Learning
Watch “11 secrets to memorize things quicker than others”
Have you seen the movie Limitless? Hh, I don’t know, I forget.
If you have, you probably remember the main character who found a special pill that allowed him to recall all experience and knowledge and use it whenever he needed to.
If only this were true! We learn things throughout our entire lives but we don’t know everything. Because we forget a lot of information. Why does this happen? How could we remember things much better?
Well, BrightSide will tell you about some simple memorizing tips and a universal formula that will retrieve any information from your memory when you need it.
For starters, let’s talk about why we forget things. Your brain is like a hard drive. The space is limited.
Remember Sherlock Holmes, he couldn’t name all the planets of the solar system. This was not because he missed school or something like that. But because he was too smart to have such irrelevant information in his memory. He deliberately erased facts he would never need.
This is what your brain does. It protects you from overloading with information. That’s why all new data is stored in the short-term memory, not the long one.
So if you don’t repeat it or use it, you forget it very quickly.
A German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus researched the memory and its mechanisms. He described the forgetting curve which shows that just one hour after learning something new we forget more than half of the learned information. I’m sorry, what was that? Anyway, one day later we remember only about 30%. Well, you can see where this is going.
So how to remember everything?
There is a memorization technique called spaced repetition.
To keep some information in your head for a longer time you need to try to put it into your long-term memory.
Forced memorization is not very effective in this case because your brain can’t make sense of the information quickly and form strong associations.
Here it all depends on the reason why you are learning something.
How to memorize something quickly?
The first situation is when you need to learn the information quickly, use it once and forget most of it.
This looks like a typical exam preparation, right? If you’ve been in a situation where you had only one night to prepare for an exam, get this video a like!
To memorize something quickly, repeat the information right after learning it. The second repetition should be after 15 to 20 minutes.
You don’t need to return to the information between repetitions.
Just rest and do something different. Let your brain relax.
Repeat the learned material the third time after 6 to 8 hours and you should have the final repetition 24 hours after the first contact with the information.
Try this method next time you need to memorize something quickly, and tell us how it works in the comment section. Don’t forget, okay?
Now, how to memorize something for a long time?
If you want to remember things for a long time, you need to extend the memorization period. Here’s the memorization plan:
- The first repetition should be right after learning, just like in the previous technique.
- Repeat the material after 20 to 30 minutes
- And here things are different: the third repetition should be only after one day.
- The next one after two to three weeks.
- And the final round is after two to three months.
This way. you can learn something for a very long time.
Because the brain thinks that if you return to the information. It means that it’s necessary so it doesn’t get erased.
Now, here are eleven simple tips that will help you memorize things easier and faster.
Counting down from number eleven.
11. Try to understand what you learn
You probably know the feeling when you’re learning something but you don’t understand the information. Usually, such learning turns into a nightmare. Hecause it looks like learning a poem that has no rhyme.
Another bad thing about learning something you don’t understand is that if you forget some parts of it, you will not be able to continue. Because you have only memorized the order of words, not their actual meaning. That’s why we don’t recommend doing it this way.
What you should do is read the entire piece of information and figure out what the main point or points are.
Try to retell what you have read using your own words.
Do it as simply as you can. If you are successful, that means you understood the information and now it will be way easier to memorize the details.
10. Learn the most necessary information
If you feel like you have too much on your plate, set your priorities correctly.
Decide what you have to know and what you can do without. Just fine! After that focus on the key parts of what you need to memorize. If you find some time to devote to the less important information, great!
No, this is not when you position your Cheerios on the right side.
With learning something new, remember this: things that are at the beginning and the end are memorized the best.
Use this effect to your advantage. Sort the information so that the key parts are at the beginning and at the end.
Switch your attention from one topic to another, from one activity to another.
For example you’re preparing for a public talk. You’ve learned the text for 15 minutes. It’s time to take a break.
Rest every 15 to 20 minutes because this is the period when attention is at its best and people usually stop being attentive
So the best thing you can do is switch to something completely different like playing the guitar or watching a BrightSide video.
Another thing you should be careful with is learning some similar information.
Interference theory suggests that similar memories get mixed and become a mess. That’s why if you know you’re about to learn something that at least remotely resembles what you’ve already learned, we recommend taking a long break before starting something new.
Opposites are easily memorized in pairs. For example, if you’re learning a new language, memorize day and night together. This way you will build a connection between these two things in your mind.
So if you forget one of them, the second one will help you recall.
And this is about Sherlock Holmes again. Do you remember how he could travel in his mind palace for hours looking for the necessary information?
“Could I ask to get my mind palace“? The idea is to associate certain things with a certain place.
For example if you are in your room, try to connect the thing you are learning to something in your room.
Repeat it a few times after that.
To recall what the room looks like in your memory, and repeat the things you learned this way. Or try this: divide all the material you need to memorize into a few parts. Learn these parts in different parts of your apartment or better in different places in your city.
This way the memorized information won’t be something dull or boring. It will be associated with some other memories: smells of places, people you saw there and so on.
The point of this technique is to nail one learned thing to another. For example, if you need to memorize the French for nail, you should also look up wall hammer and other words you can logically connect to nail.
If you need to memorize a lot of information in a particular order, try to put the pieces into a story.
It’s important that the pieces are connected to each other with some kind of plot so if you accidentally forget something, you can always recall what was supposed to happen next in the story.
Yes, this might seem like you need even more effort. But it’s true. Believe us it works wonders.
Actually, does anybody use a tape recorder anymore?
Well, record the information somehow you are learning and listen to the recording a few times.
Yes, it might take you some time to get used to the sound of your voice.
Like I had to do. It might seem strange or unpleasant in the beginning.
This method is handy because it allows all types of memory work.
First you read the information so you saw it with your eyes and then you heard it with your ears.
The more contact you have with what you are learning, the better you memorize it.
Use your body language when learning. This will help you trigger your muscle memory.
1. Choose only the best materials
Don’t use outdated books and methods of learning things have changed a lot since the books were written.
Don’t waste your time on something that may turn out to be wrong. Go online and check the most recent information on the subject.
Do you know any other memorizing tips? If yes, share them in the comment section below.
Like this video and send it to your friends and of course don’t forget. How can you forget anything after watching this video?
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Comprehension quiz:
Word work
Qua video này, chúng ta sẽ học kĩ các từ universal, formula, retrieve, irrelevant, deliberately, psychologist, mechanism, curve, space, association, associate, figure out, devote, Interference, nail. Hãy cùng xem lại cách dùng những từ này (đã được in đậm, link tới từ điển online) trong bài.
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