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How best to memorize study material. Effective methods or how to better remember important information

Whether you're studying for an exam, trying to learn a foreign language, or just hoping to remember what you've learned in class, remembering what you've learned can be tricky. While the brain is surprisingly good at storing information you've studied over a long period of time, it's not always easy to remember when you need to. Use several memorization techniques to quickly recall the necessary details in memory. Make your brain more receptive to absorbing new information by taking care of your mind and body, and by working in the right environment.

Steps

Use memory tricks

    Break the material into small sections. Information is easier to process and remember when you break it down into tiny pieces. Instead of trying to memorize an entire textbook chapter, focus on one short section or key information at a time.

    • For example, if you are trying to memorize words for a foreign language lesson, do not take more than 7-8 words at a time.
    • If you are studying from a textbook, it will be useful to familiarize yourself with the structure of the book. Textbook chapters are usually divided into short sections, each of which provides the amount of information that is easy to master. Focus on understanding and memorizing one section before moving on to the next.

  1. Switch between different themes. In order for the brain to organize information more efficiently, it will be useful to switch between the study of different subjects. Alternating topics that are very different from each other will help the brain not get stuck trying to remember too much information on one subject (or two very similar subjects) at a time. In addition, switching between themes will not allow you to “overheat” while working on one of them.

    Take notes. When you listen to a lecture or read a text, write down important passages of information. Don't write down every word you hear or read. Better outline the basic concepts. This will force the brain to process the information and compress it down to the most important elements.

    Check yourself. As you study each section of the material, take breaks to check yourself. To do this, you can create didactic cards, compose questions, or perform test exercises or tasks that are prescribed in the textbook. If you are studying with a friend, you can ask each other.

    Repeat material at regular intervals. When you're trying to remember something, it's important to repeat it over and over again. This method works best if you give yourself enough time between repetitions so you don't start to forget what you've learned. Repetition of information after a short period of time strains the "muscles" of memory and helps to delve into the material.

    • To begin with, repeat the material at short intervals and gradually increase them. For example, if you learned something one day, sleep with that information and repeat it several times the next day. Check yourself in a couple of days, and then again a week later.
    • Try study timer apps like ClockWork Tomato or TimeOut to help you schedule study intervals.

  2. Come up with signals for memory, the so-called mnemonic tricks. One of the easiest ways to access memory is to create associations that trigger memories. To do this, you can use abbreviations (for example, the KGB in reverse to remember the flag of the Russian Federation: red - blue - white, only vice versa), puns or puns, and also draw distinctive images in your mind.

    Explain the material to someone else. When you try to teach someone, it helps you to better understand the learning material yourself. In order for you to be able to explain something, you must understand it yourself. You must briefly characterize and present the material in such a way that it is clear and understandable to another person. This will help you better absorb and assimilate information.

    "Sleep" with this information. Most people need 7-9 hours of sleep every night to stay in good shape. Getting enough sleep not only gives you energy and helps you focus, but it also helps you learn and remember. Your brain processes new information while you sleep, so you may find that you understand complex concepts better after you take a nap or a good night's sleep. Get the most out of your sleep by practicing good “sleep hygiene”:

    Eat well. If you eat healthy food, you can get the energy you need to concentrate and hold information in your head. Eat plenty of “lean” proteins (fish, lean meats, and leafy greens), whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and foods with healthy fats (such as vegetable oil, fish, and nuts). Drink enough water throughout the day.

    Take breaks. If you try to force yourself to study too long in one sitting, you will soon begin to nod off or your mind will wander. To make classes more bearable and effective, try studying one hour at a time. Take breaks of 5-15 minutes between sessions to eat, stretch your legs, or put your head down for a quick nap.

Ekaterina Dodonova

Business coach, blogger, memory and speed reading instructor. Founder of the educational project iq230

1. Understand

Very often people try to memorize unfamiliar words and phrases without even understanding their meaning. Perhaps this is enough for a few days, say, to pass an exam. Unless, of course, the lecturer asks to explain what you mean by ablation and what are the signs of those same chromosomal aberrations from the first ticket.

