5 Hacks For Knowledge Retention

Knowledge retention is one of the most difficult aspects of learning. After class, most students reread what they learned, jot down important points, and try to memorize as much as possible. But how effective are these processes for the average student?

When utilized well, all the aforementioned strategies can greatly improve your memory retention after a long night of studying. Here are some things you should consider when utilizing memory hacks like rereading, highlighting main points, and others.

Rereading

After spending long hours in class studying different subjects, it is easy to forget some of the things you learned. The best way to retrieve such information is to actively reread your course materials or notes on the same day. You should be engaged when rereading and try to think qualitatively. As you read, question your understanding and find answers to portions you don’t understand.

Highlight main points

As you go through your notes, jot down or highlight some of the main points for easy reference. Then, whenever you open your notes for reference, you won’t need to read a whole page but rather just glance through the key points in order to refresh your memory.

Take notes

As your study, try building your own notes. This is essential because writing in your own words makes knowledge retention easier. Try using clear words and being concise. Taking notes also helps you decode information further for easy understanding and remembering.

Write instead of typing notes

While learning, you may want to make some short notes on a topic to serve as a guide. The best way to make such notes is to write instead of typing. Writing is slower and takes longer than typing. As you write slowly, you absorb more information and build a deeper understanding of the topic.

Test yourself

After every learning session, test yourself using flash cards. It helps you retrieve whatever you’ve learned. Grade yourself honestly and refer to your notes to relearn whatever you got wrong.