What to do if you don't remember. How to remember information faster: recommendations

Hello my beloved readers.

Have you ever wondered how to quickly remember a large amount of information? How not to forget everything in the morning? How to put all the knowledge gained in such an intensive way into long-term memory?

All these questions concern every person who at least once had to memorize tons of materials for an exam, a presentation, or simply to improve their own knowledge.

More than once I have come across the fact that many, without looking up from textbooks, sit day and night in an attempt to remember as much as possible. Does it make sense? Maybe they are doing something wrong? Maybe there is another way out?

Today I want to discuss with you how you can quickly and efficiently memorize new material.

7 Tips on How to Quickly Learn Things You Can't Learn Quickly

  • Highlight the main ideas.

No matter how important and large in a short time, it will always contain at least 50% water. Introductory words and subordinate clauses, examples and rantings of the author - this is something superfluous that can be cut off from the text with peace of mind.

While reading mentally highlight the main ideas and remember them exactly. Form the so-called skeleton, on which in the future you will simply impose your thoughts. This method alone will help you reduce the time for studying the material several times.

  • Don't read the text multiple times.

Yes exactly. The more times you read the text, the more you begin to dwell on all sorts of unnecessary things and trifles. The more you start to get distracted from the most important thing. Our brain is designed in such a way that it’s better if you read it very carefully once, highlighting the main thoughts, and then retell it, than reading the same thing ten times in an attempt to remember. This will give you a lot more effect a short time.

  • Don't say words to yourself.

The brain is able to capture the meaning of what the eyes see without speaking. So try not to dwell on every word while reading, but rather skim through the text. Yes, it will be difficult, but it will greatly speed up the process.

If you regularly work with a large amount of information that you need to remember, or you just need to develop your memory to the maximum, use advice from Stanislav Matveev memory record holder. This man proved that everyone is capable of more than he thinks.

  • Don't sit still.

Walk around the house. Arrange things in the closet. Knit or cross stitch. Get up and go for a walk in the park. Do any physical activity while you are already trying to retell what you have read. Scholars have repeatedly noted that physical mobility increases the efficiency and productivity of the brain. So use what you already have.

  • Divide into parts.

No matter how much you want in a day, you are unlikely to succeed. Our brain is simply not capable of mastering tons of material without preparation. Therefore, I advise you to divide everything into parts. Mastered one part - take a break, drink tea, go outside for 15 minutes. All in all, reboot your brain.

Even if you need to master as much material as possible in a day - plan your vacation. From the very morning, plan, for example, at what time you will teach, and at what relax. Plan your lunch and rest time. Then the probability of success will be much higher than if you just get up in the morning and study until night.

  • Develop your peripheral vision.

To significantly reduce reading time - develop the skill read entire line. So, you do not have to run your eyes over the line, you will see everything at once. Of course, you won’t learn this in a short time, but if you constantly have to work with large amounts of information, this skill becomes extremely necessary.

You can start exercising now to develop these abilities in yourself. This can be a good help online Brainapps service . There you can register and use good simulators.

Also can be purchased premium account and take advantage of even more opportunities (for example, take a professional speed reading course , receive regular workouts tailored to your level, access all the simulator games presented on the site, etc. ).

Give such activities 5-10 minutes a day, and in a couple of weeks you will significantly increase the speed of reading one page of text. I experienced it myself.

  • Repeat every 2-3 hours.

In order not to lose what you have recently learned from the shelves of your short-term memory, review the learned material every 2-3 hours. This will both refresh your knowledge and help move information into intermediate memory.

I hope that among these tips you will find something that will help you not only teach correctly, but also plan your learning correctly. If you have a lot of material to learn, try these methods. Both personally, and many of my students have tried them on themselves more than once.

And if you want to receive even more information about any aspects of English language- subscribe to my blog newsletter. You will find the most relevant and correct information, a lot of interesting and useful information.

Throughout life, a person has to learn something. And the learning process, as you know, often associated with the need to remember a large amount of information in a short time. For some people, this is not a problem at all, while others experience some difficulties, especially if there are unfamiliar words, terms, and difficult-to-understand phrases in the text.

