How to remember what you’ve read

One of the banes of being a student is the tons of reading required. There are times when  you tend to reach information overload that you forget the details of what you have read.

If you are prone to this, then you will find this post useful. Here are some easy steps on how to remember what you’ve read:

1. Associate words or ideas with personal experiences. It is easy to remember  important details if you can relate them with things that you are more familiar with. For example, it will be easier to remember dates in your history lessons, if they also coincide with friends or family members’ birthdays.  Perhaps, the United States Civil War can be associated to a Justice League episode.

2. Make an outline of your reading material as soon as you are done absorbing it. Write this on an index card. So when you review, all you have to do is look at the outline and then the details will come back to you as you recognize the flow of thought.

3. Highlight the key words. If you are allowed to make marks on your books, you can use a pencil to underline the key details, or even a highlighting pen. You can also write notes on the margin.  Just in case you prefer to keep your reading materials pristine, you can always take down notes using your trusty pen and paper.