How to absorb and remember information: the best and worst teaching methods. How to remember information faster? Memory training How to better absorb information

We learn throughout our lives, from childhood to old age. Playing the guitar, new software, raising a child - the human brain constantly absorbs knowledge, although this happens at different speeds. In childhood, information is absorbed very quickly, but the older we get, the more difficult it is to learn.

Below you will see several ways that will help you hack your mind and make it work faster and better.

Maintenance

Like any complex mechanism, the brain requires regular maintenance, and if you do not neglect it, it can cope with any task. A few good habits can help keep your brain in tip-top condition, so the learning process will be faster and easier.

Play sports

I don't trust a single thought that didn't come while I was moving.

Take a break from studying

You can’t do only one thing every day - work or study. It is important to periodically be distracted by something else so that the brain can take stock and process the information during this time.

If you decide to take up a hobby, choose activities that require concentration and hand-eye coordination, such as juggling. One study found that juggling has positive effects on brain function. True, positive consequences occurred immediately after people gave up a new hobby.

Have fun

Laughter is The best way relax and avoid burnout, especially when you have to study at an accelerated pace. Laughter has been proven to help you find solutions to problems and be creative.

How to facilitate the process of cognition itself?

Brain workout

Before you dive into work, you can have a little fun, simultaneously tuning your brain to work. For example, you can mentally select rhymes for words or solve a simple problem. This warm-up helps you relax and tune in to more complex things.

Study together

If your training feels like storming a fortress, you can find someone to support you. Whether it's a group, a club, or a friend, being on a team makes it easier to focus on the material and make the learning process more organized.

Robert E. Kennedy Library at Cal Poly /flickr.com

Arrange the place

The environment is very important for learning. Ideally, the space should be clean, quiet and fresh, but variety is a good idea. For example, in good weather, you can try working in a park or in a cozy cafe. The only thing that should not be mixed is training and. Even if it is very comfortable, the bed is subconsciously associated with sleep and relaxation, so it will be more difficult for you to concentrate.

Metacognition

Most tips for improving learning revolve around metacognition. This concept can be defined as the art of becoming aware of one's own consciousness. You evaluate your thinking, your ability to complete the task, and the goals that are appropriate for this.

You need to step back from your first impression of the material and evaluate how quickly you are absorbing knowledge, whether there are any problems and ways to study more productively.

Do one thing at a time

Multitasking is a real talent, but unfortunately it reduces your work efficiency. If you do several things at once, it is impossible to fully concentrate on them, so the time required to complete the task increases.

Don't be afraid of failure

A team of researchers from Singapore found that people who solved complex math problems without instructions or help were more likely to fail. However, in the process they found interesting ideas who helped them in the future.

This can be called “productive failure” - when the experience gained in the decision process helps more than once in the future. So don't be afraid of mistakes: they will come in handy.

Test yourself

Don't wait for the last exam - test yourself often or ask a friend to give you a short test. “Productive failure” only works with finding solutions, and if you fail an exam that required rote memorization, it will not help your learning, it will only hinder it.

Reduce material

It's helpful to supplement your notes with visual elements such as graphs, charts, or maps.

Think about where it can be applied

Very often, when presenting facts and formulas, the scope of their application is missed. Dry knowledge is quickly forgotten, and if you want to remember something for a long time, try to find a use for it yourself. real life. Knowing how, where and why to apply facts in real life will firmly cement the information in your memory.

Use different methods

The more diverse the sources of knowledge, the more likely it is that it will remain in your memory.

The coordinated work of different areas of the brain improves the perception and retention of information.

For example, this could be reading articles, listening to audio materials, watching videos, writing or retyping by hand, or speaking out loud. The main thing is not to do everything at the same time.

Connect with existing knowledge

If you can mentally connect your knowledge with what you have learned before, it will help you learn faster and more effectively. Don't leave knowledge isolated - integrate it into the larger picture of the world that is in your brain.

You will succeed

Be confident and know that you will succeed. Not only because it's true, but also because belief in the power of one's intelligence actually increases it.

Tired of taking tests and unable to remember what you read last night? You know you know it, you just can't remember at the right time. In this article, you'll learn how to remember everything you need to know. Here are instructions based on how you learn. The information will be useful to you regardless of whether you want to memorize articles of the Constitution or the number Pi to the 32nd decimal place.

Steps

Auditory memory

Listen. If you are a better auditory learner and can remember information you receive orally, then you likely have an auditory memory. Here are some characteristics that will help determine whether you perceive information by ear:

You remember in detail everything you hear in lectures or conversations.
You have a rich vocabulary, you choose words correctly, and it is relatively easy for you to learn new languages.
You are a good speaker and can have interesting conversations while articulating your thoughts clearly.
You have a talent for music and the ability to hear tone, rhythm and individual notes in a chord or individual instruments in an ensemble.

