mitrobeYou are finally in the examination hall. You saw the first question and say to yourself, “I read this part yesterday but I can’t remember again”.
Believe me, this is even more frustrating than when you didn’t read it at all.
Hi Saheed, how do you read and remember everything?
I can’t remember the number of times people have asked me that question.
Some people believe that we have different mental capabilities.
Well, I won’t say that’s not true.
All I care about is the fact that you will improve with effective study techniques.
That’s not all.
This article with reveal to you SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN STUDY TIPS to study and remember everything you read in 2021 and beyond!
The way you study determines how effective your study session is which determines how much you remember.
Everyone can pick up a book to “read” but not everyone actually “study” the book.
Yes, there is a difference between “reading” and “studying”.
With effective study tips, you will even study boring books and remember everything.
In this article, you will find everything you need to study better and remember more.
NOTE: In the third part of this article, I am going to be revealing WORKING memory tips that I personally use.
Trust me, they work like charm!
There’s no time to waste, let’s begin right away!
20 EFFECTIVE STUDY TIPS IN 2021 TO REMEMBER MORE
PART 1: CREATE THE PERFECT ENVIRONMENT
CHECK YOUR HEALTH
A perfect environment for studying starts from WITHIN you. Remember that if you are not healthy, then you are not ready.
Make sure to check that you are perfectly fine before you start studying. You don’t need to force yourself to study when you are not healthy.
CHOOSE THE BEST PLACE TO STUDY
The environment where you study determines the effectiveness of what you study. If you really want to study and remember more, then you need to check where you study.
Bloggers call it NICHE.
Just as the success of a blog depends on how the blogger can cope in the niche, so does the effectiveness of your study session depends on where you study.
You may be wondering, “Where is the best place to study?”
The answer to the question above depends on you.
While some people study better where there is total silence, others can read almost anywhere.
The TRUTH is that you need to find the answer to that question by asking yourself, “Where do I study and remember more?” or by testing your study effectiveness in various locations.
ELIMINATE ALL DISTRACTIONS
What distracts you? That is the first question you should ask yourself. A lot of readers get distracted almost as soon as they start studying.
After knowing what distracts you, then you should look for how to stop it from distracting you.
From what I have seen, what distracts readers the most is social media on their mobile phones. If you are one of them, here are a few suggestion that can help.
- Don’t take anything that distracts you into the reading room
- Learn how and when to say NO
- Use App/Browser blocking application: Do you know there are some Android/iOs applications that will block you from using Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat and others on your phone within a time frame specified by you. If you have not heard of them before, search for “App blocking Android Apps To Improve Productivity” on Google.
Some other people get distracted by hearing people talking around them or other forms of noises. Here are some few suggestions that might help that too:
- Read in a library/places where there is no noise
- Get a noise-eliminating headphone/headset
- Learn to study with background songs on your phone
- Learn to adapt
If any other thing distracts you that I have not mentioned, use the comment section below to ask.
CHOOSE THE BEST TIME TO STUDY
Just as your study location is important, such is the time you study. The question when do you study most effectively depends on you.
However, studies have shown that people learn and remember more when they read very early in the morning.
The question is, “how many people can sacrifice their sleep at the time when waking up is the most difficult?”
If you are going to study for very long hours, you may have to read at a time you don’t absorb a lot of information.
BUT!
If you start the long study session at a time you find best for yourself, it will help a lot.
PART 2: MAKING FINAL PREPARATIONS
GATHER ALL MATERIALS
This may seem like a SIMPLE point but it counts a lot.
With time, I have gotten to realize that not gathering all the materials you need for study can affect you one way or the other.
For example, if you stand up from your study spot at the time studying starts getting interesting, you may get distracted.
Just a REASON to stand up and some won’t come back in time. So, what’s the gist?
Gather all your study materials and make them close to you as possible.
SET A GOAL
Your GOAL determine how far you GO.
Before you start reading, you need to know where you are going. This will help you study at a very good pace and keep the fire burning.
Open your material and mark what you need to complete before the end of the session.
SKIM THROUGH IT
To some people, skimming is one form of reading on its own. While I won’t recommend it for an extensive study, it is a good way to start your study session.
The best part?
It helps you familiarize yourself with what you are about to read.
So, the next time you want to study, try to familiarize yourself with the material by skimming through it first.
FOCUS
Some people lose focus immediately they start studying. If you want to learn how to study for many hours without losing concentration, read the guide below.
The fact is that the more you are focused on one thing, the more effective you perform the task. This applies to studying too.
BREAK IT DOWN
A girl once told me, “I get discouraged when I see what I have left to study”.
This is a problem a lot of people face when they are studying.
If you are looking at how much you have left, you may begin to lose concentration.
In order not to lose concentration, you should BREAK DOWN YOUR MATERIAL.
First, you need to know how much time you have left and how much material you have left to cover. With these in mind, you can break down your material into study sessions.
For example, if you have 3 days left to study 6 chapters, don’t focus on the 6 chapters! It might discourage you and make you lose focus.
This means you have to study at least 2 chapters daily. So, your GOAL is to complete 2 chapters daily.
If you have very little time to cover a lot of things, you will have to learn how to study faster and still remember.
READ OUT LOAD IF NECESSARY
Studies have proven that reading out loud can help you read better and remember more. If you are having problem with remembering what you study, then you should consider doing this.
PART 3: MEMORY TECHNIQUES THAT WORK
WRITE IT DOWN
Research has shown that people remember more when they write down what they read. I also happen to use this technique a lot and it works very well for me.
In fact, I see the picture of what I wrote down in my jotter when I need to remember what I read. There is a SIMPLE SECRET to make this method work for you.
