Preparing for a test through cramming? Do you want to remember more information? Use these ten tricks to remember what you’ve learned with the least amount of effort!
High school and college are busy places, so it’s no surprise that students have little time to study before a large test.
It’s crucial to realize why you should do this before we get into the advice…
Why It’s Important to Remember What You’ve Learned
Not only will remembering what you studied help you ace that forthcoming test, but it will also help you remember that material for the rest of your life.
Here are a few reasons why you should memorize everything you’ve learned:
You’re studying for a test.
You wish to increase your academic abilities.
You must remember a large amount of data at once.
Studying appears to be a lot of work.
You don’t want to learn more than once.
Many of the resources out there that teach you how to remember your notes always recommend that you study again throughout the day.
While this is correct, not every student has that type of free time. They simply want this test to be over with!
Hopefully, these suggestions will be more useful…
10 Ways to Recall What You’ve Learned
Nothing can help you prepare for an exam with minimal effort if these 10 ideas and methods don’t!
1) Using the Pomodoro Technique
Technique of the Pomodoro
Did you know that a particular formula developed through scientific studies has been confirmed to be the most effective method of studying ever?!
It’s known as the Pomodoro Technique, and it works like this:
25 minutes of work
Take a 5-minute break from your work.
Rep 4 times more.
Take a lengthier 30 minute pause after the fourth round.
This strategy provides incredible memory retention and will save you time in the long run!
To remain on track, I recommend setting a timer for the 25 minute intervals. Instead of using your phone during your breaks, go get some water or a snack
2) Motivate Yourself
If you want to remember what you studied, reward yourself! The human brain is made to function better on a rewarding system, so treat yourself!
Giving yourself a piece of candy every time you finish a chapter, a few pages of notes, or finally memorize a part could be a nice motivation.
Another technique to motivate yourself is to take a longer break once you’ve remembered a complete chapter, study guide, or whatever else you’ve memorized.
The key is that performing things that provide an incentive will make your brain feel happy. It works harder, smarter, and faster as a result of this.
It also remembers “feel good” experiences in life more easily, which will come in help during the test!
Pro Tip: Dark chocolate is a natural focus enhancer… make the most of it!
3) Study After You’ve Worked Out
This is undoubtedly one of the most underappreciated study techniques for information retention!
Working exercise enhances your body’s blood flow naturally. That blood flow keeps your brain at a constant level of concentration.
In other words, you’re instructing your memory to perform more efficiently. Plus, you’ve almost certainly witnessed this incident and failed to realize…
When someone is struggling to remember something, have you ever seen them pace back and forth or tap their fingers? Yes, it’s the same premise!
4) Break up your memorization into sections.
Memorizing in portions is the simplest approach to feel progress while learning.
You’ll get the most out of your inspiration and drive to keep going if you combine this with tip #2.
Try to memorize a certain area of your study every 25 minutes when using the Pomodoro Technique.
There will always be a method to divide up your work into smaller chunks, whether you’re studying math and science or psychology and history.
Writing down the main ideas of what you’re reading is a good idea. Written words are remembered 7 times better by your brain than words you read!
It also doesn’t have to be fancy… simply write freely without using punctuation or grammar.
5) Use a color-coded system to organize your reading.
If you study from your notes, this is a great chance to try a new method of taking notes in class.
A few different colored pens or highlighters can make or break your memory retention. It all begins before you even begin to study!
Here are some examples of color coding in your notes:
Section headings
The most important points
Sections with “must know” information
Lists of bullets
Associated topics
Don’t go overboard with the coding! We’re not going to highlight full paragraphs. A few phrases here and there will suffice.
If you’re reading from a paid textbook, you can still apply the same techniques by highlighting and underlining key passages.
6) Eliminate Distractions
When you’re studying, we all know how tempting it is to check your phone. Life is simply more enjoyable on that device than in your textbook… I understand!
Your brain must be in a flow state if you want to recall what you studied (basically a state of full focus on your task). It does not necessitate any distractions!
Here’s what you need do right now to get started:
If you have a task that will take more than 30 minutes, turn off your phone.
To avoid opening new tabs, set your computer to full screen.
Only listen to music that is intended to help you concentrate (songs without lyrics)
Study with a full stomach and a glass of water nearby.
If you have to scribble these four points on a piece of paper and tape them to the wall in front of you, do it!
All that counts is that you don’t become distracted when you’re studying.
7) Collaborative learning
If you study with the proper people, studying in groups can be considerably more efficient than studying alone.
Just make sure you’re being honest with yourself about whether or not your closest friends will distract you before you walk off to study with them.
Studying in groups has a few advantages if you have the correct individuals to learn with:
Listen to everyone’s responses.
Studying more quickly
It makes studying a lot more fun.
Make long-term friends.
Maintains your focus on the goal
As you can see, studying with others is about more than just having extra people in your life. There are numerous benefits to it!
8) Remind yourself to teach what you remember.
Teaching the material you already know is scientifically shown to help you remember it better, as a follow-up to the previous step.
Rather than re-studying the same material, try sharing what you recall with a classmate.
You don’t have a friend who can teach you? It’s no problem. As if you were giving it to a buddy, you can create a “cheat sheet.” This has the exact same result!
You should at the very least be reading your notes aloud, as this will help you remember information far better than reading in your head.
9) White Paper with Blue Ink
According to scientific studies, words printed in blue ink on white paper are the most remembered visual to read from.
Use this as a reference tool for when you take notes in class and want to go back and read them later.
Remove all of your black pens from your study area and replace them with blues. Please do not use any other backdrop color than white!
Consider how much better you’d remember information if you used blue pen instead of black ink. Would you be willing to make the switch?
10) Use Light When Studying
You will be more productive if you have more light in your area. It’s the same reason why offices are so bright.
Your memorization will suffer as a result of studying in the dark. It’s not a good idea!
Turn on all of the lamps and lights in your room, and open all of the windows you have.
You’ll be deceiving your brain into believing it’s daytime, especially if you’re studying late at night.
With this fast productivity trick, your focus will stay longer and your energy levels will skyrocket.
How Do You Get Your Brain To Remember What You’ve Learned?
Combining numerous strategies such as rewarding yourself, memorizing in portions, and employing the Pomodoro Technique is the best way to trick your brain into remembering what you learn.