Of course, today there are many recording devices, but we can not always use them. And there is so much information in the modern world that it is best to keep it in the most reliable place, namely, in your head.

It is enough to learn once how to remember a large amount of information in a short time, and this skill will help you out in any situation. For example, at school or at the institute, during advanced training at work, before the exam in the traffic police. The main thing here is to tune in to the result, read a few useful recommendations and immediately put them into practice. We invite you to learn right now how to quickly remember a large amount of information.

Do you know the situation when you need to quickly memorize a large amount of information, and there is very little time? What do you experience? Are you starting to panic? You feel like a loser who at one time skipped classes, and now suddenly took up his mind and decided to learn all the material covered.

You shouldn't be upset. Even if you don't have a perfect memory, there are special techniques that allow you to learn a large amount of information in a short time, be it a voluminous textbook paragraph, the text of your public speech or presentation, or a whole hundred exam tickets.

Memorization can be mechanical, requiring memorization, or logical, that is, meaningful.

Consider the main ways of perception and reproduction of information.

  • cramming method. It is not suitable for everyone, although it helps to quickly memorize information. However, she also quickly disappears from our heads, leaving only pleasant reminders in the form of a good grade or praise.
  • Retelling method. Everything is very simple: you read the text and prepare a detailed retelling. Wherein best to sit in front of a grateful listener. Thus, you will not allow yourself to relax and will subconsciously select the necessary words and clear formulations.
  • Recording Method. Good students write notes. Do you know why? This is very good way organize and organize information. Even if you missed a lecture, feel free to rewrite or make a short summary. Firstly, all the necessary information will be at your fingertips, and secondly, you will lead the story according to a clearly drawn up plan that is visualized in your head. Plus, writing helps you remember better.
  • repetition method. Mentally repeat the material covered, the poem or the learned exam tickets.
  • Reading aloud. Some people find this method helpful. Important read the text several times, comprehend it. You can break what you read into paragraphs and apply the retelling method.
  • The method of "remembering the place". Try remember the situation when you received information, you may need to focus on smells, surrounding objects, landscapes.

How to quickly memorize information using visual images?

The technique of meaningful memorization of information is called mnemonics. Exists some secrets of mnemonics, which help to remember information better:

  1. Try to convert information into images. Moreover, living pictures can evoke not only poems - with the help of images, you can remember dates, tables, graphs and even formulas. To do this, of course, you need to choose a high-quality and most suitable image. Here you can use the method of associations based on the correspondence of color, shape, select abbreviations, create small stories.
  2. Paint bright pictures in your head. Do not be afraid to use fantasy - let your images move, interact, line up in chains. So one information will gradually come from another, creating a complete picture.
  3. Stop at the details. Try to describe in detail the subject you are talking about. Remember its features and characteristics. For example, you need to talk about a mobile phone. List its components: display, keys, charging port, speaker, microphone.

Video lessons: how to quickly memorize a large amount of information?

Many mistakenly believe that the active work of memory ends at the end of an institute, technical school or university. However, this is not quite true. The use of memory continues after graduation. Another thing is where and to what extent to apply it, and most importantly, how to improve it. Therefore, in this article we will talk about how to quickly memorize information using the simplest and most effective exercises.

What are the types of memory?

Human memory can be conditionally divided into two types:

  • short-term (fast);
  • long term.

Short-term memory allows a person to remember a certain list of items or objects that exist in real time. In other words, only images that are relevant here and now remain in memory. On average, there can be 5-8 such objects. Accordingly, long-term memory makes it possible to remember certain images that a person may need not immediately, but, for example, in a year. Therefore, in order to figure out how to better remember information, you need to learn how to distinguish between them.

  • visual (those objects that we see with our own eyes are remembered);
  • sound (the melody, the words of the song are caught);
  • sensual (based on real emotional experiences and feelings);
  • tactile (sensations are remembered);
  • emotional (based solely on emotions);
  • associative (connects objects and objects with any associations).

Let's talk about how to remember information faster.

