What to do to better remember what you read

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

What to do before, during and after working with the book.

Jory McKay, content marketer and editor of the RescueTime blog, explains why we often forget what we read most recently and how to fix it.

How the brain remembers what it read

Our brains have a limited amount of memory, and they have to constantly assess the importance of the incoming information. Therefore, remembering everything you read is simply impossible.

To better understand how this happens, think back to literature lessons in school. Surely you can still describe the plot, characters and even a few key scenes from the books included in the curriculum. But at the same time, you forget what you read just a few months ago.

There is a simple explanation for this. You remember what you read in school, so you had to remember it. You had a goal to get a good grade, and you knew that this information would have to be used in the future - in a test or report. And the book you took to read with you on vacation only helped kill time on the plane - that's all.

The curriculum has been specially designed so that you can connect new knowledge and consolidate what you have learned in practice. But the same thing happens to you now: the more chances there are to compare the information you have read with something, the better you will assimilate it.

This does not mean the need to read only what you immediately begin to apply in life. But if you want to remember something, you have to decide on goals and intentions.

How to prepare for reading

You can be determined when you pick up the book. But you still end up forgetting everything as soon as you turn the last page. To prevent this from happening, you need to tune in in advance.

Choose the right books

Our brains like to heap all knowledge together to save energy and space. Therefore, in order for us to remember what we have read, it must be special. And for this it is worth avoiding these two mistakes:

• Read the same as others. The publishing industry produces a huge number of books a year. Add to these blog posts, articles, research. This is easy to get confused about if you don't have a personal reading list.
• Forcing yourself to read uninteresting books … So you're just wasting your time. Studies have shown that when you are interested in something, you are much more likely to remember it and use it later.

Here are some ways to help you choose the right book.

1. Try to follow the advice of the researcher of mythology Joseph Campbell: "The less borrowing in a book, the better it is." This will help you gain knowledge from the source.
2. Look for books that are recommended by different groups of people - this approach is recommended by blogger and editor Kemarid Hai. For example, choose the one offered to you by three friends from different professional circles.
3. Listen to your inner voice if all else fails. Choose those books and articles that really interest you for personal reasons. If you find yourself falling asleep or checking your phone every two minutes, you should probably keep looking.

Understand what you want from reading

The next thing you need is a goal. Answer the question, why are you now reading this book, article, research?

There is nothing wrong with the intention of simply learning something out of personal interest. But if you want to remember this and use it in the future, it is better to understand in advance how you are going to apply the new information.

The importance of this step is confirmed by the following research. In it, all participants were given the same reading material. One group of volunteers was told they had a test at the end, and another that they would have to teach someone to read.

As a result, both groups passed the same test. But the group of "teachers" did much better. Preparing to reproduce all the material with high quality, they tried to systematize the information and better remember the most important points.

Therefore, try to set a clear goal before opening the book: this way you will better assimilate and remember what you read.

Review the main parts of the book

Our brain loves new information, but does not ignore what we do all the time. Therefore, a cursory glance at the book and the so-called "preliminary reading" will help to consolidate in memory the material that you are going to take on.

In How To Read Books, Mortimer Adler explains that memorizing what you read requires starting at the “structural stage”. That is, not to jump straight to the first page, but to get a general understanding of the content of the book. To do this, Adler suggests answering the following questions:

• Is this book practical or theoretical?
• What area of research does it cover?
• How is the book structured (not only the table of contents, but other sections as well)?
• What problems is the author trying to solve?

Flip through the entire book, read the headings and a few random paragraphs. Review the bibliography and note which sources the author refers to. Find the alphabetical index. Get a complete picture of what you are going to dive into.

How to read correctly

Not all of us were taught as children what is called active reading. Compared to the “passive” process, during which you just mentally pronounce the words, actively interacting with a book is a work that requires thought and, frankly, a lot of time. But it's worth it.

Set aside time to read regularly

According to a study by the University of Michigan, you need to read at least 30 minutes a day. And this should be done not only in order to quickly master a large number of books. Scientists have found that systematic reading increases concentration, strengthens neural connections in the brain, and develops emotional intelligence.

It is important that nothing distracts you while reading. Turn off notifications and use apps that block social media and other sites.

Take the right notes

It's good when the plot of the book captures the head. But when it comes to learning and memorizing, you cannot allow thoughts to flow freely.

To avoid this, take notes. The library would kill you for it, but the best is to use marginals - marginal comments, see-through headings, idea sketches. This will make you a more active reader and help you remember the information.

There are many ways to make quality recordings, but the main thing is to avoid the following:

• Highlight, reread and rewrite text. Passive methods like these are more useless and can even make memorization more difficult.
• Spend more time creating notes and pointers than reading it. Records are only good if they are easy to use and can be quickly revisited. Find a simple technique that works for you personally.

Link new and famous ideas

In addition to taking notes, active reading involves building connections between what you read and what you already know about the subject.

To do this, when faced with new ideas, try to correlate them with known facts - this will make it easier for you to connect the old and the new. Compare what you found in the text with the knowledge that you have already acquired earlier.

For example, for the founder of the Farnam Street blog, Shane Parrish, the best way to create connections is to constantly update posts as you read. He marks his thoughts, questions and, most importantly, connections with other ideas in the margins. When he reaches the end of a chapter, he immediately writes down all its main points, especially highlighting topics that can be applied somewhere.

What to do after reading

At this point, you have done everything possible to understand, assimilate and connect what you read. But long-term memory is largely based not on this "read" knowledge, but on "experienced" knowledge. Therefore, the main thing now is to turn information into experience.

Put what you read into practice

Let's go back to the literature class example. You memorized what you read not only because you knew about the need to use the material. And also because you had to do so. You have written tests and reports, discussed these topics. You have connected thoughts from books with global themes and new ideas. But how often do you do this now?

One of the best ways to remember what you read is to find an opportunity to use it. Tell a friend, share your thoughts online, write a synopsis of the book, and discuss it with someone unfamiliar with the work. Any practice will help you to consolidate the idea in your memory.

Explain to someone you read

We've already found out that you will surely remember the material if you try to retell it to someone. And even better if it is a child.

According to Nobel laureate in physics Richard Feynman, one of the best ways to really learn something is to explain it in the simplest possible terms. Use short sentences and avoid terms. Plain spoken language will force you to really delve into the topic and not mask the incomprehensible with complex language.

Go back to your notes and organize them

When you put what you read into practice or explain material to someone else, chances are you will find passages that you have forgotten or are no longer quite sure about. This is where you will need all those wonderful notes that you made.

Go back to your source material and your notes and check what catches your eye right away. Make sure to simplify complex descriptions. And then organize everything into a laconic, easy-to-understand text - a short summary. What would you say about a book with just 30 seconds?

If you try, you can get a tremendous return from the book. This does not mean at all that you cannot sometimes just relax and drown in another reality. But in order to memorize information and grow professionally and personally, you need to approach reading consciously.