The brain perfectly remembers words connected associatively. He discards incomprehensible letter combinations like garbage, not wanting to waste time on them.

For this reason, most people have difficulty learning. A strange-sounding word does not evoke native and understandable pictures to the heart.

Therefore, for better memorization, you must first parse and understand all new terms. Try to feel the word and associate it in your imagination with familiar concepts.

2. Come up with an association

The presence of fantasy is one of the most powerful tools for remembering information. greatly facilitate the process of memorizing important reports, presentations, texts, including in foreign languages, due to artificial associations.

Take the word "Monday". What frames are running on your internal screen? It could be the morning, terrible traffic jams, a thought pulsing in my head, a day on the calendar, a page in my childhood diary, or a buzzing office anthill. What do you see?

To make associative connections strong and durable, you can use the five-finger rule. Each finger has its own association, filled with one or another content.

Fingers Association
Big "Raisin". Original, absurd, absurd
Pointing "Emotions". Use only positive
Average "About yourself beloved." Feel free to associate the object of memorization with yourself
Nameless "Feel". Connect the senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, tactile sensations
Little finger "In move". Make your subject move. The brain remembers information faster in dynamics

Thus, the necessary information will be imprinted in your memory at once at all levels of feelings, which will allow you to use it for a long time.

3. Fool the magic number 7 ± 2

The famous American psychologist George Miller found that short-term human memory cannot remember and repeat more than 7 ± 2 elements. The mode of constant information overload reduces this number to 5 ± 2.

Nevertheless, there is a simple way to deceive the laws of short-term memory: the use of the method of stories, which involves the logical linking of disparate memory objects into one chain. You can have a funny, incredible and completely impossible story in real life. The main thing is that with it you can remember more than 15 elements at a time.

As conceived by the director in the next scene, you should swim in a pool filled to the brim with semolina. Yes, just imagine this madness in bright colors. Feel with your skin how semolina sticks to your skin. How hard it is to swim in this warm liquid, although the porridge is not too thick. As in the air it smells of milk, butter and childhood.

4. Repeat correctly

Our brain can be programmed - it's a scientific fact. It requires awareness and daily work in the chosen direction. Therefore, if you have firmly decided that it is extremely important for you to learn English in six months, then the brain has already tuned in to intensive memorization. But in addition to regular training, regular repetition of the material covered is also important.

Use certain time intervals for the best memorization: repeat the material immediately after learning, then after 15-20 minutes, after 6-8 hours (preferably before bedtime) and the last time after a week.

5. Tune in

Perhaps there is nothing worse when a person thinks about himself in negative terms: “I will never cope with this”, “It is impossible for me to remember this”, “I will not be able to learn such a difficult report”. Use only positive affirmations when programming your brain for work and results.

Tune in correctly, tell yourself: “I remember!”, “I have a good memory. I will remember”, “I will remember and easily retell in my own words in two hours”. Customize yourself. The resource state of the brain is your area of ​​responsibility.

Knowing the five secrets of memory, you can easily learn to memorize really complex and versatile materials. In addition, there are many interesting and natural ways for a person to train memory and consolidate the necessary memory objects, which Ekaterina Dodonova also talks about in detail in her book.

Happy reading and have a great memory!

Instruction

Calculate the time it will take to prepare for the exam. In no case do not leave everything to the last day. The human body has a limit to which it is able to perceive information, and this should be taken into account. Plan how many topics, pages or paragraphs you need to study per day. Leave the last day before the exam for rest and easy repetition.

Understand for yourself what type of memory you have better developed. Distinguish visual, auditory and motor. If you remember what you saw better, read more and highlight important places in the summary with a marker. If auditory memory is in the first place, read or pronounce the main ideas aloud. And if tactile - write notes or cheat sheets. By the way, they will be useful for almost everyone, even if you do not use them on the exam.

Don't start cramming right away material. First, review it, identify the main ideas and facts. Make a short summary or plan of answer based on key words. And try to use it. Start with the most difficult and incomprehensible topics. Set aside morning hours for them, even if you consider yourself an owl.