Take a deep breath. Review the entire volume of information so that you know what you are about to read. If it is too long, break the information into sections.

Repetition is key. Use repetition out loud to remember the order of things:
- Read the first paragraph.
- Say it out loud without a cheat sheet.
- Read the first and second paragraphs.
- Repeat both points out loud until you can tell them without looking at the cheat sheet.
- Read the first, second and third paragraphs.
- Repeat all three out loud until you remember.
- Repeat this process until you can tell all three points without a cheat sheet.
- When you come to the end of the list, repeat it without reading. Say it out loud three times.
- If you can't say all three times, start over.
Take a break. It's important to keep your mind fresh, so when you feel like you've roughly memorized something, take a break for 20 to 30 minutes. During this time, do something you enjoy and do not require effort (that is, something that does not require the use of knowledge), such as talking on the phone or taking a walk in the park. This will give your brain a break and time to move what you just learned into long-term memory. Excessive repetition of new concepts and learning different topics can hinder this process of movement.

Check what you remember. After the break, check yourself again to see if you still remember everything. If you did everything correctly, the information will most likely be absorbed. If not, work with the section where you are having problems. Then take another short break and get back to business.

Listen to yourself. First, record on a voice recorder all the information you need to remember, then turn on the recording for yourself when you go to bed. Although it doesn't work very well when learning new, unfamiliar information, repetition during sleep will help you remember information you've already consciously mastered.
- You can purchase or make your own headband that will hold the headphones on your head while you sleep. This headband is often used by people who listen to relaxing music before bed.
Listen to others. If possible and if allowed, try recording lectures with a voice recorder. This will help you fill in the gaps in your notes and hear the lecture again. Often it is enough to listen to it two or three times to remember it without making any effort.

Move around. Wander around the room, studying and repeating information to yourself. By moving, you use both hemispheres of your brain, and remembering the material will be much easier.

Look through everything for each color separately, write and rewrite the points until you remember everything you need. By writing each item in the correct color under a heading of the same color, you will reinforce this association in your brain, and it will also help with the next item.

Post your notes in a visible place, such as on your room door or closet door. Read them every time you pass by. Color-code information and arrange entries vertically, horizontally, or by time.

Write and rewrite your notes often. When referring to your notes, review the points, rewrite them into a new note, and replace the existing one. If you have difficulty with one of the notes, rewrite it, take the old one and place it in a place where you will see it more often. Change its location from time to time.

Find a study partner. Draw graphs/diagrams, write out explanations, and teach each other definitions to make it easier for both of you to remember them.

Highlight what's important. Find the key words that are most important to what you are trying to learn, highlight them, memorize them, and then try to remember the rest. If you are reading an online PDF file, use the keyword highlighting feature. This will help you remember them and also help you quickly find the information you need when viewing the document again.

Move around. Wander around the room, studying and repeating the information to yourself. When you move, both hemispheres of the brain work, and it is much easier to remember material.

Tactile/motor memory

If you prefer to receive information about objects by touching them, then you most likely have tactile memory. You like to feel information, if at all possible, by learning by doing. Here are some characteristics of people with tactile memory:

You learn best when you do something—movement, practice, and tactile assistance make the information more real to you.
You gesture actively when you talk.
You remember events by what happened, not by what you heard, said, or saw.
You are good at drawing, art, cooking, designing - activities that require manual manipulation of objects.
You are enterprising and easy-going, and find it difficult to sit still for long periods of time.
You don't like being cramped, you prefer to be in a place where you can stand up, move around, and take a break.
You don't like sitting in class when you could be doing something that will teach you more.

Find your place. You need space to move around, so don't sit in your room with the door closed while you study. The kitchen table may be a better location for your learning style.

Ekaterina Dodonova

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

1. Understand

Very often, people simply try to memorize unfamiliar words and phrases without even understanding their meaning. Perhaps this will be enough for several days, say, to pass an exam. Unless, of course, the lecturer asks you 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 bring to mind pictures that are familiar and understandable to the heart.

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

2. Come up with an association

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

Let's take the word "Monday". What frames are running on your internal screen? It could be the morning, terrible traffic jams, a thought pulsating in your head, a day on the calendar, a diary page from childhood, 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 positivity
Average	“About my beloved self.” Feel free to associate the object of memorization with yourself
Nameless	"Feel". Connect your senses: vision, hearing, smell, taste, tactile sensations
Little finger	"In move". Make your subject move. The brain remembers information faster over time

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

3. Trick 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: using the method of stories, which involves logical linking of disparate memorization objects into one chain. You may end up with a funny, incredible and completely impossible story in real life. The main thing is that with its help you can remember more than 15 elements at a time.

