5 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY

 

      Have you tried reading a concept for a very long time, probably 3 to 7 hours, then when you try to remember what you've read, later on, you discover that you've forgotten. I have experienced that, more times than I can count. I would read and think that I had fully gotten a concept, only to get to the exam hall and start staring into space when a question relating to that concept comes up. It was really devastating for me ( especially when I remember it as soon as I come out of the exam hall ). A lot of people have this experience but don't know that there are actually easy steps to take to improve their memories. Let's jump into them right away.

1. UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU READ

     How do you plan on remembering what you've read if don't even understand the message that was trying to be passed across? Some people might think that they can just cram when they want to go in for exams. But cramming is not always the best choice(especially if you need to remember a concept for a long period. You have to get the concept of the material. If what you're learning is in class, and you want to have a better memory of what you're being taught, then ensure you understand first. Meaning, if something isn't clear, ask questions or make research. 

On my blog "Why Students Fail", I gave a vivid illustration of how information enters into the mind in form of blocks floating in space, and the more understanding you have of that concept, the more hooks are attached to the block so it doesn't float away. So, understanding what you're reading, is key in having a better memory

2. TAKE NOTES

    I went to a boarding school, and we always had what we call "prep/preparation time". It was basically the time when all the students were meant to be reading and we had three prep times everyday. At those times, supervisors would be placed to monitor and ensure that we were actually reading. I remember, some of them would make observations on how only few were taking notes while reading, and that it was going to help them to remember what they were reading. 

I didn't really believe it back then, because I don't really like writing while reading. But believe it or not, taking notes alongside studying, or while in a lecture actually helps you remember what you've learnt. Besides, if you forget, instead of going to search the main material, you can easily reach for your note and spot what you've forgotten. 

3. REDUCE DISTRACTIONS

   Before I became an A+ student, I'd always believed that I could be comfortable reading in a place filled with distractions. While that could have been true because I actually still ended up trying to understand whatever I was reading, so I wouldn't forget, I discovered that sometimes when I wanted or needed to remember a concept, I would remember what was happening at that time( the distraction) but I wouldn't remember the concept itself. 

Studying with distractions isn't the best, most of the time, because at that point, you're reading to make a concept stick, and it might just turn out that your brain chose to remember what caught your attention, at that moment, because it was different from what you had been reading. Have you noticed that you tend to pay more attention to things that are different? That's just the law of nature. Whenever something is different, we end up paying more detail and attention to it. That's why your brain could possibly remember the way Billy fell off his chair because he was rocking it, but you can't remember what you were reading at that point. Try to stay in quiet places. If you don't like reading alone, find a serious reading partner. I'm not saying you can't or shouldn't read with your friends. I'm saying they shouldn't be a distraction to you when you're reading.

4. MAKE WEIRD REFERENCES

 Yeah, you read that right. Make weird references when you're reading. If there's a concept you're trying to get but seems very difficult to stick( probably because it's complex and you keep mixing it up with other info), then link it to something that's weird, stupid or funny.

 For instance, if you have a list of people back in history that you're meant to know and let's say Elon Musk was the man that first made a frying pan ( my apologies to lovers of Elon Musk, this is just an example), in order not to mistake him for another person, you could say Elon's name sounds like "melon" and melon seeds can be fried in a frying pan. Thus with this weird and stupid reference/link, it would be difficult to forget what he did. You'd also remember the name because of melon. So, try to become creative when something isn't sticking to your memory, and link them together.

5. RECALL WHAT YOU'VE READ WHEN YOU'RE NOT WITH THE MATERIAL

   When you're done reading, while you're doing the dishes, laundry or doing something that doesn't require much attention, you could just try recalling what you've read. By doing this you gradually push the bits of info that still lurk in the short term memory to your long term memory. The reason why many people forget even when they think they've gotten a hold of the concept is because in reality, what they've learnt is still in the short term memory. They need to do extra work, to push it into the long-term memory.

SUMMARY

Getting things to stick in your head can prove challenging. However, with these steps you'd definitely improve your memory. Plus, you have to be consistent with them so that they eventually become things you do automatically when you're reading, in order to make things stick to your brain more easily.