Alternate work and rest. It is best to use the school mode: 40-45 minutes of cramming and 10-15 minutes of relaxation. During the rest, be sure to change the type of activity: take a walk, do exercises, do not load your eyes and ears with other images.

Repeat learned material on exam questions. Their list is usually known to students. Simulate a test: write questions on pieces of paper and draw. After reading the question, write a short answer. Those moments that are especially difficult, retell aloud to someone close to you. This will give you confidence.

Use a mirror to repeat: tell material to your reflection. Try to sound confident, let your voice sound firm. If you did not find answers to any questions, ask your teacher for a consultation before the exam.

Use mnemonics or associations to remember complex concepts, formulas, or dates. For example, the anniversary of a battle can be correlated with the birthday of a friend. Come up with a rhyme or a funny phrase in which each word will correspond to a symbol in the formula. Such a creative approach will allow you to firmly assimilate the necessary information.

Sources:

  • How to quickly learn material

The session for students usually comes unexpectedly, and preparation for exams passes quickly. You can quickly learn the necessary information and not fail the test only if you have full concentration of attention.

Instruction

Start preparing at least a week in advance. It will be impossible to learn the exam in one day, especially if you did not attend classes for the whole semester or did not pay attention to the words of the teacher. Dosing information will lead to better assimilation and memorization.

Estimate the amount of information you need to learn and make a schedule. Divide all the information into tickets, count their number and distribute them over the remaining days before the exam. Set yourself the task of reading a certain number of tickets every day, and in no case do not deviate from this goal, otherwise in the end you will have to learn many times more, which will not work.

Do not be distructed. It is better to read just an hour in silence than several in a noisy stop. Turn off the TV, radio, player and computer. Resist the temptation to take a moment to check social media or call a classmate. Focus on the material, think about what you read, if something is not understood, go back and read it again. Do not try to remember the text by heart. The main thing in preparation is to understand the material, assimilate it and tell the teacher at the exam.

Each person periodically faces the need to learn material of various content and volume. This is easy for some, but the vast majority of people face difficulties, not knowing how to quickly memorize a given amount of text.

The work of the human brain has not yet been 100% studied, we only know that we use a small part of the brain's abilities. The psychological processes that take place in the human mind are amenable to daily training. Memory and other mechanisms of consciousness can be developed to unprecedented heights. A strong memory will make it possible to achieve success in any area of ​​human life, it will be needed in "everyday" life, study, it will easily increase intellectual abilities.

To learn a text, artistic or scientific content, you will need constant memory training with exercises specially designed for this. Human memory is divided into visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory and tactile. It is the ability to memorize and store any amount of information.

Each type of memory develops differently in people. It is easier for someone to memorize the text by saying it out loud, and for someone, on the contrary, it is better absorbed after visualizing what has been read. Therefore, it is important to understand which type of memory is better developed in order to use it for memorization in the future.

The same information can be learned well in several ways. There are three ways to remember the necessary material in a short time.

  • Method of rational memorization;

It is based on the use of logical memory. In the process of rational memorization, the semantic and logical connection of the material with life experience is fixed in the mind. With rational memorization, there is an awareness of the read text and information is easier to perceive. This method helps to remember the material by heart, trains intellectual abilities and increases knowledge.

  • Method of mnemotechnical memorization;

This is the most interesting of the three. It helps to remember non-semantic information, due to processing into images and associative links. Mnemotechnical memorization is based on the life experience gained, translating the text into images familiar to the mind. This method helps to remember a large amount of material that does not carry a semantic load. It can be dates, phone numbers, names, addresses. It helps fight everyday forgetfulness by increasing the possibility of rote remembering what is happening.

  • mechanical memory method.

This method involves memorizing the material. It is considered ineffective and difficult to train, as it can fail at any moment, “falling out” of memory. With age, the ability to rote memorization deteriorates.

memorization techniques

To quickly assimilate the text, different memorization methods are used. One of the most effective methods of thoughtful reading. It is well suited for memorizing large and small volumes. This method is used by actors who, like no one else, need to know how to quickly memorize a text.

