you do not rest, you will burn out. You need to rest your brain and eat healthy food. When you sleep, your brain converts facts from short-term memory to long-term memory. Even a short nap can help with this process. This is why it is recommended that you go for short breaks and naps whenever you are studying.And just one addition…Listen to classical music! It will surely calm your claim after the stress of studying a voluminous material.That’s all for now on how to study and never forget. Do you have any other tip whip you believe can help in recalling facts after reading? Please do not hesitate to share it with us in the comment section. Thank you.