Do you forget everything quickly and are not able to remember things, then this article can help you. In this article, you can read that what steps should be taken so you can save information in your memory for a long time.
We have three kinds of memory i.e. Sensory memory, short term memory, and long term memory. Sensory memory have things you don't focus on but seem like a car color just passed by you on the road. It remains for 30 seconds around only. Short-term memory holds the things you want to remember for a short time like repeating a phone number or medicine name to remember for the next few minutes(until you dial the number or tell the medicine name to the store keeper). Then, last comes the long term memory. This is for having things you remember for whole life.
Now, who can understand better the importance of long-term memory than student. When he forgets important point which he had already read before examination. I will explain some awesome techniques which can help you to remember things in a long time.
A notice board in the study room
Write important stuffs on sticky notes in concise format. Put them on a board. Keep that board hanged on the wall of your room and keep it somewhere at home where you spend most of your time. Remember the board should be in front of you and should look clearly. Since, your important stuffs will always stay in front of your eyes. You may revise them anytime and will stay in mind for long.
For example, you put a world map highlighting each country with its capital. You see the map many times in a day. Now in next few days, you will realize that you remember many countries and its capital names without learning it. This is because it has become a part of your life. Like you never need to think of the way of your home because you are walking in there for many years and it has become a part of your life.
Flash cards
This can be your handiest board which you can keep in your pocket or wallet every time. When you need them or have time, you can pick them out and revise them anytime and anywhere.
Just buy some simple flash cards or make them at home. Write your question or a word on one side of a card, and its answer on the other side. While travelling or at the dinner table or when you have time, just see the question and think of its answer. If you find one, just assure whether you are correct or not by turning the card. Isn't that simple. This is especially useful in enhancing vocabulary. They can also be useful if you want to note down something in urgent when outside.
To make this technique more interesting, use colorful flash cards. Or print some special design at the corner of these flashcards. Even you can paste your family photo and a quote that inspires you to go ahead. Just bring out that card and see that for a few seconds. You will again boost to achieve your goal. Really it works great.
Relate things
There are a lot of stuffs. How the hell someone can remember them all together. They all get messed and mix up together. It's almost impossible to keep them separate and clear.
Well, this is actually the mistake to learn them and keep them separate. As Einstein said, "Science, religion, philosophy, math, languages and everything are branches of a single tree".
After reading anything new, see what it has relation with things you already have learned before. If there is any relation, what is that? Analyze everything from all the angles. It will not only keep things in your mind for long, but also sharpen your understanding of the topic.
Make a story
Have you still remember the stories or some part of it which has been told by your grandmother. May be yes. Think how long before you heard them. And still they are in your mind like you lived them once. This is the magic of stories. Stories keep in our brain for long.
When read something, make a story by taking elements you have read. Make it creative and more interesting. Put more elements to elaborate things more clearly. Remember to not make the story very long and complicated. That will make the story difficult to remember. Try to make stories related or inspired from real life. They are easy to make and remember. But don't limit yourself. If your imagination wants to go beyond, let this be gone. Never stop it.
Also, making stories will make you more creative and imaginative. By practice, you can use this skill to make your words and speech interesting and strong.
Make an image
If the topic is short and do not have many elements, then making stories may be time waste and stupid. At that point, create an image in your mind to define and relate those elements. Remember to make appealing and peaceful images. If one image is not enough to keep all elements, then make multiple images and set them in series like a comic book.
Make notes and read every day
There may be a condition that you don't have an apt place to put boards. Your study material is broad and can't keep them all in your pocket on flash cards. Also, you don't like to make stories all the time as it is time wasting and seem boring for you.
Then you can try a very simple and most adopted strategy. Make concise notes in a separate notebook. Make it more elaborated by using abbreviations and diagrams. Read them daily before bed or at least once in 2-3 days. Add things to that notebook daily and revise previous work regularly. As the time will pass on, you will realize that you don't need to revise last week work. That is already in your mind very clear.
These notes are also very helpful in exam times. When time is less and you have to cover complete book within that span of time.
Discuss with friends
This is actually the most interesting way for me. You must have friends belongs to the same profession and read similar subjects you read.
Isn't interesting to hang out with friends and talk about things. If so, then why not make it more interesting to include your subjects into the communication. It is really interesting to know what your dear friends know or think about things you read.
Discussion energizes you to know more about the topic. You start playing hard to find the answer of question being asked by your friend. And in that quest, you find many other answers you were just waiting for long.
Deeply study and understand the topic
This is I believe the best approach to remember something for long. The thing which you have studied for long and have very strong understanding keeps in your mind for very long. Do not just read and jump from topic to topics. Study less but very strongly and accurately.
Quick study may keep you ahead but that will be temporary. Things will vanish after some time. Not because you didn't understand them. It is because you didn't read as much as you should do.