  • First, slowly and carefully read the text that needs to be remembered. Better to read it aloud. When reading, it is necessary to understand the main idea of ​​the text, its main plot, so that you can remember it faster.
  • If the amount of material is large, we break it into semantic parts. Each part must be learned separately, finding in them the main words or phrases in meaning. This will help in the future, restore all the text in order.
  • After that, you need to rewrite the entire text, manually. This should be done slowly, delving into the essence of what is written.
  • After everything is rewritten, we retell what we remember. You need to remember the smallest details, based on keywords. If you can’t remember some moment, it’s better not to peep into the records, but try to do it yourself. You can only watch in case of emergency.
  • Further, we rewrite for the second time only what we remembered without prompting.
  • At the last stage, we carefully reread the text again and retell it. It's best to do this before bed.

This memorization method is suitable for learning text verbatim. It will help students, pupils of the school and everyone who needs to know how to learn a large amount of information in a short time. Theater and film actors use this method to remember their roles.

Tricks for quick memorization

There are some more simple but very effective tricks for memorizing the entire text, based on the nuances of how our brain works. For this you need:

  • Highlight the main points in the text with a bright marker;

This will allow you not to be distracted by the extra part of the text. Actors thus highlight their phrases in the script.

  • Sing words or text;

This is a non-standard memorization method. Having sung the material, he will better get into memory and it can be remembered faster.

  • You need to read until the meaning becomes completely clear;

It is very important to feel the feelings and emotions, if it is fiction, that the characters experience.

  • After reading, ask yourself questions about the content;
  • Read aloud with expression;
  • Write the text with the other hand;

If you are left-handed, write with your right, if you are right-handed, write with your left. This tricky way will make the brain spend more effort on analyzing all the written material.

  • Find a training partner;

Actors rehearse in pairs, it helps in the work. You can also ask a friend to test you on the knowledge of all the material. In a company, learning by heart is more interesting and much easier.

  • Record the text on the voice recorder;

Record the text on a recording device and listen to it during the day, while doing ordinary activities or during a trip. This will help you memorize a voluminous text without being distracted from other things and without wasting extra time.

Memory needs to be constantly trained. Remembering information consists of encoding it and sending it to a special part of the brain for further storage. If information is needed, it is easy to remember. When it is not used for a long time, the brain will remove it as unnecessary. Forgetting is inherent in a person, it happens after a certain time. This is a natural mechanism of the brain and it helps not to overload the brain with unnecessary information, and if it is not used, then it disappears from memory over time.


« If you lose interest in everything, you lose your memory» Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (German poet, thinker and naturalist).

For each role, the actor has to memorize a large amount of text, while, unlike a TV presenter or teacher, he does not have the opportunity to look into the notes.

But, of course, it is not only useful for actors to strengthen and develop memory, but it will only benefit any person to master the skills of memorizing a large amount of information.

There are a great many methods and exercises for the development of human abilities. Thus, the head and founder of the 4brain educational portal, Evgeny Buyanov, on the pages of his project, collected the most significant and interesting methods for developing various mental skills in a person, and all for the sake of one important goal: "in our time on the Internet it is difficult to find something worthwhile: what you can read and then tell your grandchildren in old age; what can be learned to make the world a better place; which will make us a little wiser and more tolerant”. After going through, you can find a large number of useful, exciting tricks, rules and techniques aimed at increasing the level of memory development and the ability to purposefully memorize. The whole methodology of learning how to memorize, presented on this site is very simple and accessible to everyone.

The more you learn about the ability of memory, the easier it will be for you to communicate with it in the “same language”, which means that you will understand each other for many years, while remaining “true friends”.

So, do not rush to start exercising right away. To begin with, let's decide what kind of memory is best developed for you.

So, Napoleon, possessed, motor memory(we all remember his phenomenal memory for names). The person who has acoustic memory, you need to hear what he teaches. And this suggests that the best option for him is to memorize aloud. A pillar of memory for people visual perception, is a deliberate arrangement of keywords (coloring, drawing, diagrams).

It is also important to determine when choosing a method for memorizing text:

  • What type of text (what complexity, topics)
  • How detailed do you need to remember it?
  • For how long

So, let's, in order to once and for all identify your type of memory, we will conduct one test with you. It's called "Memory type test". For this you need three sheets of paper, necessarily numbered.

