Literature in northern Nigeria dates back to the 1900s, though, not wildly popular, a number of quite amazing works were published back then. Over the decades, northern Nigerian literature has shown immense improvements in style, genre, and a wide range of topics, but...
Learn How to Memorize Notes Fast With These 6 Effective Ways
Improve Social Skills: 7 Most Important Social Skills
We use social skills to communicate and interact with others effectively. But most importantly, these skills are essential for our personal and professional development. In business and entrepreneurship, professionals must have a good set of social skills to build and...
The Top 10 Entries from the Mediahooch Creative Writing Challenge
The winners have finally emerged in a creative writing challenge organized by Mediahooch. The contest, which was planned in partnership with Northpad Nigeria and Poetic Wednesdays Initiative, who served as the judges, received over 50 entries from 31st December to...
5 Amazing Stress Management Techniques You Should Definitely Try Out
Stress management skills are highly needed in our everyday lives because the body isn't robotics in nature that has no feelings. There is a limit to what the body can do without burning out physically, chemically, mentally, or emotionally. The burnout period is termed...
Have you ever had an exam to prepare for and can’t seem to get your points into your memory? Or been in an exam hall and can’t remember that last point to bring your total answer to 5? As human beings, we are always in the process of learning. Be it at school, work, or a professional course, learning how to memorize notes fast is a vital skill everyone should develop.
When it comes to learning, we’re not just restricted to academic life. If you’re conscious about self-development, you’d understand that every day, we learn new things. You can decide to learn a new language, or a new course to boost your qualifications. Whatever, it is you’re learning, the ability to memorize notes fast can make you stand out.
6 Tips on How to Memorize Notes Effectively
1. Write Down Your Points
Probably one of the most common techniques, one tip on how to memorize notes fast is by writing everything you’ve learned down.
When you write down whatever it is you’re learning, you become familiar with the concepts of your study. You can always go over what you’ve written in case you’ve forgotten your points. In addition, writing down your points pushes your brain to bring back what you’ve memorized. When reading, pay attention to points you can build on. After you’ve read your notes, write down the points you’ve memorized and build more points from them.
Next, memorize these points since you’ve written them down in your own words. Rewrite these points again to see if you have successfully grasped the idea behind what you’re studying.
This technique is particularly useful for those who are visual learners and take time to memorize notes.
2. Divide and Conquer
Sectioning your notes is a great way to help you memorize your notes easily. Personally, when preparing for an exam or a test, I arrange my notes into sections and read accordingly. For example, let’s say I’m studying the ‘History Of Military Coups in Nigeria’ (I’m purposely picking this because I studied it last year), I divide my notes into sections – one for each of the military coups.
Then, for each of the coup, I divide it into further sections such as:
- The “why” section – Here, I ask questions like “why did the coup happen”, “Were the reasons justifiable enough?”.
- The “who” section – Here, I find out who the plotters were, who was against, and who was for.
- The “when” section – “When and where did the coup occur”. What is a success or not?
Using this technique, I was able to memorize the story behind every coup plotted in Nigeria.
Sectioning your notes helps you memorize your notes fast and easily. The beauty of this is that it breaks down the bulk of three reading into smaller, easier bits for you to memorize. It is also a great way of helping you plan your answers to questions by presenting them in an orderly manner.
3. Use Repetition to Aid Memorization
Constantly repeating what you’ve learned is how to memorize notes fast and effectively. This technique is probably widely used. I once had a roommate who used this technique a lot. Reading with him was an extreme sport but it worked for him.
The key to using repetition to memorize your notes is by repeating a section of your note till you can say it or write it down without flinching.
Since you’ve already divided your notes into sections, it should be easy to pick a section to focus on before moving to the next. Use repetition to memorize a section of your note before moving to the next.
When you’re done with one section, you can move to the next section. After studying two sections, try recalling these sections together without staring at your notes. If you can’t recall a section, you know where to focus on.
4. Teach It to Someone Else
I am a big fan of this method. I have used it multiple times in school and it has worked for me. One way i learned how to memorize notes fast is by teaching them to someone else. You get to recall most of the information you’ve memorized and retain it.
In my first year, I was struggling to grasp certain concepts in Political Science. After a few studies, I felt I understood it enough until my roommate had asked me to explain it to him. He said “Explain it to me like I’m five” and I kept on repeating the lines I had crammed. I realized I knew little.
I went back and did my research, understood the topic, and explained it to him in the simplest term. This way, I was able to understand and make him understand too. If he hadn’t asked me to explain to him, I would have gone to the exam prepared to fail.
If you’re finding it difficult to memorize, try explaining it to someone else. Pay attention to their response. It gives you a clue on where you need to improve.
5. Take a Break
One mistake we make when memorizing is trying to digest lots of information over a long period of time. I know many students guilty of this.
Your brain is not a machine. It is a living thing and like you, it does not like stress. One best practice of taking a break is the one I learned from my close friend. For every 20 minutes she spends reading, she takes a 10 minutes break. So in an hour, she spends 40 minutes reading and 20 minutes relaxing.
Take a break when memorizing your notes. It gives your brain time to relax and regain energy without having to think about what you’ve read. During your break, you can take a walk or grab a drink or have a conversation with someone.
LifeHack- Avoid using social media during your break.
6. Make Use of Recordings
One of my favourite techniques to memorize notes easily is making records of the information I’m studying.
Most smartphone devices come with a sound recorder in them. You can record every information spoken during a lecture or tutorial and listen to it later. It aids your visual learning by adding more information to what you’re reading.
