How To Remember Whatever You Have Read

As fun as it is, studying is hard! Especially when you are not doing it correctly. Many brilliant students do not do well in their exams because they lack the skills to study effectively. Previously, we discussed popular study techniques and whether or not they were scientifically proven to be effective. Let's now discuss how you can effectively plan your study routine to get that top score you have always desired.

It's not necessary to be rigid while following our plan. Instead, you should adjust it depending on your needs to make it more suitable. 

Step 1: Just go through it.

When you are reading the textbook or going through the lectures, it is very tempting to write every relevant thing down. But taking notes can turn out to be counter-productive at times. This is because when you take notes, you switch tasks from reading/ listening to writing and go back again. This can break your flow and make you take longer to complete the topics.

On the contrary, when you go through the textbook, and only mark down important information instead of writing it down. Then, you will be able to finish all the topics much more quickly. Also, reading is not a great way to memorize anything, so ensure you are reading for understanding and not memorization. Because that comes later!

Step 2: Create flashcards for the critical topics

Now that you have reviewed the entire syllabus and marked the essential topics, it's time to condense the information. You can do this by creating flashcards on paper or by using apps like Anki. As a result, you will be able to review all the critical topics again, and batch-making flashcards will save you a lot of time.

You can make flashcards by converting the previously marked information into questions or filling in the blanks. Though making flashcards is time-consuming, they help you better remember whatever you read. Making high-yield flashcards is a skill that takes time to master, but if you give it enough time and effort, you will become quite proficient at it. 

However, you can altogether skip this step by using our USMLE and NCLEX courses and question banks. The ArcherReview QBanks are created by our team of experts with years of experience teaching for these exams. As a result, you can ensure that you're practicing the right questions. So now that you have the flashcards let's get to the next step.

Step 3: Practice flashcards daily

Now it's time to solidify all the vital information you have gained. Again, practicing through flashcards or Qbanks is an excellent way of practicing Active Recall and Spaced Repetition. Both of these are fantastic techniques for remembering whatever you have read in the long term.

Actively recalling information from flashcards or Qbanks helps you practice active recall. Spacing your reviews of flashcards or Qbanks enables you to practice spaced repetition. When you use an application like Anki, its algorithm helps you space your repetition at appropriate times to allow maximum long-term retention.

Though practicing questions is hard, you have to make a habit of practicing a certain number of flashcards or questions daily. This will make sure you remember all the key information during your exam.

Bonus Tips:

Sometimes you just can't remember a topic no matter how many times you've reviewed it. To memorize such information, you can use the following two bonus techniques. But make sure you don't overuse these techniques for everything because it can lead to confusion while recalling the information.

1. Memory palace: It is a technique that uses your spatial memory to remember and effectively recall chunks of information. It is an excellent technique for organizing and sequencing facts. In this technique, you have to associate the bits of information with specific locations in a surrounding you are familiar with.
   
   But again, there are only so many familiar places you can use. If you try to overuse this technique, this may lead to you getting confused and recalling the wrong information.
   
2. Mnemonics: Mnemonics are memory aids in the form of poems, acronyms, rhymes, images, etc. When it comes to Mnemonics, the more bizarre (or vulgar) they are, the better they work. You can use Mnemonics to memorize a list in a specific order or sequence. Making wired mnemonics is fun and will quickly help you remember and recall information in the long run.

By following this plan while studying, we are sure that you will remember whatever you read. And if you want help with studying for the USMLE or NCLEX, you can check out our courses for each exam in the courses section.