Professional academic essay writers state: the correct work with texts is more effective than the pointless learning by heart.
The Point of the 50/50 Way: Memorize Things Methodically
To be able to remind yourself about the certain data at the required moment, you should structure it correctly from the very beginning and connect it to the knowledge you already have. It is also critical to use knowledge and experience in practice as frequently as possible.
Students should devote only 50% of the time to study and memorize new material, while the other 50% is for them to process it.
To memorize the information from the book, it is not enough to read it entirely. Reading it two or three times repeatedly won’t help either. So, there is no point in wasting your time and trying to memorize everything you need in one day before the exam or test.
Here is the short memorizing guide: read a few paragraphs first, and devote the rest of the available time to discuss them with someone or to write down main thoughts and concepts you revealed. It is a reliable way to memorize reading materials much better.
Why this Memorizing Method Works
According to the research, students memorize nearly 90% of new information, in case they have the opportunity to use it or explain it to someone. It happens because they have to use their mind to process the material and reformat it.
The American journalist and publicist Daniel Coyle in his book “The Talent Code” tells about one exciting thing. People who read 10 pages and then shut the book to resume what they read, memorize up to 50% more material in a long-term perspective compared to those who read the same 10 pages four times in a row trying to memorize them correctly.
The point is about efforts: the more efforts you put while working with the information, the better the learning and memorizing process is. A regular reading and simple repetitions don't require anything from you. While to make notes or to retell the chapter, you need to find critical moments, to process, and to order them.
How Students Should Use the 50/50 Method to Memorize More
Make Notes
Spend a minute of your time to write down main ideas every time you find out new things, read a chapter of a good book, or listen to an important lecture. Making notes right in the process of learning is even better. By coming back to what you've learned, again and again, you interrupt the process of forgetting and help your brain to memorize new knowledge.
To make your learning more effective, make notes with a pen and paper. Scientists state these “old-school” items create a more powerful cognitive connection with the materials you learn compared to the use of a standard keyboard. People type too quickly for brains to memorize information. You’ll write slower by hand, but memorize more and better.
Explain Things to the Others
Don’t worry if you don’t know much about the topic yet, and don’t think how many people should hear about it from you. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is the fact that you concentrate on things you need to memorize and on the way of how you share it with other people.
For instance, try to start a blog and write there about new ideas you found. Record podcasts or create videos and share your knowledge on YouTube. You’ll notice actual progress regardless of the number of people in your audience.
The 50/50 method to memorize things better has much in common with the technique used by the American physicist Richard Feynman. He was famous for the ability to explain complex topics like quantum physics popularly. The system of his studying and teaching is precisely about transferring knowledge with the use of the most straightforward language possible. It is the easiest way to note gaps and see what you need to understand.
In other words, you teach others in order to let yourself memorize things better.