Learning Skills

Learning Skills

How do I remember more of what I read?

Reading information is only useful if you remember it afterwards. Otherwise you are wasting your time. Here are some strategies you can apply.

  1. Find out for how long you can concentrate on a text. This might vary according to the degree of difficulty or interest of the text. Just get a basic idea. When you find you are reading the words, but you can't take in what you are reading, take a short break.
  2. Set yourself a goal, for example: I'll read for 15 minutes and then take a 5 minute break. Try to extend that time. (The reading time !).
  3. Break the text up into logical sections. Textbooks often do this for you. Summarise the important main points (aloud) if possible after each section. Saying them aloud and explaining them to yourself activates additional parts of your brain and helps you to memorise the information.
  4. If you really need to remember the information for an exam, for example, draw yourself a diagram, picture etc. That also activates more parts of your brain and helps you to recall the information later on.
  5. Try to put the information into context. If you understand the big picture, it is much easier to remember the details.

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