Exercise 1: Writing Sad Letters

Scientists have made an amazing discovery. Our memory, as it turned out, is most susceptible to negative memories and experienced emotions. Therefore, the method of writing letters is as follows: you need to take a sheet of paper and a pen, set the clock for 15-20 minutes and during this time state all the troubles and negative points that you encountered in last week, month.

Interestingly, after such an exercise, it will be easy for you to remember almost any information. According to scientists, this is due to the fact that after using the exercise, the brain simply does not have time to switch from your memories and will gladly accept everything that you read and memorize. This is exactly what you should do if you are looking for an answer to the question: “What is the best way to remember information?”

Exercise 2: Scream and be heard

A little unusual, but quite effective method to remember any information. It consists in her loud shouting. For example, in this way you can learn foreign words, prepare for exams or testing. However, this does not mean that during such an exercise it is necessary to yell until you are hoarse or until the first call of indignant neighbors. Do everything within reason.

How to quickly remember a large amount of information: exercise 3

If in a short time you need to learn a large amount of text or material, then you should follow these steps:

  • carefully (preferably several times) read what is written or printed;
  • delve into the content;
  • highlight basic and supporting information;
  • divide the material into parts (according to the level of their importance);
  • make a short one (you can;
  • retell what you read.

Here's how to quickly remember a large amount of information.

Exercise 4: movement is power

When some material does not want to be remembered in any way, many experts advise using real movements. To do this, you need to get up from your seat, pick up a book with text and, for the best effect, start walking in circles around the room while reading what is written. It is believed that during walking there is a rapid activation of the brain, therefore, any material is absorbed much faster.

For the same purpose, before remembering a lot of information, it is recommended to dance, jump, run or do some physical exercises for 25-30 minutes. They say that after that it will be possible to remember at least the entire first volume of War and Peace.

Exercise 5: Play Association

One of the most effective ways to develop and remember any information is the association game. Suppose you need to memorize a grocery list. To do this, you must first write this shopping list, look at it and create images that will be easier for you to remember.

For example, your list of future purchases includes carrots. Since she has an orange skin, she may well be associated with a red fox or squirrel. Cotton buds are soft and white snow. Water - a glass, etc. This is briefly about how to remember information faster.

Exercise 6: Organize Everything

They say that things that are in your favorite place are best remembered. For example, you have a favorite chair in your house that you often sit on. And next to it is a stack of wooden shelves. It is on them that you can mentally put those items that you plan to remember. After that, it will be easier for you to remember the location of objects and their names.

Exercise 7: Leave a note

Suppose you need to learn a large report, but you do not know how to memorize information faster. In order to quickly learn what is written, it is necessary to divide the text into short sentences, write them on sticky notes and paste them in accessible places in the room. Further, it is recommended to walk around the apartment from time to time and read your notes.

Exercise 8: counting matches

Sometimes you should not wait for the moment when you urgently need to learn some text, numbers or words. It is best to start training your memory and mindfulness before the right moment arrives.

For example, if you regularly perform the “Matches” exercise, you will be able to increase the level of attentiveness and memorization of the smallest details, therefore, if necessary, it will not be difficult for you to learn any important material. Next, we will talk about how easy it is to memorize information of any complexity.

So, the meaning of the exercise boils down to the following: you need to take exactly five matches, pour them on the table, remember their position, turn away to the other side and try to recreate. With each lesson, it is recommended to gradually increase the number of matches and the complexity of the created figures.

Exercise 9: Reading words backwards

A very simple and useful exercise for developing mindfulness and memory is to read. For example, while walking or driving around the city, pay attention to store signs, read them backwards. In this case, you will not only have to memorize an unusual meaning for ordinary names, but also keep in mind the original original word.

Exercise 10: swap numbers and letters

If you experience some difficulties with remembering phone numbers or a PIN code, then you should use simple and at the same time effective methods of data assimilation. Currently known various ways. To remember information related to numbers, for example, the option to replace them with letters will help you.