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

4. Repeat correctly

Our brain can be programmed - this is 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 your brain is already tuned in to intensive memorization. But in addition to regular training, regular repetition of the material covered is also important.

Use specific time intervals for best memorization: repeat the material immediately after training, then after 15–20 minutes, after 6–8 hours (preferably before bed) 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 complex report.” Use only positive statements, programming your brain for work and results.

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

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

Happy reading and have a great memory!

Throughout our lives, we perceive a lot of information, we learn poetry, learn new languages, understand formulas and theorems. And all thanks to what? Thanks to our memory! The brain is an organ that needs to be constantly trained and developed, then everything you perceive will be securely enshrined in memory.

So, there are several ways that will tell you how to better remember information, learn a large amount of short time, learn to retain the information received in memory.

Why use memorization techniques?

According to experts, cramming dates, facts and any other information will not bring anything good. This will not help anyone become smarter or learn the necessary data. These methods are ineffective and will hinder rather than help us. That's why scientists have developed more effective techniques, thanks to which you can “agree” with memory and get a good result.

You can teach your brain to absorb a large amount of data like a sponge, to always shine with your mind and be on top. At the same time, it won’t be stressful or seem complicated.

Well, let's look at a few techniques that will help you remember a large amount of information:

Multisensory perception

Each person reacts differently to stimuli, and it is thanks to them that we can learn to perceive different information. So, by irritating the sensors on the skin, we feel cold and heat, and by damaging the receptors of the tongue, we can feel taste. Accordingly, the more senses we use during perception, the better the material is remembered. For example, if you need to remember the names of exotic birds, then it is best not only to read their name, but also to look at the picture, and ideally, find singing on the Internet or watch a video. And if you manage to touch it, you are unlikely to ever forget it.

Presentation on the topic: "Laws of memory"

Connecting with art objects

Due to the fact that the subconscious is perfectly stimulated by a variety of objects and works of art, you can perfectly learn and remember what you need. This will happen when a fact or date is associated with a piece of music, or a sculpture, or any other masterpiece. The subconscious will open a special gateway in order to remember this information. This is very easy to learn.

Repeat before and after sleep

It’s not without reason that they say that if you put a book under your pillow, the information will “leak out” on its own. Here we do it a little differently, but still. If you learn something before going to bed, you can strengthen the memorization process, because when we sleep, our subconscious synthesizes information. Accordingly, while a person is sleeping, the brain is more willing to work on memorizing information and will be able to remember it faster.

These methods are very effective and work with the subconscious. But there are also methods that work directly with consciousness and memory, training them. Let's look at them below.

Ten tricks to “Remember everything quickly!”

Write down your thoughts. One of the most pleasant methods, as it involves recording negative events and thoughts on paper before directly studying the material. Our consciousness concentrates very strongly on the negative, so it automatically remembers it. If you start studying immediately after writing down small negative details, the material will be better remembered.
Trust nature. It’s not for nothing that many students prefer to learn material in fresh air. Nature increases perception function by 20%. If you don’t have the opportunity to go out into nature, then give your brain a rest and look at pictures of beautiful nature, and only then start studying. This will help you learn a large amount of information at one time.
Speak louder. If you need to learn foreign words, then pronounce them clearly and loudly. The volume of pronunciation increases the memorability of information by 10% when learning by heart.
Add some expression. As we have already said, the more senses are involved, the better we remember. Add more emotions, gestures, facial expressions if you want to quickly learn to remember information, terms and foreign words. And learning will become more interesting!
Use a voice recorder. Write down what you need to learn and turn it on in transport, before going to bed and at night. You will sleep, and your brain will remember. The amount of information can be unlimited.
Keep moving. Move while absorbing and learning information by heart. Walk in circles around the room. Movement activates our brain and you can learn and remember everything better and faster.
Change the picture. Let's say you need to prepare quickly for two reports (in one evening). Do this in different rooms. This way, the information will not be mixed up during reconstruction.
Write down the first letters. In order to quickly and efficiently remember any information (for example, a song). Write it down on paper, and then write down only the first letters, trying to remember the word. Practice remembering by looking at the first letters, and then without this “cheat sheet”. Check it out, the song is much more memorable.
Don't neglect sleep. The more sleep you get after studying the material, the better you will be able to remember it.
Play sports. Before studying the material, study actively, then you will be able to even “War and Peace”.

We have considered effective methods to remember this or that information, which allows you to study a large amount of material, do it efficiently and quickly. Now all that's left is practice. Go for it, the more training you do, the better the result! And remember, everything can be learned.

