How to stop forgetting what you read
How often do you read a book and find yourself forgetting many of the key points? If I picked up a random book from your bookshelf, could you accurately describe the point, thesis or important takeways?
If you can not, you are not alone. So how do you stop forgetting the things you’ve read? Before diving into the method, we have to understand that the act of remembering is involves two different processes. Those two processes are recognition and recall.
Unfortunately when you’re reading a book, most of your time is spent recognizing what is being said. Only rarely do you have to specifically recall an idea, unprompted.
The solution is simple:it is what I call the Question Book Method.
Wheneveer you are reading something that you want to remember, take motes. Except, do not take notes which summarize the main points you want to recall. Insted, take notes which ask questinos.
Then when you are reading a book, quickly go through and test yourself on the questions you have generated from earlier chapteres. Doing this will strengthen your recallable memory so that the imformation will be much easier to access when you need it.
t’t’t’t’t
Words:
- takeaway: n.
a main message or piece of information that you learn from something you hear or read - umprompted: adj.
without being told to say or do something