For example, you need to remember the following sequence: 9, 5, 8, 4. We replace them with letters corresponding to the first letters of the numbers. We get the letter “d” instead of “9”, “5” is changed to “p”, “8” to “v”, and “4” to “h”. It will be more interesting to develop the thought further, inventing a whole sentence from this letter code. In this case, instead of the hard-to-read "dphch", we get "let's say you are a person."

In a word, if you really decide to improve your memory performance, do not hesitate and start training right now. In this case, you do not have to rack your brains and invent another incredible fast way learning information. On the contrary, you will quickly learn and remember everything. Dare!

Ekaterina Dodonova

Business coach, blogger, memory and speed reading instructor. Founder 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

Having a fantasy is one of powerful tools to remember information. Mnemonics greatly facilitate the process of memorizing important reports, presentations, texts, including those 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 items. 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!

Corbis/Fotosa.ru

Agree, in an attempt to learn twenty French words or speech for the defense of a diploma, or the theory of driving, we usually resort to classical methods: put a book under the pillow, reread the same paragraph until bloody tears, seal the entire living space with stupid pieces of paper. Often they are all useless. But the science of memorization is far from exhausted by them. Yes, that's science! “Don’t give up and think that it’s your memory that is bad,” says Mark Sheed, coach, author of the Productivity Lessons blog. - Initially, the input data for everyone is more or less the same. The secret is to learn how to memorize by choosing a technique that is right for you.” I have selected a few of the best interesting ways I recommend trying them all!

How to improve memory?

1. Write letters. A study conducted in 2008 at the University of Kyoto showed that if, before starting cramming, for 15-20 minutes, remember and write down your sad thoughts and the smallest troubles that have occurred recently, the effectiveness of your studies will increase dramatically. The fact is that we a priori remember everything negative very well. And all the information that comes immediately after the epistolary outpourings, the brain, by inertia, will perceive it as “bad”, which means it will reliably fix it. Not the most fun method, but it really works.

2. Protect the environment. It turns out that the tradition of domestic students to prepare for exams in the country is very wise. Three years ago, psychologists from the University of Michigan found that contemplation of nature increases cognitive function by as much as 20%. By the way, it is not necessary to go to this very nature, you can just look at the photos for 5-10 minutes.

3. Scream louder. Words are remembered 10% better if they are shouted out. It sounds stupid, but thanks to this method, I learned almost half of the Russian-Spanish dictionary. It is not necessary, of course, to yell at the whole house “cat!”, “Walk!”. It is enough to pronounce each word loudly and clearly several times.

4. Be expressive. Another tip for learners of difficult languages: sign all the words and phrases you are learning. Literally: if you learn the conjugation of the verb "jump" - jump. And if you need to learn a dialogue or a complex phrase, act out a skit. You will see, everything will be remembered amazingly quickly.

5. Listen to yourself. After learning some information, say it into the recorder. And when you fall asleep, quietly turn on this record - you need to sleep under it. This is an amazingly effective way to reinforce already familiar, but poorly remembered things.

6. Don't sit still. Learn poems, textbooks, and reports as you circle the room. The fact is that walking activates the work of the brain, and your ability to memorize increases significantly.

7. Change the environment. If you need to study for two exams (or meetings) in one evening, do it in different rooms. The information that we remember under different circumstances is not mixed up in the head.

8. Throw out the words. A super way to learn a large amount of continuous text, for example, the words of a song or a report. Rewrite this text, leaving only the first letter of each word, and learn it by trying to remember these words. Naturally, at first you will have to look into the original, but in the end it will be enough for you to look at the truncated version and the text will instantly pop up in your memory. It is very convenient to take such a cheat sheet with you.

9. Sleep more. The longer you sleep after you have learned something, the better you will remember this information in the morning. And sleepless nights, on the contrary, significantly impair memory. I want all students to read this and take note. It is better to sleep a couple of hours before the exam than to try to learn another "couple of tickets."

10. Go in for sports! A lot of research has been done on this topic, and everything has been confirmed: aerobic exercise improves cerebral circulation and memory. Get busy or before you sit down for books: you can memorize at least “Eugene Onegin”. Or at least the first stanza.