What is the SECRET?
Write down in your own words!
Some people do not know how to use this method the right way.
Instead of writing down in their own words, they try to cram and write exactly the way it is in the book.
Very ineffective!
So, the next time you do this, make sure you write down what you read in your own words. Then, check your material again to see if you missed any part.
Go over that part again until you remember. Use this technique and your study life will improve,
HIGHLIGHT IMPORTANT POINTS
Another memory tip I use is to use a highlighter/pen/pencil to highlight points while studying. While this may not really be a direct memory tip, it works a lot.
Here’s how it works.
Highlighting points helps you to see them more frequently. That will help to send them to the Long-term memory.
Warning: Don’t highlight everything in your material. Only highlight the important parts.
VISUALIZE
Studying is not all about getting the theory, you need to get the picture in your head too.
ABSTRACT + VISUAL SIGNAL = REMEMBER EVERYTHING
If you want to remember what you ready fully, you need to learn how to visualize what you read.
After reading one or more line (especially the ones you think you understand already), try to imagine a picture of it in your head and you will find that you will remember more.
BE CREATIVE AND LINK PROPERLY
Do you link what you read to things around you?
No? Then, you need to start doing that today. This may sound funny but it is very effective.
Sometimes, I just talk to myself while studying and I start linking some of the things that look/seem/sound alike to things around me that I can’t forget.
For example, I may link a word in my biology that sound like the name of one of my friends/teachers/something I have.
This way, if I forget the word, I will at least not forget what I have linked it to so I call use a reverse engineering technique to recall the word.
Sounds simple but trust me, it is very effective.
BONUS TIP: Don’t try to force yourself to link your material if nothing comes to your mind. Also, don’t try to link to things that you only think makes sense.
In fact, you are more likely to remember things that actually sounds stupid/funny that things that sounds formal/brilliant.
EXPLAIN TO YOURSELF
Have I gotten what this material is saying? That is one question I like to ask myself while studying.
After reading some part of the material, I close it and I try to explain and listen to myself.
- Does it sound meaningful?
- Do I really understand what I’m saying?
- Is this what the material says?
- Have I only crammed the material or I actually understand the concept?
Those are some of the questions I ask myself. If I’m able to explain to myself what I have read, then I am at least sure that I really understand the topic. Then, I move to the next memory tip.
TEACH IT TO OTHERS
Studies have shown that teaching what you read will help you to remember them for a long period of time. In fact, I use this technique a lot and I BARELY forget things I have taught to others.
Apart from that, it also helps you to understand it better. I realize that when I’m trying to explain things I read to people, I think more clearly then and I understand some parts of the material I didn’t get before or those I got partially while studying.
So, next time you read, find someone you can explain to and you will see how much this helps.
What if there is nobody you can explain to? Then, move to the next memory tip.
DISCUSS IT WITH FRIENDS
Another very effective way to memorize and remember more is to discuss what you read to friends. What I love most about this is that you gain double ways.
How is that possible? Let me explain to you.
First, when you tell your friend(s) what you understand about the topic, you remember those things forever as it is more like teaching that part to them.
Moreover, you also learn new things from people you discuss the same topic with. One thing I have gotten to realize is that when my friends tell me something in the topic which I didn’t know before, I NEVER FORGET those things!
I tell myself, “If you can know and remember those things, I have to remember too”.
BE CAREFUL: Don’t keep any information to yourself because you want to know it alone (which is not possible). Discuss as much as possible with your friends.
In fact, you may get to learn the direct opposite of the knowledge from your friend.
So, who’s right?
Argue and research it out!
That way, it is ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FORGET THAT TOPIC.
USE MNEMONICS
I have seen a lot of students who still don’t use mnemonics while studying. In fact, some people don’t even know what Mnemonics means or what it is all about.
If you have not been using this technique while studying, you have missed a lot already!
Trust me, mnemonic is one of the most effective study technique of all time I use while studying. With this method, I can remember things I studied 8 years ago without even revising them ever!
The best part?
It is super easy to use and you can use it to MEMORISE anything you want to.
I like to use this method to remember long lists especially when I need to put them in order!
The most important question is, “how does it work?” Read more on Mnemonic on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
PART 4: FINALLY…
DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH
One way to build on what you read and remember more is to research. The fact is that you will REMEMBER things you research on your own more than the things you find in books.
The best research tool is THE INTERNET. Majority of readers do not know how powerful their internet-connected mobile phones can be.
Some actually do but they fail to use it properly. Another good research source is your dictionary. You can as well make reference to other good textbooks while studying.
This will help you to know more and hence, REMEMBER MORE.
I use this technique a lot when I read and it has always been helpful. Try it and I’m sure it will work for you too.
REVISE
“I have read this topic but I have forgotten”, this is the line you will often hear from readers.
The problem is that they have failed to realize the POWER OF REVISION. The truth is, a lot of people also read and forgot just like you say you do. In fact, this happens to me also.
So, what’s the SECRET?
I revise!
Yes, that’s RIGHT. That is the little secret I use to remember what I read.
If you have been studying but you forget what you study, try studying the material over and over again. Better still, use some of the MEMORY TRICKS I mentioned in the previous part 3 of this article. They work like CHARM!
Conclusion
You can study more effectively if you use the study tips mentioned in this article.
Trust me, I have tested them myself and I have also confirmed their effectiveness from friends.
If you enjoyed the article, drop a comment below. Also, don’t forget to share the article using the share buttons below.
READ ALSO: 20 Noteworthy Success Tips For Students
mitrobe
Saheed Soneye