Mnemonics

These techniques allow you to quickly learn the information received by heart and train your brain to improve its performance.

Rhyme. This method involves a different interpretation of the data obtained.
Create phrases from the first letters of the data received. For example, a letter arrived and the first lines read: Good afternoon. Take the first three letters of “ext” and create a new one in any form - the day is very cheerful.
Bunch. Based on the name, you can understand that we're talking about about information associated with bright illustrations. For example, those items that you try to remember in English language, can be associated with actions. For example, we replace a fat cat with a large cat.
Leads. The essence of the technique is to replace numbers with objects. Let's say 0-bagel, 1-stick, 2-goose, etc.
Cicero's technique. It involves presenting items to be memorized in a familiar environment. For example, to remember words-objects in a foreign language, you need to place them in your bedroom. If you need to remember this or that word, the association comes with a familiar environment. This approach allows you to learn new words by heart using a minimum of effort.

We will not be surprised that some mnemonic techniques will be familiar to you. However, this is a whole science that allows you to strengthen your memory.

Take in what you read. If there is difficulty in memorizing material, then this is often due to a lack of understanding of what has been read. For many people, in order to remember data, they need to understand it. Here it is necessary to use logic and associations that will remain in memory.
Abstract. Don’t stop writing, and preferably in a abstract manner. Let's say there is an important meeting and you need to remember a large amount of information - write abstracts, i.e. highlight the main thing. This will allow you not to miss the nuances and have complete information.
Structure. If you don’t like to write, then this technique will definitely suit you. Read the information, understand it, and sketch it out as a diagram. It's simple - there will always be beacons in front of you.
Drawing. Perhaps the most common memorization method. How it will manifest itself for you personally is difficult to say, because... we are all individuals. The main thing is that the drawing matches the data received.
Slide show. Such presentations are effective method in the field of business. To present the material competently, interestingly and effectively, it is enough to create an outline of the text using mind maps. There are many online programs for this.

Let us note that it is quite difficult to describe in one article all the methods that will allow you to better perceive and remember information. Therefore, we will give simple advice - theory and practice - this is the basis of excellent memory!

At the institute or at school, a person is not given knowledge on how to make the assimilation of information more productive. Many teachers believe that absolutely all the material from reading a book should be retained in the heads of their students, and the most they do is talk about the main mnemonic devices memorization. This technique has the right to life, but it demonstrates terrible inefficiency. At school and college, we basically memorized a huge amount of information, and after lessons and exams we immediately forgot it. You need to understand that reading alone is not enough for memorization and assimilation of information to be effective. First of all, you need to understand some material. If the volume of necessary information is large enough, there is a possibility of spending a lot of time and effort on studying it.

SQ3R technology allows you to do assimilation of information when reading text order of magnitude more efficient. This technique makes it possible read more books getting the maximum benefit from studying, as well as structuring and processing certain information. SQ3R provides a chance to learn the knowledge that suits your specific needs.

SQ3R is a method that allows a person to make memorizing text information much more productive, while extracting the maximum benefits of reading. Most often it is used when you read not so much for pleasure, but when you need to gain certain knowledge or skills. SQ3R is also used in language learning. Improving text memorability allows you to progress faster.

SQ3R is an acronym for information processing order, which consists of 5 steps: Survey, Question, Read, Recall and Review.

To work effectively with the SQ3R system, use the following instructions:

Survey. Skim the text quickly to get a general idea of it. Quickly scan the title, table of contents, introduction, subheadings, first and last sentences of chapters. Then evaluate how useful the information might be. If you come to the conclusion that the text does not provide the necessary value for you, then you can safely put it aside.
Question (Ask questions). At this stage, you will have the opportunity to more thoroughly understand what you expect to receive from this text, and it will also allow you to structure the information you consume in the future. It will not be superfluous to write down all the questions that caused this text to end up in your hands. You can write down the questions that arose while reading the text. You can view it again if necessary. Mentally organize the questions into headings and subheadings. To do this, you can use questions that are contained directly in the text. Try to understand the underlying purpose that prompted you to find specific information.
Read. Start reading the selected text, concentrating your attention on those parts of it that you consider most valuable to yourself and that answer your main questions.
Recall. After reading a section or chapter, try to formulate the main points that answer the questions posed. This can be done either out loud or in writing. Assess how they fit in with the rest of the material. This allows you to perceive information more effectively.
Review. To remembering information was more effective, it is worth rereading or revising the text after studying. It is also quite productive to practice discussing the acquired knowledge with other people. Repeated presentation of the material has a positive effect on its assimilation.

It would be interesting to know how you assimilate the text you read and how do you think