Another way you can learn how to memorize notes fast is by recording yourself while reading and listening to them in your free time. This way, whatever you’ve missed while reading, you’d grab when listening. My favourite part of this technique is recording myself read aloud in a musical way (yes, I know. I play too much). So let’s say I’m having difficulties remembering a concept, I record myself singing notes and listening to it like it’s a song. My brain thinks it’s a song and stores the “lyrics” for me to recall easily. You should try it.
Conclusion
Learning how to memorize notes fast is a great skill to build this year. Whether you’d be applying these methods to school or professional courses, it is a great way to excel in whatever field you’re applying it to.
If you can relate to any of these methods, let me know which and how you’d be applying some new methods.
Popular Reads
2 Comments
Submit a Comment
How to Easily Turn Your Passion Into a Career
I need you to look within and search for that one thing you could do a thousand times without getting bored or tired. Yes, each time you engage in that one activity, it seems as though a magical force drives you. Surprisingly, that force is called passion! But, have...
5 Things You Should do at The Beginning of Every Month
The start of every month can be likened to a fresh start. And as with all fresh opportunities, there are things to do at the start of every month that should help increase your productivity. Keeping an organized monthly schedule is the key to building a productive...
25 Compliments that Have Nothing to do With Appearance
We all love compliments. I, for sure, know I do! But, lately, I have realized that most of the compliments people receive focus on their appearance. What if I told you that there are many compliments that have nothing to do with appearance or physical look? I see I...
How to Become Your Own Boss without Money
Every human being that has ever lived has had or would have had the potential of owning their life, not just because of riches, but because of the inner wealth within. The world we live in today is so focused on making money and more money that we fail to realize that...
10 Ways to Get People to Like You
There are various ways how to get people to like you, especially if you are not the outspoken or people-person type. The truth is, that people are naturally drawn to others with likable characters or characters they wish to emulate. Fun game, make a list of your...
What You Should Do If Someone Threatens to Leak Your Nudes
Photos of someone who is fully or partially naked are known as nudes. Things can go wrong after you've shared photographs with someone you trust. The person to whom you sent them may threaten to post these images of you online out of rage or for another reason, or...
8 Amazing Ways That will Help You Become the Perfect Mentor
When the word “mentoring” is mentioned, what usually comes to our mind is the picture of people in suits giving speaking to a gathering of people, and giving advice. What if I told you, that everyone is and can be a mentor to someone? In this article, I’d be showing...
7 Easy Guides to Stop Being Disorganized
Everyone wants to achieve their goals, live their dreams, and be perfect in every way, forgetting that you can’t accomplish all these things if you aren’t organized and have a plan. Knowing how to stop being disorganized should be on everybody's bucket list. You...
Successful People Have These 10 Daily Habits. You Should Too.
Habit is a behavioral pattern that is regularly repetitive. A habit might initially be triggered by a goal but, after some time the goal becomes less necessary and the habit becomes automatic. Making a habit of something takes commitment and diligence. Successful...
7 Tested Ways That will Teach How to Handle Criticisms Better
Knowing how to handle criticisms better is a valuable skill necessary for thriving in the workplace and society at large. We are humans and imperfections are a part of our DNA. We do not have the chance to always be perfect at what we do, hence, those who can see our...
Crocodile Hotel Kaduna Review and Detailed Guide
...
Bristol Palace Hotel Kano Review and Detailed Guide
...
The Tinubu and Abiola Connection
...
40 Fancy Boxes Lunch and Lunch Bags for all Ages and Genders
...
As Nigerians Head to The Polls, By Salim Yunusa
...
3 Kannywood Stars Contesting Elections in 2023
...
Naira Swap and Buhari’s Endless Search for A Legacy
...
The Top 10 Entries from the Mediahooch Creative Writing Challenge
...
The Best Kimono Styles to Own in 2023
...
What Next for Falalu Dorayi After Gidan Badamasi?
...
You May Also Like…
These 30 Quotes Will Convince You Being Single Is Not That Bad
There's nothing terrible about being single. It’s an awesome time that allows you to concentrate more on yourself, love yourself more, know yourself and also help you figure out...
10 Things to Put on Your CV (Resume)
Writing a professionally looking CV could prove tasking. With the constantly changing requirements of employers, crafting a CV that sparks their interest is vital. Whatever...
40 Quotes That Will Help You Find Inner Peace
Life can be pretty hard and stressful, don’t let anyone deceive you. We sometimes get frustrated when we don’t get what we want because we expect a lot from people. We get...
50 Important Questions That Will Help You Know Yourself Better
There are questions you need to ask yourself as a person; questions that would affect the life you lead, help you focus on self-awareness and personal growth. Your mind remains...
If You are Struggling to Find Your Purpose in Life, These 30 Quotes are For You
Your life purpose is your life message, your reason for existing. It’s the reason why you get up every morning, the reason why you try to be better, the reason why you feel...
10 Tips to Improve Your Presentation Skills
Making a good presentation can sometimes be hard. To have to stand and give your best speech can trigger anxiety and discomfort. If you want to know how to improve your...
10 Steps to Make a Good Impression at a Job Interview
Do you want to make a good impression at a job interview? Simple steps to know are the basics of impressing your potential employers. And at a job interview, you need...
How To Control Your Emotions
Learning how to control your emotions is an essential skill that can be learned. Emotions are various forms of feelings, positive or negative, that results in physical or...
These 10 Reasons Will Convince You to Keep A Journal
One sensible thing you can do for yourself when everything happening around you seems chaotic is to write, keep a journal. But surprisingly, when we hear the word “journal”, what...
Wow, Amazing!
I truly got value from this piece… I vow to share it with my friends ASAP!
Thank you, Israel. I really appreciate!