Remembering things reflects that you have actually listened carefully and paid attention to it. The mind has a wondrous capacity to store and recall information which is quite amazing. Our memory is such that if we do not use it, we lose it. When you work aggressively in ways to make remembering information easier, your brain becomes better at it. It’s a skill that can be learned, improved and sharpened.

Often as educators, or as parents, we come across situations where our children are struggling to remember things that they have learned in class. They are not able to retain the information taught, and hence, face frustration and disappointment.

As humans, we are all fallible and tend to forget everything that we learn. This happens because our brain is in the constant process of forgetting things. When our mind absorbs new information, it gets lost within a short period, because our brain has limited space.

Learning process varies from person to person, so a designed learning process may not be perfect.. This article will outline some of the ways to enhance one;s learning capabilities.

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Learn what you are curious about

Obviously when you are studying an interesting subject, you tend to learn more. Always be passionate about what you learn, it gets you to the right track.  You will soon develop an insatiable urge to learn more and your hunger to explore the subject will drive you to remember things and share it with the world. However, if you set up learning goals to complete learning certain number of pages, then you are probably taking wrong approach. It happens that when you plan to complete learning certain things within a limited time, you end up optimizing your goals, which leads to focusing on speed instead of understanding.  The fact is that when you do not have the “aha moment”, it is not possible for you to remember things that you have learned. If you are intrinsically interested in remembering things, you will discover means to do it. Avoid continuous learning, and take breaks in between as break helps you fall back into the mode of thinking. 

Be focused to remember

Attention is the most precious resource that we can cling to actually get things done. The ability to be focused for a longer period is definitely essential for every person to improve their memory. Be focused on one task and avoid multitasking as multitasking has proven to reduce our cognitive abilities. Be attentive to the task at hand to improve the quality and speed of work. As our target is to retain information, we need to relearn and repeat it. Look out for the elements that deprive you from being focused on the things you are trying to remember.  Your attention must be undivided, and your focus must come naturally when you study.  If you find yourself exhausted or distracted, then it is complicated for your mind to commit information into memory. Look for a space that is peaceful, with less distraction when you are going through your learning process. It is obvious that you are more likely to recall the details you’ve learned effortlessly.

Leverage your visual memory

Visual characteristics of things help you to remember them.  To do this, you require numerous mental effort, but with practice, you’ll be surprised how quickly you can pop up with creative ways to trigger these images. The images created by you leave a great impact on your mind. Representing a set of information with images can help you with your reading comprehension, make you feel more connected to the material, and impact your mind.  When you can draw a picture, it enables you to think about the smells, sounds, tastes, sights, and even feel it. As we read and visualize, it becomes easier for us to understand the text because it makes us look beyond the words and create related images. These images, in turn, make it possible for you to recall the material easily. It also helps us to feel more connected to the material, see the characters and their actions and feel as if we were a part of the scene<

Associate new information

Associating new information with your prior information is the key to really memorizing something.  Thus, it appears that the more mental connections we have to a piece of information, the more successful we will be in remembering it. This learning technique aids information retention. Associate information with pictures as 40 percent of the nerve fibres of the brain are linked to the retina.

Explain what you have learned to others.

Studies show that explaining a concept to someone else is the best way to learn. It enhances information retaining ability. Learn information in small parts, and try recalling, sharing, or writing down the key ideas you have learned before moving ahead.  If your target is to improve your remembering rate, take control of the process and reinforce the new information from time to time.

Take a good rest

Studies have proved that having a good sleep after learning promotes memory building. When we learn something, our brain cells fire in a certain sequence and if you feel sleepy while learning, incoming visual stimuli have no effect on the brain cells. Thus, the information does not strengthen as a memory. Adequate sleep is necessary, which we often ignore and stay up cramming all night for an exam.

Our mind works like a muscle, and the more we use it, the sturdier it becomes. Everything you learn is not necessarily erased from our memory, but sometimes it becomes hard to find if we don’t remember it well enough or build better mental pathways to that information.

Also Read: https://www.vnaya.com/blog/secret-tricks-that-will-help-you-write-better/