It is one thing to read a book and
another to remember everything you read. A lot of motivation is lost
when you read a book only to find out that you cannot recall what you
read even at the shortest period of time. It is a common event among
many students and this has led to the conclusion, “If I read, I’ll
forget because I have low retentive memory” . This statement is however
not true! Yes, no one has low retentive memory.
While some forget everything they read,
others can recall it easily. Have you ever wondered why this happens? A
lot of students who fail examinations have reported they do read but
forget everything they read which is why I have decided to write this
article. Trust me, if you can follow this article to the end and put the
guidelines into action, your retentive power will surely increase.
1. READ TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND
Your mindset when reading speaks on
whether you will remember or forget what you are reading. A question you
should ask is, “What should my mindset be while reading? “.
The answer to this question is the key
to unlock your hidden power of remembrance. Your aim of reading should
be to gain knowledge. You may want to ask, “Am I not aiming to gain
knowledge while reading? Of course you are!. But, you are gaining
knowledge only to pass examination!
Many reader who are yet to discover
their hidden power of remembrance have the mindset of reading in order
to pass their examination which makes them to cram rather than
understand the content of the book. As a result, they forget everything
they read immediately after the examination which has led to a common
saying among students when you ask them questions, “I was taught last
term/session, I have forgotten”.
“Therefore, change your mindset while
reading. Read to gain knowledge, make sure you understand the concept of
what you are reading and don’t just read to pass an examination”
2. DO NOT SKIP A SENTENCE
Students regard some of the information
in a book as “story” and decide to skip them. This is common especially
when reading for examination. Before you can understand and remember
what you read, just have to read enough. The secret is, “The more you
read, the more you understand and the more you remember” . You cannot
read four sentences and expect to know five. So, neglect the belief of
regarding some of the content of a book as story because
there are hidden secrets in every sentence!
3. WRITE IT DOWN
Research has proven that writing down
what you are reading helps you to remember more. After reading for
several minutes, try to write down everything you have read without
looking at it(Writing it in your own word is allowed). This will help
you to know the part you don’t understand, so you can go over it again.
This is a very effective method which I have been using for quite a long
time and I am sure it will work for you!.
4. EXPLAIN IT TO YOURSELF
If you have been forgetting what you
read, it is because you either crammed it or you did not understand.
After reading for a while, try to explain to yourself, it will help you
to know if you really understand the concept of what you are reading.
5. TAKE A BREAK
Readings for 10hours without taking a
break does not make you a bookworm but I’ll rather call it a waste of
time. Yes, a waste of time!. Your brain is a biological organ and not a
machine, it also gets tired. Effective reading habit should be
cultivated as it is more yielding. When I say effective reading, after
reading for 1-2hours, you tend to lose concentration when your brain
gets stressed. Don’t force yourself to continue reading but just take
reading but just take a 10-30minutes break depending on you until you
feel relaxed and good to go again. After the break, try to recall
everything you have read before the break, then you can proceed with
your reading.
6. USE MNEMONICS AND SONGS
Mnemonic is a technique used to remember
what you read very quickly and accurately. This is especially used to
remember listed items. You can easily remember the activity series of
metals by using the mnemonic- “King Nelson Can Make A Zoo For Some…”
where the letters in Capital form represent the symbol for the metal
which are “K-Potassium, N-Sodium, Ca-Calcium, M-Magnessium, A-Aluminium,
Z-Zinc, F-Iron, S-Tin…” It is very easy to know the mnemonic than
knowing how to list the metals using their names.
Music is also efficient method. You’ll
agree with me that most of the rhymes your we’re taught still sticks to
your brain because of the use of music. If you were not taught like
that, you’ll have forgotten everything.
