How to remember what you read

In our information-saturated century most of us need help to memorize things efficiently. But it’s hard to remember what we have learned. What can we do? Ability to appreciate and organize your study time may help to improve memory skills. Here are some tips.
Self-discipline is necessary to study effectively. Books, writing materials and paper should be organized. Try to study in a pleasant atmosphere, without any interference, and make sure you have enough light. Turn off the radio and television.
Plan your study time. Some people find it more effective to study every day for several minutes, rather than to cope with all the materials within one night before exam. It’s useful to divide your study time, taking short breaks. Instead of studying without interruption for two or three hours,it’s better to divide time in several periods from 25 to 40 minutes each one. Research show that this method increases the effectiveness of memorization.
Decide on how much you are going to study in a fixed time period. It helps to focus on reading material.
Before you start reading a book, devote a few minutes to a prior review. Read the title. Look through the table of contents. Then read the introduction. Perhaps there you will find the author’s purpose for writing and his point of view.
Before you start reading a chapter, take a look at its contents: subheadings, images, graphs, and conclusions. Pay more attention on the initial and final paragraphs. Glance through the first sentences of each paragraph. They usually contain the main idea. Try to summarize them all. Ask yourself what did the author want to prove? What can you learn from reading his book?
Concentration plays an important role. You have to immerse yourself in study. The point is to spend study time as effectively as possible. Imagine what you read, trying to use sensory perception when it’s possible.
Having understood the main idea of what you read, you’re ready to memorize it. Taking notes can also accelerate understanding and memorization of the material. You don’t need to write complete sentences, but just keywords and short phrases to help to remember the main ideas.
Understanding of the material doesn’t mean that in future you will certainly remember what you read. In fact 80 % of information gets forgotten within 24 hours. It’s a pity, but sometimes it can be recovered by making a brief overview. Using these tips, you can learn to use your study time in the most efficient way and to memorize things you read.
Remember that your brain is capable of more than you use it for. Your ability to memorize information can be developed.