Read aloud the words:

  • Lamp
  • Pear
  • Map
  • Rain
  • Goose
  • Hoop
  • Dog
  • Sheet
  • Newspaper

Write down what you remember on the first sheet.

Now read the words to yourself, and be sure to imagine these items:

  • Kettle
  • Airplane
  • Butterfly
  • Legs
  • Horse
  • Board
  • Candle
  • Bread
  • Book
  • Bike
  • Moon

Again write down what you remember using sheet #2.

Now read the words and "write" them in the air:

  • Hare
  • Skis
  • Samovar
  • Axe
  • Boat
  • Drive
  • Mystery
  • Chair
  • Cookie

Write down everything you can remember on the third sheet.

Now the conclusions: if there are more matches on sheet No. 1, you have an auditory memory. On sheet No. 2 - visual memory, on sheet No. 3 - kinesthetic.

Techniques for quickly memorizing text

« Remembering is the same as understanding, and the more you understand, the more you see the good" Maksim Gorky.

Each professional of the "speech" profession has his own tricks, the secrets of quickly memorizing huge amounts of information or text.

In the book "245 Simple Exercises According to the Stanislavsky System" Elvira Sarabyan reveals to us the veil of these secrets.

And here are just some of the excerpts from this fascinating book:

  • The text instantly "pops up" in memory, if you take the pose that was taken in the theater, in makeup and costume ... that is, you need to enter the desired image. In general, you got the idea!
  • Also, the book is filled with all sorts of actionable tips, including reading the material aloud. And it is desirable only to repeat the part that is the least memorized. Don't forget to take breaks and rest.
  • Be sure to train figurative abilities (there is even such a method “Mnemonics (method of associations)”, read all about this technique at.

Now let's play a game "Katena" for the development of creative thinking, described in Harry Lorraine book "Supermemory". You can play both alone and in a company. The rules are very simple. Take any two words. It is necessary to take them as a chain of association words (that is, there must be at least something in common between the words, or vice versa).

Example: Watch and Cloud.

Solution: Clock - Time - Day - Sun - Sky - Cloud.

Come up with your own associations, develop creative thinking. And be sure take the lesson "".

You may have already heard about "Method of Cicero" or is it also called "road method" to memorize a sequence of words. To use the method, it is necessary to prepare the "road" (a matrix of images) in advance.

And the essence of it is this: you must take the first word and create an association with the first image of your matrix. And so it is with every word. And the process of "remembering" the words will work for you when you mentally reproduce the image corresponding to the given word.

Here are some more effective ways that allow you to qualitatively, and most importantly, quickly remember the material (be it a verse, a role or a report):

  • After reading the text, highlight the main, main idea in it.
  • Pay attention to the details as you read the text.
  • Draw parallels with what you already know
  • Be sure to set yourself internal settings for memorization - actively work both with yourself and with the text. Learn only with desire
  • Small volume of texts, it is most effective to memorize before going to bed
  • Divide voluminous (large) information into parts, do not try to master everything in one day
  • Associate memorization of material with phenomena well known to you (music, colors, numbers)
  • Stimulate yourself, reward your work (delicious lunch, long-awaited purchase)
  • If you have to memorize a foreign text, be sure to first make an accurate translation of it.
  • Everything is complicated, try to simplify as much as possible
  • Comprehensive use of various senses
  • Try to cover as many words as possible with your eyes (develop peripheral vision). For this, they are used, including.
  • Read, learn only with a fresh mind
  • Work with text in comfortable conditions (good lighting, no external stimuli)
  • Get enough sleep (thereby you will significantly increase the performance of your memory)

There is another very effective method for quickly memorizing text - using pictograms(that is, resorting to the help of graphic images). Its principle is exactly the same as in the road method. The picture you drew is a way to quickly reproduce the desired words or sentences.

That's all for today. Load your memory, because as Napoleon I said: « A head without memory is like a fortress without a garrison». If you are interested in the development of thinking more globally, pay attention to the course.

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Good luck and have a great memory!