What mistakes prevent us from remembering information

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

In a turbulent stream of data, it is extremely important to process information efficiently: to correctly highlight accents and not lose the knowledge gained. To avoid wasting time while learning, make sure you don't make one of four common mistakes.

Mistake 1. Excessive emphasis on information

Remember how at school we were not allowed to dirty our textbooks? In fact, annotating and highlighting theses in the text is very useful. Subsequently, having cast a quick glance at such "damaged" pages, you will be able to recover even a large amount of information in your memory. However, many make the mistake of giving too much.

• Not right: highlight whole sentences or even paragraphs, highlight more than 1-2 key ideas on a page.
• Right: highlight only keywords related to the main idea of the page.

Mistake 2. Rereading

"Repetition is the mother of learning" - again, from childhood, we hear this proverb. But few people know that it has a sequel:

Repetition is the mother of learning and a refuge for lazy people.

Experiments have shown that re-reading the text does not give a noticeable improvement in the results of subsequent checks of the acquired material. In addition, you may mistakenly believe that you have understood some difficult idea, but in fact it will only be on the surface, in your short-term memory. This is a classic cramming, which does not lead to the assimilation of information.

It is much more effective not to try to remember all the new information at once, but to limit yourself only to the basic ideas. Small pieces of knowledge will fit into memory and, over time, will be able to acquire new details.

• Not right: re-read the same text many times in an attempt to remember everything at once.
• Right: splitting up new information and remembering only the most important thing.

Mistake 3. Lack of tests

Did you love your tests at school? Unlikely. But they were really helpful. Only a knowledge test can reveal weaknesses in the material that seems to be studied. During your school years, the teacher did some of the work for you, writing questions and evaluating the answers.

When studying the material, it is very important to pay attention to self-examination. It may seem like you're wasting valuable time learning new things. But this is a mistake: more in the learning process certainly does not mean better.

After studying a small block of material, take a step back: use your notes and underlines to check if you have learned the material. And don't be discouraged by mistakes! They will help you avoid blind confidence in your own competence.

• Not right: try to read as much as possible.
• Right: check the degree of assimilation of each logical block of information.

Mistake 4. Abandonment of practice

Theoretical knowledge is needed only in order to apply it in practice. And even if your goal is not to create a tangible product, but to possess some information, you will have to use the resulting theory. Otherwise, the effectiveness of your training will be low, and knowledge will fly out of your head very soon.

Take the time to put theory into practice: solve problems, create micro-products, share information. Do not be afraid of criticism: it will perfectly complement self-examination and help deepen your knowledge.

• Not right: absorb and accumulate information.
• Right: use the knowledge gained in life.

conclusions

The pursuit of knowledge is a natural human need. But in order not to let information pass through you in vain, use effective teaching methods:

1. Highlight less, but more accurately.
2. Instead of rereading, focus on the key messages.
3. Check yourself as often as possible.
4. Convert knowledge into product.