How to Remember Everything You READ | Neuroscience + Neuropsychology Tips From A Doctoral Student

Summary

In this video, Phil Saron shares strategies for thriving in graduate school, especially in handling the demanding reading load. He emphasizes active reading, which involves summarizing material and testing oneself regularly to reinforce retention. Spaced learning is recommended over cramming, suggesting that students break down reading into manageable sections throughout the week. Additionally, building conceptual maps and connecting ideas helps integrate learning, while memorizing details should come last, once larger concepts are understood. These evidence-based methods aim to enhance both comprehension and retention, helping graduate students succeed in their studies and exams.

Takeaways

• 😀 Graduate school requires massive reading, often 300-500 pages per week or more.
• 😀 It's not about reading every word, but understanding and retaining the most important ideas.
• 😀 Active reading is crucial—test yourself as you read by summarizing what you learned.
• 😀 Summarizing aloud or writing down what you've learned helps reinforce the information.
• 😀 Spaced learning is an effective technique—distribute your reading over several days instead of cramming.
• 😀 To retain information, ask yourself questions and try to recall key ideas regularly while reading.
• 😀 Apply concepts actively by connecting new information with previously learned material.
• 😀 Use logic maps or diagrams to relate ideas and create connections between different concepts.
• 😀 Don’t memorize facts first—understand the material and build a conceptual framework before memorizing.
• 😀 Memorizing facts and details is easier after you’ve built a strong understanding of the material.
• 😀 Gradual, spaced learning and active recall are proven strategies to improve retention and academic success.

Q & A

What is the main challenge graduate students face when it comes to reading?

Graduate students often face the challenge of handling the sheer volume of reading required, which can range from 300 to 500 pages per week, leading to difficulties in managing time and retaining the information.

Why is it important to not just read every word in graduate school readings?

It’s important to focus on the most pertinent ideas because reading every word may not ensure retention of the material. Active reading and comprehension of key concepts are more valuable for long-term understanding.

How does active reading help graduate students retain information?

Active reading involves engaging with the material by testing yourself, summarizing, and teaching the concepts to someone else. This process reinforces the learning and enhances retention through both acoustic and visual learning methods.

What role does spaced learning play in retaining information?

Spaced learning involves distributing the study sessions over time instead of cramming. This method helps retain information better and prevents last-minute stress before exams or quizzes.

How can a graduate student manage reading a large volume of material?

By breaking the readings into smaller, manageable sections, such as 100 pages per day, and consistently testing oneself on the material throughout the week, students can manage and retain large volumes of content effectively.

What is the importance of applying concepts while reading?

Applying concepts while reading helps connect different ideas and solidify understanding. This can be done by creating diagrams, logic maps, or writing notes that tie together the information, making it easier to grasp and remember.

What is the typical mistake people make in the note-taking process?

A common mistake is taking passive notes without engaging deeply with the material. Effective note-taking should involve actively connecting concepts, relating them to previous knowledge, and creating visual representations like mind maps.

Why should memorization of facts be done last in the learning process?

Memorizing facts should come after understanding the larger concepts because it becomes easier to remember specific details when they are contextualized within a broader framework of knowledge.

How does testing yourself throughout the reading process improve retention?

By testing yourself regularly, you reinforce the material, which enhances your ability to recall and understand the information. This method helps identify gaps in understanding and solidifies memory retention.

What is the significance of teaching or summarizing the material as a learning strategy?

Teaching or summarizing the material forces you to organize and verbalize your thoughts, reinforcing your understanding and allowing for better retention. It activates both the acoustic and cognitive aspects of learning.